Not your mother's grilled cheese

Grilled cheese always makes me think of my mom making me lunch. It was my favorite: Velveeta from the big, long box, Wonder Bread from the package with the balloons on it, and sliced tomato, served beside a bowl of Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Tomato Soup. I sound like I’ve just stepped out of a 1960s food advertisement.  

Actually, I still love grilled cheese -- it means I’m home – working, usually, but in my own kitchen, taking a break from the deskwork, able to take a few moments to put together lunch.

This is not my mother’s grilled cheese, but it is good. Really good: fully of gooey smoothness against whole-grain heft with a bright hit of fresh tomato and, sometimes, some other veggie tucked in between the bread.

The transformation from Velveeta to, well, healthier (and tastier) starts with the obvious: whole grain bread. Even though the little girl in me is still in love with the Wonder Bread commercial that told me it “Builds Strong Bodies 12 Ways!” and then showed a child magically shooting up a yard stick, getting older and taller instantly! Sadly, Wonder Bread is processed until all the nutritional value of the wheat has been sucked out of it, then supplemented with vitamins that are harder to digest than the original vitamins, minerals and fiber in the raw product. Go figure.

I also go for real cheddar cheese, instead of Velveeta, which is perhaps the poster child of all processed foods. Labeled “pasteurized processed cheese food,” it was a squishy, orange block of something that felt like a cross between butter and cheese, and it was super creamy with a great melting quality. A step away from Cheez Whiz.

I use sharp cheddar now, and mix it with goat cheese to get that same, melty, Velveeta affect. It also adds a more complex flavor  – as if grilled cheese needs complexity.

I’ve kept the sliced tomatoes just as they were in Mom’s grilled cheese, and they really make the sandwich, cutting  the rich cheese and bread combo with a burst of tangy freshness. Once, when I was out of tomatoes, I used leftover mustard greens I’d sautéed at dinner the night before, and the bite they lent was an unexpected and delicious substitute. Thinly sliced apples can work, too, but make sure they’re crisp – mealy ones are just a disappointing substitute that makes me wish for those tomatoes after all.

If I’m lucky, I’m serving up this re-invented grilled cheese with soup, but not Campbell’s, with its corn syrup and mystery “flavorings.” Instead I like a homemade squash soup, or maybe potato or beet. Something thick and rich. I’m still looking for a favorite.