Delicious Pumpkin Grilled Cheese with Apples and Cheddar

Ingredients

• 4 slices challah bread, sliced white or whole grain bread (Udi’s Gluten Free Bread is great for this also)
• 1 small pumpkin
• ½ gala apple, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup sliced or shredded sharp cheddar
• ½ cup baby arugula
• 2 Tbsp butter

Instructions

Cooking the Pumpkin

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Wash the skin of the pumpkin with soap and water.
3. Carefully slice the pumpkin in half, from top to bottom, with a very sharp knife.
4. Scoop out the seeds and throw them away.
5. Place the pumpkin halves in a large baking dish, face down.
6. Fill the dish with ½ cup water then bake the pumpkin for 1 hour.
7. Remove the pumpkin from the oven, carefully flip the halfs over and checked that the flesh is tender with a fork.
8. Set the cooked pumpkin aside to cool enough to handle, around 15 minutes. Scoop out the flesh and throw away the skin. You can store the flesh in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the fridge.

Pumpkin Grilled Cheese

1. Slather butter on the outside of the sliced bread.
2. Scoop some of the cooked pumpkin flesh on the bottom of one slice.
3. Place a layer of sliced apple on the pumpkin.
4. Add the sliced cheddar cheese then a handful of arugula.
5. Warmed a grill pan (you can also use a regular saucepan) over medium heat then add the stacked sandwich, butter side down, to the pan. Top it with the second slice of buttered bread.
6. Push down on the sandwich with a spatula. After three minutes on one side, carefully flip the sandwich, press down again with the spatula and cook for another three minutes. The bread should be toasted on both sides.
7. Remove the grilled cheese from the pan and slice it in half.
8. Follow the same directions for the second sandwich.

(Source: kitchen-tested.com)

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Delicious Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake

Yield: Just shy of 3 shakes in the 12-ounce glasses shown; 4 to 5 shakes in the 8-ounce glasses we found to be a better portion size later

1 (10-ounce, 283-gram) bag large marshmallows, divided
1/2 cup milk
Seeds scraped from 1/2 a small vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups vanilla ice cream
2 tablespoons sour cream, plain yogurt or crème fraîche
1/4 cup heavy cream beaten to soft peaks with 1 teaspoon powdered sugar, for a whipped cream garnish (optional)

Place your glasses in the freezer. Heat your broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat it lightly with a nonstick spray. Set aside the number of marshmallows you’ll want for garnishes (estimate 1 to 2 per shake) and spread the rest on the tray. Broil, keeping a close watch as the marshmallows will take on color very quickly, for 1 to 2 minutes, until they’re the color you like. Don’t be afraid of a little char; it really enhances the shake. Cool the tray in the freezer for 5 minutes, until marshmallows are no longer warm, then transfer broiled marshmallows to your blender. Blend with milk until as pureed as you can get them, then pause to individually toast marshmallows for garnish over a gas flame or back under your broiler for a moment. This ensures that they’re warm when they hit the glass. Add vanilla bean or extract, ice cream and sour cream to the marshmallow mix in the blender, and blend until thick and smooth. Pour into chilled glasses, finish with a dollop of whipped cream, if using, and a warm marshmallow. Slurp through a straw; repeat again very soon.

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Delicious French Onion Soup Grilled Cheese

Ingredients

1 tablespoon each grapeseed (or olive) oil and butter, for frying
2 slices of french baguette or french bread
1 tablespoon softened butter
enough shredded gruyere cheese to generously cover both slices of bread
about ½ cup wine-braised onions (see recipe below)
fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat grapeseed oil in frying pan over medium low heat. Add butter and allow to melt.

Spread each slice of French bread with softened butter. Add half the shredded cheese to one, pile braised onions on top, sprinkled with fresh thyme leaves, salt and pepper, then add the rest of the cheese. “Close” the sandwich with the other slice of bread, and gently press together.

Place the sandwich in the hot pan and cook until bread is toasted brown and cheese has started to melt. Carefully flip the sandwich over in the pan and cook until the other side is toasted brown and cheese has completely melted.

Remove the grilled sandwich from the pan and serve.

Wine-braised Onions

about 1 small clove garlic per 2 onions
onions (cook about 3-5 at a time, as you will find many uses for leftover caramelized onions)
olive oil
butter
bay leaf
fresh thyme
salt and fresh cracked pepper
red or white wine
beef stock (optional)

Directions

Cut the onions in half lengthwise, then slice thinly again lengthwise.

For every 1 large onion, heat about 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large, heavy-bottom pan over medium heat. Add the same amount of butter, allow to melt, then add minced garlic. Allow the garlic to soften (but not color), then add the onions. Stir to coat the garlic and onions in oil+butter, add a bay leaf and a small sprig of thyme, then turn down the heat to medium low (so onions don’t burn). Continue to cook the onions until they are soft and deep golden brown, 30-40 minutes (depending on how many onions you cook).

Add about ¼ cup red or white wine (doesn’t matter), and allow to cook down with the onions, another 5-7 minutes. You can also add beef stock, but I didn’t.

Remove from heat and set aside enough onions for grilled cheese sandwich. The rest, throw into a pot and make French Onion Soup.