Mac Cheese Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe 445

MAC & CHEESE GRILLED CHEESE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan filled with boiling water, cook macaroni until al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Drain.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the same pot over low heat. Add milk and cheese packet and whisk well. Turn off the heat and return macaroni. Add 1/2 to 1 cup of cheddar and stir until the cheddar is melted and the macaroni is evenly coated in the cheese sauce. Remove from heat. Fold in bacon pieces.
• Assemble sandwiches: Butter one side of each piece of bread. For each sandwich, place one slice of bread buttered side down on a clean working surface or plate. Cover bread with cheddar cheese, then spoon macaroni and cheese on top. Sprinkle with more cheddar then top with one more slice of bread, buttered side up. Repeat process with remaining bread. (You may have leftover macaroni and cheese.)
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place 1 to 2 sandwiches (or however many will fit) in the skillet and cook until bread is golden and the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes per side.

GRILLED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Set up an outdoor grill for indirect cooking over medium heat. For charcoal, use coals on one side of the grill. For gas, shut off one side of the grill.
• Place an 8-quart cast iron Dutch oven over the hot side of the grill. Add bacon; cook and stir until it renders its fat, but doesn't crisp up, 5 to 7 minutes. Add onions and garlic; move the Dutch oven so only about half of the pot is over the heat. Cook and stir until onions start to become translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in milk and cook until hot, but not simmering. Melt in cream cheese.
• Stir in about a handful of Cheddar cheese at a time until 3 cups have been melted into the mixture. Move the Dutch oven to the cooler side of the grill. Stir in cooked macaroni. Crumble the cheese crackers over the top. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup Cheddar cheese.
• Close the lid of the grill and let cook until bubbly and reduced, about 40 minutes, rotating the Dutch oven every 5 minutes or so to keep from burning. Remove from heat and serve.

FOUR-CHEESE GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

Steps:

• Mix butter and garlic in a small bowl until well combined. Spread 1/2 of the butter onto one side of each slice of bread; set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat; stir in spinach and giardiniera. Saute until spinach is wilted and mixture is heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove to a bowl and wipe out the skillet.
• Place 1 slice of bread, buttered-side down, into one side of the warm skillet. Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in the other side of the skillet. Place mozzarella slices in the skillet and cook until soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Place mozzarella slices on top of the bread in the skillet. Repeat with the provolone, Asiago, and Fontina slices.
• Add spinach mixture and tomato slices to the skillet, adding more oil if necessary, and cook until warm, 2 to 3 minutes. Place spinach mixture on top of the cheese, followed by the tomatoes and the remaining slice of bread, buttered-side up. Flip the sandwich and cook until browned and cheese has melted, 5 to 10 minutes.