Ooey Gooey Grilled Cheese

The Grilled Awesome

Happy Spring!

Tax season is finally over and the weather in NYC is getting warmer. I will be spending my weekend planting herbs to start the NYC balcony garden for the season which can only mean it's time to cook with fresh fruits vegetables and herbs.  With grilled cheese month coming to a close try my spring twist to a standard comfort food.

Ingredients: Makes Two
1 Tbsp. red onion – sliced into rings
1⁄4 of fresh mango – diced
1 Tbsp. cilantro- diced
1⁄4 Cup manchego cheese (3 month aged) – finely shredded 
8 slices of brie – cut 1⁄4 inch thick
2 Tsp butter
1 1⁄2 Tsp olive oil
4 Slices of sourdough bread

Mango Salsa:

To prepare the mango salsa, begin by slicing your red onion into rings. Warm 1 tsp of olive oil in a skillet and sauté your red onions until soft and translucent. 

Once the rings are cooked, drain the oil on a paper town and cut the onion rings in quarters, let the onions cool while you work on the mango. Cut the mango away from the pit in the center and remove the skin. Dice the mango into 1/4 inch cubes. Take your fresh cilantro and finely dice. Add all three ingredients together and add 1/2 tsp of olive oil, give a light mix and sit aside.   

Grilled Cheese:

Slice the brie into 1/4 inch slices, 3-4 slices will be needed for each grilled cheese. Remove half of the rind from the brie cheese. Shred the manchego cheese finely and set aside. Heat up another skillet and spread the sourdough bread with a small amount of the butter and place on the warmed skillet, butter side down. Arrange the brie cheese on the bread and cover with 1 1/2 Tbsp of the shredded manchego cheese. Top the cheeses with 2 1/2 Tbsp of mango salsa. 

Place the second piece of buttered bread on top of the mango butter side up. Let the grilled cheese brown about 3-4 minutes before flipping. Brown both sides until cheese is completely melted. Slice in half and enjoy.