The Biloxi: pork butt, bacon and fontina
cheese. Photo courtesy Grilled Cheese
Academy.

For National Grilled Cheese Month (there’s also a National Grilled Cheese Day, April 12th), feast your eyes upon 30 creative grilled cheese recipes from the Grilled Cheese Academy.

You’ll find more than a few must-try recipes. In fact, you might be inspired to host a grilled cheese party.

To make the best grilled cheese sandwiches, here are 10 tips from the experts at EatWisconsinCheese.com, creators of the Grilled Cheese Acadmey.

CHEESE TIPS

1. To Slice Or Not To Slice. Often it’s best to grate or shred the cheese. This promotes faster melting, as well as a smooth and more even melt.

2. Slicing And Melting. It’s easier to slice and grate cheese when it’s cold. Furthermore, cheese melts best at room temperature.

3. More Is Better. Don’t be shy: Pile on the cheese. Expand your horizons by using several types of cheese at once, as well as different toppings (arugula, caramelized onions, chutney, cranberry sauce, figs, garlic-sauteed spinach, gherkins, grapes, grilled vegetables, jalapeño, olives, pepperoncini, pesto, pickled vegetables, relish, sprouts, sautéed pineapple, sundried tomatoes, tomato sauce….whatever’s in the fridge or pantry). Remember, American, Cheddar and Swiss aren’t the only cheeses in town.

BREAD & BUTTER TIPS

4. Use The Real Deal. For great flavor, use real butter to pan-toast your grilled cheese sandwich. Margarine and other butter wannabes win you no points.

5. Soft Is Good. Butter at room temperature is the way to go. Not only does it spread easily, but it also browns the bread more evenly.

6. Use Your Imagination. White bread is not the only answer; in fact, it’s often not the best answer. Pick specialty unique breads to create equally more exciting and flavorful grilled cheese sandwiches.

COOKING TIPS

7. Size Matters. Always use the right size skillet or suffer the consequences. If you opt for a skillet that’s too small, your sandwich will cook too slowly and not evenly.

The Nantucket: smoked salmon, cream cheese, scallions and melted aged Cheddar. Photo courtesy Grilled Cheese Academy.

8. Cast Off Cast Iron. Cast-iron pans and grilled cheese sandwiches are not friends. Always use a nonstick pan to minimize “stickage.” It also makes cleanup easier.

9. Flip. Press. Repeat. You want the cheese to spread evenly as it melts. So always press the sandwich with a spatula after you flip it. (Open-faced grilled cheese sandwiches do not require flipping.)

10. Low And Steady. Don’t grill over high heat. Not only will the bread brown too fast, but the cheese will not melt completely. Be patient and always grill over low heat.

Betty Crocker Kitchen has announced the winner in its second annual Betty Bracket, a showdown of 16 sweet and savory beer party food recipes competing to be served at the game.

America has spoken: Beer Battered Grilled Cheese Sandwich was the winner. You can enjoy it during the national championship game, tomorrow.

This recipe makes two sandwiches. The beer of choice is pale ale, but you can substitute what you have on hand.

BEER BATTERED GRILLED CHEESE & BACON SANDWICH RECIPE

Ingredients

True comfort food. Photo courtesy Betty Crocker.

Preparation

1. COOK bacon in a 12-inch nonstick skillet until crisp; drain on paper towel.

2. PLACE 1 slice provolone cheese, 3 slices bacon and 1 slice Cheddar cheese atop each of two of the bread slices. Top with remaining bread slices.

3. HEAT griddle or skillet over medium-high heat, or to 375°F.

4. BEAT egg, beer, flour and chile powder in a shallow bowl with fork, until smooth. Dip each sandwich into the batter, giving it a few seconds on each side to absorb the batter. Drain excess batter back into bowl.

5. MELT butter on hot griddle. Place sandwiches on griddle. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Serve immediately.

More grilled cheese recipes.

In the old days, bread was baked without preservatives and Grandma kept the leftover bread in a metal or wood “bread box” on the kitchen counter (our grandmother’s looked like this).

Did it help the bread stay fresh? Not really, although historically, it did help to keep mice away in homes that had critters (not Nana’s home, of course).

While there are some airtight plastic bread boxes today, the box is still full of air, a staunch enemy of baked goods.

Fresh-baked bread begins to lose moisture in a continuous process known as starch retrogradation, a hardening of the starch molecules as the water that was absorbed during baking begins to dry out. Without preservatives, a loaf of bakery bread will harden to the point of staleness in 24 to 48 hours.

