The Peachy Peach - Gouda, Pickled Peaches, Mulberry Jam and Virginia Ham Grilled Cheese

Oh hey 2014! Sorry I neglected you for so long. You see, I've been busy trying to fit back into all of my winter clothes, and well Grilled Cheese Social, you got left behind because I think you're the culprit. I should have known that one day your existence would catch up to me and my favorite skinny jeans wouldn't look so hot anymore.  Especially Since the number 1 question that I've been asked since I started this blog almost 4 years ago is "How the hell do you eat all of these grilled cheese sandwiches and not weigh 1000 pounds?" Well. I may not be 1000 pounds but that doesn't mean all these delightful sandwiches don't take a toll on me.

When it was time to bust out all of my winter clothes this year, I literally "busted" out of them. This led to the shocking realization that "Holy shit. All of my pants are too tight! Is it because I'm in my late 20s and my metabolism is saying peace-out? Is it all those nights of drinking IPAs to keep warm? Or maybe it was all the late night food fests that seemed like such a good idea at the time." However this weight gain happened and it definitely wasn't going anywhere unless I did something about it.  So what did I do? I turned into someone that I thought I'd never be.

I started juicing....NOT CLEANSING... and started working out. And by working out, I mean I started doing Wii Dance because that is the best form of workout that has ever existed. Who doesn't want to sweat it out alone in their bedrooms, without shame or pressure, without some hot dude staring into my red sweaty face. And most importantly, without someone seeing my white girl dance moves and I try to pop and lock it to some catchy Beyonce song. It literally is the funnest workout that I've ever done, but that doesn't mean I want people seeing me do it. Anyways, I've had to cut back mainly because I don't want to have to buy new jeans but it's good for me so we'll see how this works and I'll let you know what my robotic aerobics instructor tells me at the next Wii-weigh-in.

But I also realize that my month long hiatus meant that this poor blog got neglected, but no sweat (actually a lot of sweat) I'm back! And I'll be back for good because now I realize that I don't have to eat all the test sandwiches AND the the ones that get photographed, I'm pretty sure I can handle it and get back into my levis (please please please please). So we'll start back with a sandwich that's kind of tiny so that YOU can decide how many of them you actually want to eat. Oh, and did I mention these are perfect little grilled cheese sliders for Super Bowl parties? So sweet and savory; these little sandwiches feature Wisconsin's famous Marieke Gouda, Underground Butcher's White Mulberry Jam, homemade pickled peaches, and thinly sliced Virginia Ham all on fluffy little King's Hawaiian Rolls.

INGREDIENTS

- Wisconsin Gouda (Marieke brand)
- White Mulberry Jam (by Underground Butcher)
- Virginia Ham
- Pickled Peaches
- King's Hawaiian Rolls
- Salted Butter (I only use Kriemhild!)

When you're working with any type of bread that has a crust on the outside, you'll always want to begin by flipping over the bread and filling your sandwich so that the interior of the roll now becomes the exterior. Make sense? Basically you want the inner bready goodness to act as the part that gets all crispy and delicious when you grill it.

So now that we're all good to go, begin by smearing some of Underground Butcher's white mulberry jam onto the King's Hawaiian Roll. I get that this is kind of a specialty item, so if you can't find it maybe try to use like a fig jam or even a sweet and spicy honey mustard.

Now add some of the gouda and a few pickled peaches. I made these because the peaches that i've found in Brooklyn this winter blow harder than the stupid wind that's been messin' up my hair. Anyways, I really wanted to put them on this sandwich, and I thought this was the most edible way. I basically just sliced them super thin and added them to some sweet pickling liquid that I had in my fridge. I let them sit for about a week and then busted 'em out!

They're sweet, tart, and super juicy. They're absolutely perfect to compliment the savory ham, nutty cheesy, and woodsy mulberry jam.

Oh, and this cheese, if you haven't heard me rant about it before, then get ready! Marieke makes my favorite gouda that's EVER existed. It's sweet, nutty, and has slight hints of caramel. It's a dreamboat of a cheese and it's made in my favorite cheeseland - Wisconsin.

Now add some Virginia ham. It's super salty so it balances out the sweetness of the other ingredients. Add more or less or none at all depending on how much you dig ham. I know some of my boyfriends will want like 500 layers so do what you gotta do friends!

Now it's time to close the sandwich up and get it ready to be buttered. See how the top of the bun got flipped inside out and now is being used kind of upside down? That's what I'm talking about. Email me if you still don't get this, we'll have a talk. 🙂

So now that everything is ready to go, place your buttered sandwiches in a griddle and turn the heat to medium. Starting with the sandwich at room temp and letting it get hotter with the pan helps make a more perfect crust and the cheese melts more evenly.

Let them grill for a few minutes on each side until they're all crispy and melted and golden and delicious and and and and AWESOME!  You might even have time to go run and do a song on Wii Dance real quick. Maybe. But be careful, I don't want anyone crying from burnt sandwiches.

Oh, and um try and let them sit for a minute to set... please?

Oh la la! All done! Aren't they pretty? And can I just say that it feels really good to do a new post? I miss writing... and eating. Umm, well mainly just eating but you know. Anyways, check back next week cause i'll be back with another dank-ass recipe... I SWEAR!

xoxo,

GCS