I'm a big fan of lunch.
Always have been.
Despite it's near invisibility in recent years with breakfast hogging the spotlight as most important meal of the day and yadda yadda, lunch is the meal I always enjoy the most.
Back in the good old days, when people actually sat down and ate three squares together, lunch was quite the production.
In fact, I spent much of my childhood in the country where lunch was so important it was called "dinner."
And dinner was supper, but that's another story.
On the farm, though, when we had dinner, we ate!
Breaded pork chops with mashed potatoes and gravy, split pea soup made with the succulence of a ham bone, homemade buttermilk biscuits, fried chicken, new vegetable hodge podge, and sweet corn; all washed down with homemade apple cider, or fresh cold milk.
So you can understand why I absolutely cannot sit down to a lunch that hasn't been put together with some kind of love.
If it's not delicious, then its a waste of calories - and what's the point in that?
Especially since today's lunch is going to require that you go out and run a triathalon in order to burn off the calories - or at the very least, strap on some shoes and go hiking.
But do so because the comforting, ooozy, cheesey deliciouness of this sandwich is hard to beat.
Especially on a cold November afternoon as we all prepare for hibernation.
The real truth, however, is that I'm going for groceries on Sunday and before I hit the store I wanted to use up the last of what I had kicking around:
Velveeta cheese from last week's Macaroni and Cheese
A couple tomatoes (very thinly sliced)
Crispy fried bacon (left over from the Corn Chowder)
One onion (also thinly sliced)
And a lone avocado that was fast growing soft.
What better than to create some kind of decadent grilled cheese sandwich and write off the calories later on a two hour hike?
(a gal needs sustenance when facing the great outdoors)
So that's what I did.
Bacon Tomato Avocado and Onion Grilled Cheese
Stack all your ingredients between two pieces of well buttered bread. (This goes without saying, but just in case, make sure to keep your buttered bread facing outside)
Grill slowly on medium heat flipping the sandwich every minute or so to assure the cheese gets nice and melty but the bread doesn't burn.
Remove from heat. Cut in half, and serve immediately.
Sometimes you just want a sandwich that reminds you of home.
And this one could easily be called "dinner" in certain circles.
***
So tell me, are you strictly an imported cheese, fresh and local kind of cook or do you, every now and again, sneak in some of the ingredients our mom's or grandmother's used to cook with?
Campbell's soup... onion soup... Hellman's... name your vices. Or do you totally cook "clean?"
Enquiring minds would very much like to know - and you won't offend me if you never use Velveeta ;)
 |
| Grilled cheese with bacon, tomato, onion, and avocado |
Always have been.
Despite it's near invisibility in recent years with breakfast hogging the spotlight as most important meal of the day and yadda yadda, lunch is the meal I always enjoy the most.
Back in the good old days, when people actually sat down and ate three squares together, lunch was quite the production.
In fact, I spent much of my childhood in the country where lunch was so important it was called "dinner."
And dinner was supper, but that's another story.
On the farm, though, when we had dinner, we ate!
Breaded pork chops with mashed potatoes and gravy, split pea soup made with the succulence of a ham bone, homemade buttermilk biscuits, fried chicken, new vegetable hodge podge, and sweet corn; all washed down with homemade apple cider, or fresh cold milk.
So you can understand why I absolutely cannot sit down to a lunch that hasn't been put together with some kind of love.
If it's not delicious, then its a waste of calories - and what's the point in that?
Especially since today's lunch is going to require that you go out and run a triathalon in order to burn off the calories - or at the very least, strap on some shoes and go hiking.
But do so because the comforting, ooozy, cheesey deliciouness of this sandwich is hard to beat.
Especially on a cold November afternoon as we all prepare for hibernation.
The real truth, however, is that I'm going for groceries on Sunday and before I hit the store I wanted to use up the last of what I had kicking around:
Velveeta cheese from last week's Macaroni and Cheese
A couple tomatoes (very thinly sliced)
Crispy fried bacon (left over from the Corn Chowder)
One onion (also thinly sliced)
And a lone avocado that was fast growing soft.
What better than to create some kind of decadent grilled cheese sandwich and write off the calories later on a two hour hike?
(a gal needs sustenance when facing the great outdoors)
So that's what I did.
Bacon Tomato Avocado and Onion Grilled Cheese
Stack all your ingredients between two pieces of well buttered bread. (This goes without saying, but just in case, make sure to keep your buttered bread facing outside)
Grill slowly on medium heat flipping the sandwich every minute or so to assure the cheese gets nice and melty but the bread doesn't burn.
Remove from heat. Cut in half, and serve immediately.
Sometimes you just want a sandwich that reminds you of home.
And this one could easily be called "dinner" in certain circles.
***
So tell me, are you strictly an imported cheese, fresh and local kind of cook or do you, every now and again, sneak in some of the ingredients our mom's or grandmother's used to cook with?
Campbell's soup... onion soup... Hellman's... name your vices. Or do you totally cook "clean?"
Enquiring minds would very much like to know - and you won't offend me if you never use Velveeta ;)