Ok so this whole ‘Grilled cheese’ Shenanigans is also known as toasted sandwich, and in my experience largely consisted of ham and cheese up until about 8 or 9 years ago and the concept of ‘panini’ appeared in Ireland, to general suspicion and disregard. One must remember that pre-cheap flights era most country people were used to only the following sandwiches: Ham. Ham and Cheddar. Sugar (In less prosperous times). Jam. Tinned salmon or tuna. Leftover sunday roast beef. Leftover sunday roast chicken.

These would be 2 slices of white/soda/brown bread slathered with copius amounts of Kerrygold Irish Creamery butter (Heavenly butter) and for the mad adventurous types a bit of mayonnaise.

So when all this brie and pesto stuff started up it was a whole new concept for we farmer folk. A now welcomed concept- see that ad with the farmers building walls- something we have grown used to along with the rest of the world and it has changed our tastebuds for the better!

So here is a traditional Irish take on a classic. Anyone on a diet, look away now.

2 thick cut slices of white bread (not the rubbish bought in a pack type, go to your local bakery or make it yourself :))

A small handful of Irish (Kilmeaden/Dubliners) extra mature cheddar cheese

About 1/4 ball of buffalo mozzerella

A sprinkling of parmesan cheese

2 thick sliced hickory smoked rashers (source locally if at all possible)

A smidgeon of wholegrain mustard with guinness (made by lakeshore)

Irish creamery butter – Kerrygold all the way

Yeah, sounds good doesn’t it!

So here’s what you do:

Grill or fry (argh, arteries solidifying) the rashers until nice and well done. I like mine crispyish at the edges. Trim off the fat and use the nice lean stuff.

Grate or chop up all your cheeses and mix them all up nicely in a bowl.

Take your 2 slices of bread and lightly cover with the Guinness mustard (or lather it on if that’s your thing). Pop on your yummy rashers (that you haven’t eaten. I know that missing bit was merely a casualty of cooking) on top and place your cheeses on. Put your second slice of bread on and here comes the melty bit. Butter the outside of both sides of your nearly ready sandwich.

Now there are 2 ways to do this. You can heat up a good heavy pan, preferably cast iron, and cook your sandwich thatta way, or you can pop it in under the grill. Either way you want to cook each side until golden brown and there’s melty cheese peeking at you from inside your sandwich!

Serve immediately but try not to burn yourself too much 🙂