Since April is National Grilled Cheese Month (not sure whose nation, ours or theirs), it’s only fitting that I share my latest discovery - the BEST grilled cheese sandwich EVER!

I stumbled upon this delicious idea at Souleio, a great little gourmet food store, deli, wine and spirits shop, and bistro in downtown Saskatoon. Really, this is the perfect one-stop shop for food lovers, whether you’re looking for lunch, great take-out, or the best local and imported food products. The meats all come from their own Pine View Farms and you’ll find things like Red Fife wheat flour and cold-pressed local oils.

While they didn’t actually reveal their secrets, I’ve approximated the Souleio sandwich at home utilizing two different cheeses and my handy panini press.

I started with my favourite Rustic Sourdough Bakery light rye bread - it’s dense and a nice oval shape. It’s just about the same size, in fact, as the Saputo Provolone slices I had in the fridge (though you could have your Italian deli slice any similarly shaped cheese, from Friulano to Mozzarella).

For the gooey interior, I planned to follow their lead and buy a block of German Butter Cheese but when that turned out to be difficult to find, I substituted plain Havarti.

If you look closely, the Souleio sandwich has paper thin slices of dill pickles sandwiched between the outside of the bread and the crispy cheese coating. I neglected to add this tasty addition, opting instead for a little slather of Dijon mustard on the outside of the bread to help the cheese slices stick, while adding a little zip of acidity and flavor. I also put a few homemade bread and butter pickles on the inside of the sandwich, for extra flavour.

So here’s what I did:

1. 1.Slather two oval-shaped pieces of light rye bread with Dijon or other spicy mustard on the outside (and the inside if you like mustard).
   

2. 2.Cut Havarti into 1/4-1/2 inch slices, trim to fit, and place between bread. Add a few thin slices of dill or sweet pickles if you like, too.
   

3. 3.Stick a thin sliced of Provolone (or Mozza) to the outside of each slice of bread (you’re aiming for a slice of cheese that approximates the size and shape of the bread).
   

4. 4.Heat up the sandwich press (the smooth-sided one) and place the sandwich (Provolone side down) in the press. Press the lid down and cook until the cheese on the outside is crisp and the cheese on the inside is soft.
   

Enjoy your sandwich while it’s hot and crisp and melty!

©Cinda Chavich 2012

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