Salsa Sauerkraut Grilled Dubliner Cheese Sandwich

Who else grew up making A LOT of grilled cheeses?

I know I did. They were a staple to make as a kid and I loved putting slices of fresh grown tomatoes from my Great Uncle’s garden in between the Aldi bread and Kraft’s questionable cheese product. If that doesn’t sum up childhood for a minute I don’t know what does. 🙂

My warm fuzzies for the grilled cheese extend into adulthood too. Grilled cheese sandwiches are the perfect sustenance when you’re hostel hopping in Ireland and looking for a cheap and filling meal that can be made in a minimal kitchen. These sammies have been a staple during my 4 trips to Ireland over the last 7 years. It’s great picking up a loaf of Brennan’s bread with it’s red and gold wax paper packaging, a block of Kerrygold butter, some Dubliner cheese, and a pack of Knorr tomato soup. These few ingredients meant a meal for 8 people or several meals for 2.

Even though the days of everyday grilled cheese eating are a just a memory, Jeremy and I find ourselves craving them near the end of October beginning of November. Fall weather has settled in whether here in Portland, back in Illinois or even Ireland and blankets of crisp (sometimes wet) and colorful leaves most likely decorate the ground. We just can’t help but want to cozy up with a bowl of soup and a warm toasted sandwich. All that’s missing is a wood burning stove or fireplace. Sigh.

So when Jeremy suggested grilled cheese and soup for dinner this past week, I excitedly proclaimed ‘with SALSA SAUERKRAUT!’

Today I gift you with a version made with my latest batch of sauerkraut and a favorite cheese. Kerrygold Dubliner cheese, a sweet mature cheese (aged over 12 months) can be found at major grocery stores and even Trader Joe’s. Avoiding cheese? I give suggestions in the recipe.

For these sandwiches we used whatever bread happened to be on hand for Jeremy’s PB&J sandwiches and it was a delicious Italian bread. We used a dab of olive oil in the pan per side of sandwich for the browning.