Toasting, microwaving or otherwise reheating bread brings back some moisture—briefly—because the hot bread reabsorbs some moisture.

If you buy branded supermarket breads, they typically contain preservatives that retard starch retrogradation and mold growth for three weeks or more.

For all-natural bakery breads, made without preservatives, we rely on bread storage bags.

It’s moist and delicious today, but what about two days from now? Photo courtesy KingArthurFlour.com.

MORE TIPS FOR KEEPING BREAD FRESH LONGER

Short-Term Solution: Airtight Plastic Bags

If you’ll eat the bread within two or three days, keep it in an airtight plastic bag on the counter. By day three it may need some freshening in the microwave (5-10 seconds), or you can toast it.

 
Breads that are enriched with dairy, eggs or sugar stay fresh longer, as those ingredients both trap moisture and interfere with starch retrogradation.

Longer-Term Solution: Freeze It (In Airtight Plastic Bags)

Freezing prevents the growth of mold and stops starch retrogradation. You can store bread, bagels, baguettes—almost any bread—in the freezer for a couple of months.

While bread will keep frozen longer than that, it’s one of the first foods to pick up unwanted flavors from a less-than-pristine environment.

 
How Many Different Types Of Bread Have You Had?

Check out our photo-filled Bread Glossary.

Millions of Jews will celebrate a week of Passover beginning Friday, April 6th. The holiday commemorates the biblical story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt, after God inflicted the ten plagues upon the Egyptians.

As the story goes, the Jews had to leave Egypt immediately. They gathered up possessions and livestock but could not wait for the bread dough to rise, resulting in matzo, an unleavened flatbread. Thus, during the week of Passover, no leavened bread is eaten; only matzo (also spelled matzoh, matza and other variations).

So what if you want to celebrate Passover with matzo, but have gluten sensitivities?

Two brands are at the ready:

Gluten-free matzo. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE.

 
Seder Idea

The Passover seder, the ritual feast celebrated on the first two nights of the holiday, is accompanied from beginning to end by a reading of the Haggadah (“telling”).

This year, participants at our seder are coming as witnesses of the Exodus. Each of us will provide a few minutes of insight into the desires, hopes, frustrations, fears and domestic lives of our characters. Participating will be will be Moses, Pharaoh, a nameless Jewish slave and an Egyptian, along with Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah, a first century scholar who appears giving commentary in the Hagadah.

We are going as a baker, faced with feeding the exodus masses without the time to leaven the bread. The result: matzo.

Crunchy and good for you. Photo and recipes courtesy Nabisco.

Unlike many products we enjoyed as a kid,* Triscuits still taste as good to us as ever. The brand has just launched its first new Triscuit cracker flavor in five years: the Mediterranean-inspired Dill, Sea Salt & Olive Oil Triscuit. The classic, wheaty Triscuit flavor is amply dressed with the taste of fresh dill (we wish there were a pinch less sea salt, but we rarely salt our foods).

Triscuits are 100% whole grain and a good source of fiber. A “dill-licious” snack out of the box, Triscuit Dill, Sea Salt & Olive Oil is also perfectly complemented by freshly grown cracker toppings like tomato and cucumber slices. The line is certified kosher by OU.

Here are two sophisticated snacks/hors d’oeuvre, plus more recipes and wine pairings (including a free app).

*Why don’t you still like foods you loved in earlier years? Your palate evolves, seeking more sophisticated flavors; and companies cut back on quality ingredients, so products don’t taste as good as they used to.

TRISCUITS WITH TANGY GREEK TOPPERS

Ingredients Per Serving

Preparation

1. Lay cucumber slices on Triscuits, followed by feta cheese and red pepper.

2. Garnish with olive slices and lemon zest. Serve with Sauvignon Blanc or other white wine.

 
TRISCUITS WITH SALMON-DILL TOPPERS

Ingredients Per Serving

 
Preparation

1. Spread crackers with cream cheese. Layer with salmon.

2. Top with remaining ingredients.

3. Serve with Pinot Noir or other light-to-medium-bodied red wine.

The latest Triscuit flavor. Photo courtesy Nabisco.

TRISCUIT HISTORY

Triscuit is a biscuit (cracker) form of shredded wheat. Shredded wheat cereal, made of boiled wheat, was invented by Henry Perky in 1890, as a palliative for his digestive problems. In 1892, he took his idea to a machinist friend, William H. Ford, in Watertown, New York. Together they developed the machine for making what Perky called “little whole wheat mattresses.” He established the Shredded Wheat Company of Niagara Falls, New York (acquired by the National Biscuit Company—now Nabisco—in 1928). A patent was granted in 1902. Commercial production began in 1903.

