This isn't your mother's grilled cheese! Aged cheddar-style cheese, a slice of ham, and a few sliced pickles on pumpernickel bread pack a lot of flavor with little effort in this grown-up grilled cheese sandwich. It is also an endlessly flexible recipe--try different artisan breads and any cheddar-style or firm cheese.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- Butter
- 2 slices dark rye or pumpernickel bread
- 2 oz. aged cheddar (or other aged, flavorful, firm cheese), very thinly sliced
- 1 thin slice ham
- 3 slices bread-and-butter pickles, cut into 2 thinner slices each
Preparation:
- Lightly but thoroughly butter one side of each slice of bread. Lay one bread slice on a work surface, butter-side down. Arrange cheese, ham, and pickle slices evenly on bread. Cover with second bread slice, butter-side out.
- Heat a sandwich grill or panini press and cook sandwich until bread is toasted and cheese is melted. (Or, heat a small frying pan over medium heat, cook sandwich, covered until toasted on one side, flip and cook, uncovered, until second side is toasted and cheese is melted.) Serve hot.
Makes 1 Grown-Up Grilled Cheese Sandwich.


