13 best grilled cheese ideas

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Tomater

12 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated or cut into 8 slices

8 slices brioche bread

Pesto

1 cup dry-packed

sun-dried tomatoes

¼ cup fresh basil leaves

4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

¼ cup candied walnuts

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup olive oil

8 slices heirloom tomato

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, for finishing

To make the pesto, in a saucepan, combine the tomatoes with water to cover, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 5 to 7 minutes, until rehydrated and tender. Drain well and let cool.

In a food processor, combine the cooled tomatoes, basil, garlic, walnuts, and Parmesan and pulse until finely chopped. With the processor running, add the oil in a slow, thin stream and process until the oil is incorporated and the mixture is smooth.

Line up half of the bread slices on a work surface. Top each slice with 1 cheese slice, one-fourth of the pesto, 2 tomato slices, and a second cheese slice. Close the sandwiches with the remaining bread slices.

Line a large platter with paper towels. In a skillet over high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Turn down the heat to low, add 1 sandwich, and cook, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until browned and crisp on both sides and the cheese is melted. Transfer to the prepared platter to blot the excess grease. Repeat with the remaining butter and sandwiches.

Cut the sandwiches in half, plate, and serve.

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My first cookbook, Deep Run Roots, is a love letter to Eastern North Carolina, the place I’ve lived my whole life.

But it really doesn’t represent the way I cook at home most days. At home and at my home-away-from-home office (a place we affectionately call VHQ), I’m a modern day domestic engineer who calls on a roster of flavor heroes to make simple food fantastic food. These things, my kitchen MVPs, are what this book is about.

If you come on this journey with me, if you go to the mat and make a hero or two, and then make a recipe or three that builds on that hero, I promise with every ounce of my highly accomplished self that you will be inspired.

This book will change the way you cook, the way you think about what’s in your fridge, the way you see yourself in an apron. I swear on my dog Gracie’s grave that you will be empowered, confident, dare I say even nimble, in your kitchen. Your journey to make your cooking taste good will shatter the chains of recipes you’ve struggled to follow. It will reshape, even streamline, the time you spend feeding yourself and the ones you love.

Roast Chicken Toast

To all the toast I’ve cooked before—I’m sorry you don’t hold a candle to this guy. Basically a piece of bread transformed into a crouton under roasting chicken legs, the bread itself is squishy and rich with chicken schmaltz in some spots and astonishingly crisp for the same reason in others. It’s stupid easy to do, makes use of not-fresh bread, and is a revelation to eat. I seriously can’t understand why we haven’t been doing it for centuries. So while I’m probably not the first person to roast chicken over bread, I want to be the one who takes the technique mainstream.

Cherry Tomato Baked Feta…Surprise!

I’ve taken to the habit of calling something a “Surprise” when I don’t know how to classify it. But if you think about the Mediterranean tradition of dipping bread into seasoned olive oil, then you add cherry tomatoes and feta and then you bake it, you have the gist of what’s happening here. Not technically a dip, but perhaps more of a broken spoon-able sauce or spread, LGD stands in for the “seasoned” part of the olive oil and brings more pizzazz with it than dried oregano ever did. Surprise! While the gateway vehicle for this dip is toast, I love it over grits, pureed cauliflower, couscous, fish, or chicken. I’ve paired it with swordfish here because swordfish is meaty enough to balance the action—but let’s be clear, this recipe is about the Surprise, not its companion.

Collards Break Character

I stumble around the question of how I find inspiration for new dishes because generally the process is more research than revelation. But when my friend Von Diaz made her collards braised in coconut milk on an episode of my show Somewhere South, I was blown away by the idea of collards braised in anything other than porky pot liquor. Von’s collards landed in my bowl dark green, earthy, and a little bit bitter against a white backdrop of mellow, comforting coconut milk. They were familiar but different and I was totally inspired.

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Grilled Lamb Steaks with Salsa Verde

Think of this cut as being similar to a pork chop or rib-eye steak but with a delicate texture and sweet taste. Grilling brings down any gaminess of the lamb, and the salsa verde topping makes a fantastic complement to the flavors of the meat.

Smoked Salmon Crostini with Capers, Dill, and Goat Cheese

There are so many great uses for Northwest salmon. If you don't want to commit to a full meal but still want a salmon fix, this is a great appetizer for parties.

Wine-Braised Smoked Lamb Shanks

Braised lamb shanks make for such an elegant winter meal. By smoking the lamb first for a few hours, you're imparting incredible flavor to the final dish.

Smoked Poblano Mac and Cheese

This is a rich and creamy mac and cheese with a mix of cheeses plus a bit of heat. You can cook the dish directly on the grill, giving it even more incredible flavor.

Smoked Crown Lamb Roast

A crown lamb roast makes for an incredibly festive centerpiece for any holiday or special occasion. It's also easy to slice into equal portions for your guests, and nobody is left fighting for a bone piece.

Smoked Whole Chicken

This smoked whole roaster is a favorite Sunday meal for our family. Enjoy the shredded chicken leftovers the remainder of the week, and use the remaining bones to make the most incredible Smoked Chicken Stock.

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Chicken Parm Soup from Delish

No version of Chicken Parm is released into the universe until it’s given a stamp of approval by Lindsey, our on-staff Chicken Parm consultant (she’s tasted hundreds of versions). This soup is one of her favorites ever—which says a lot.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced or crushed tomatoes
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

• 8 ounces penne
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
• 1 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil.

Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft, 5 minutes.

Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more.

Stir in tomato paste and red pepper flakes.

Add tomatoes and chicken broth and bring to a simmer.

Add penne and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes, then add chicken, mozzarella, Parmesan, and parsley and season generously with salt and pepper.

Let cheese melt, then ladle into bowls.

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Souffleed Stone-Ground Grits With Aged Cheddar Cheese From Justin Devillier Of La Petite Grocery

Grits can be prepared simply—just ground corn, salt, and butter—but they become transcendent when given an elevated treatment. In this recipe, Justin Devillier, the chef/owner of La Petite Grocery in New Orleans, puts a French spin on the Southern classic. He uses the traditional French technique of incorporating whipped egg whites to add volume—this same method is used to puff up souffles. Devillier then folds in aged cheddar to spread extra flavor evenly throughout the grits.

Recipe:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Combine 2 cups water, the milk, butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper in a 4-quart cast-iron cocotte. Place over medium-high heat and heat until it is steaming but not quite boiling. Add the grits in a slow, steady stream while whisking to prevent lumps from forming. Once all of the grits are in, bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes, until the grits are thickened enough to stick to the spoon but not the

bottom of the pot. Add the cheese and fold it in to incorporate. Remove from the the heat.

Place the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add a pinch of salt and whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg yolks into the warm grits. Add one-quarter of the egg whites and use a spatula to very gently fold them into the grits.

Add the remaining whites and fold to combine. If you are using mini cocottes, pour the mixture into the 6 to 8 cocottes, leaving an inch at the top for the souffle to rise. Bake for 45 minutes for the large cocotte and 30 minutes for the minis, or until puffed up, golden brown on top, and the aroma of toasted cheddar fills the kitchen.

Serve warm.