In 1935, Nabisco began spraying the crackers with oil and adding salt, creating today’s delicious Original flavor profile. From 1984 through 2008, additional variations were created and the crackers were made crispier. Today the line includes Original; Reduced Fat; Cracked Pepper & Olive Oil; Dill, Sea Salt & Olive Oil; Fire Roasted Tomato; Garden Herb; Hint of Salt; Parmesan Garlic; Quattro Formaggio; Roasted Garlic; and Rosemary & Olive Oil.

Find more of our favorite crackers.

Today is National Blueberry Popover Day.

Crunchy and golden on the outside, moist and airy on the inside, popovers are a puffy delight like the Indian bread, poori. But the buttery, crunchy taste is uniquely popover.

You can use your muffin pan instead of a deeper popover pan, but you’ll end up with a flatter (though still delicious) product.

If you want the thrill of a fully risen popover, treat yourself: This popover pan will last a lifetime.

Alton Brown makes it look so easy in this video that you’ll want to order the popover pan post haste! The ingredients are already in the kitchen: 2 large eggs, 1 cup whole milk, 4-3/4 cups flour, 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt.

In honor of National Blueberry Day, you can add some chopped dried blueberries—or better yet, wait for June when blueberries start to come into season. We think popovers are magnificent plain; or with a bit of flavor from a tablespoon of chopped basil, thyme or Parmesan cheese added to the batter.

You’ll want to dig into the popovers as soon as they come out of the oven. Leftovers will last a couple of days in an airtight plastic bag. Microwave them briefly before serving.

Popovers As A Serving Dish

As you’ll see in the video, popovers are more than a delightful brunch or dinner roll. Just like a baked potato, a popover can be filled to create a dish that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Cut popovers in half and fill with scrambled eggs, chicken salad, fruit, yogurt or whatever appeals to you. You can even turn them into a dessert, with lemon curd or ice cream. If you’re making them specifically for a sweet dish, add a teaspoon of sugar to the batter.

How Many Different Types Of Bread Have You Tried?

Check ‘em out in our Bread Glossary.

Panko Crusted Salmon with Ponzu. The recipe
couldn’t be easier. Photo courtesy Kikkoman.

Ever since we discovered them at Japanese restaurants, our breadcrumb of choice has been panko, the crispy bread crumb used in tempura, tonkatsu and crunchy sushi rolls, among other recipes. They’re crunchier and more flavorful than conventional bread crumbs.

What Is Panko

Panko is actually bread “flakes” rather than breadcrumbs. The difference is that conventional bread crumbs are ground into tiny bits, while panko are small flakes.

Panko are made from specially baked, oblong, crustless loaves. The larger and lighter flakes produced coat the food without “packing” like regular bread crumbs. They allow foods to stay crispier longer.

Panko can be used with baked or fried foods. Kikkoman Panko Bread Crumbs are unseasoned, making them perfect for sweet recipes, too.

 
Check out the recipes on the Kikkoman website. After you see and taste the difference, you may never go back to ordinary bread crumbs.

You can find panko in the Asian products section of many supermarkets; at all Asian food markets; and online. Kikkoman panko breadcrumbs are certified kosher by OU.
 
Panko “Crunch It Up” Recipe Contest

Enter your original recipe by March 26th, 2012. It can be an appetizer, side dish, main dish or dessert, as long as it’s creative, delicious and original.

The winner in each category will receive a $1,000 prize and the winning recipes will be added to Kikkoman’s recipe database.

Here are the contest guidelines for the recipe contest.

Go forth and crunch!

Look for panko in the Asian products section of your market. Photo courtesy Kikkoman.

You can make Irish soda bread for St. Patrick’s Day with this recipe. It’s delicious for breakfast and lunch.

We’re also partial to this Irish brown bread recipe, with raisins and Guinness.

But if you want something less sweet for the dinner table, try this Potato Rosemary Rolls recipe, courtesy of Spice Islands. Don’t wait for St. Patrick’s Day (March 17th): Whip up a batch today!

POTATO ROSEMARY ROLLS RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

You can vary the garnishes on these potato rosemary rolls, to include poppy or sesame seeds. Photo courtesy Spice Islands.

Preparation

1. Make dough. Preheat oven to at 375°F. Combine 1-1/2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, onion, salt and rosemary in a large bowl. Heat milk, potato flakes, water and oil until very warm (120° to 130°F). Stir into dry ingredients. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 4 to 6 minutes. Cover; let rise 10 minutes.

2. Divide into rolls. Divide dough into 12 equal portions. Roll each piece into 12-inch rope; tie a loose knot in the center of each rope.

3. Raise dough. Place rolls 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Cover. Let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 20 to 40 minutes.

4. Bake. Brush tops of rolls with egg. If desired, sprinkle with sesame seed, poppy seed or rosemary. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until done. Remove from baking sheet; cool on wire rack.

Find more recipes in our Gourmet Bread Products Section.

Pizza has come a long way from what we think of as its origins: crust, tomato sauce and cheese. There are cheeseless pizzas, dessert pizzas, duck confit pizzas, tuna sashimi wasabi pizzas and just about anything you can put on a piece of flatbread.

In fact, food historians agree that the origin of pizza was not Italy, but Greece.

While flatbread was topped with other foods since it was first grilled on a hot rock in prehistoric times, ancient Greeks turned the process into an art. They topped a round flatbread (plankuntos) with stew, thick broth, meat, vegetables and/or fruit.

The result was a thrifty, convenient and tasty meal for the working man and his family, requiring no additional plates or utensils. (Injera, the Ethiopian flatbread, is still used for this purpose and is a mainstay of Ethiopian cuisine. More on the history of pizza).

Topped with romaine lettuce and Parmesan cheese, this grilled pizza is a fun take on a favorite main course salad, the Chicken Caesar.

Recipes like Chicken Caesar Pizza allow you to sneak salad atop a pizza, in a way that pleases those who typically avoid salad greens. Suddenly, pizza becomes a main-dish salad with the side of bread as the base.

Make a Grilled Chicken Caesar Pizza; then see how many different ways you can combine proteins and veggies on a pizza.

Look to your favorite sandwich and salad combinations. Instead of conventional sandwich bread, use the ingredients to top a pizza. You can use tomato sauce or barbecue sauce as a base, or any other sauce topping. We’ve used wasabi mayonnaise, blue cheese dressing and thousand island dressing with canned tuna, hard-cooked eggs and roast meat leftovers. Try a chef salad or spinach salad pizza.

Add romaine or other lettuce and some cherry tomatoes, and you’ve got a pizza salad-and-sandwich.

Pizza Dough Tips

 
Find more of our favorite pizza recipes.

Nabisco has introduced belVita Breakfast Biscuits: lightly sweet, whole grain, crunchy breakfast biscuits in Apple Cinnamon, Blueberry and Golden Oat. The concept is popular in Europe, and a welcome addition to American breakfast options.

“Breakfast biscuits” may not sound sexy, but think of them as very nutritious and tasty cookies. Yum!

According to survey data, 63% of Americans admit they are energy deficient in the mornings and 48% say that it is difficult to find a breakfast food that is both nutritious and delicious.

Nabisco, part of Kraft Foods, worked with nutritionists to create a cereal and breakfast bread substitute that provides nutrition plus sustained energy to help fuel the body throughout the morning. The sustained energy release results from both the ingredients and a special baking process that helps preserve the integrity of the grain, so that the carbohydrates are slowly released.

The company’s nutritionist spokesperson and author of The Sonoma Diet, Connie Guttersen, recommends the biscuits as a balanced breakfast with a piece of fruit and a serving of fat-free or low fat dairy—a banana, yogurt and nonfat latte or fresh strawberries and nonfat Greek yogurt, for example.

A “sustained energy” breakfast includes these delicious oat biscuits. Photo courtesy Kraft Foods.

Healthful food is always a good thing, but belVita biscuits taste great, too (although the Apple Cinnamon flavor could have used more apple and more cinnamon). The portion of four large, crunchy biscuits is very filling with a cup of coffee, tea or milk.

More Ways To Enjoy belVita Biscuits

The biscuits are also delicious with cheese; we’ve been serving them with Brie and goat cheese. All three flavors have a touch of sweetness and a rustic texture that work well with cheese. (The biscuits evoke Carr’s Whole Wheat Crackers, called Wheatmeal Biscuits in the U.K., a longtime favorite with cheese).

More ways to enjoy belVita:

 
Great taste and crunch, a bundle of nutritious benefits and the convenience of grab-and-go portioned packs should make these biscuits a winner. Nabisco only needs for you to try them and like them as much as we do. (The only thing we don’t like is the small “b” in belVita. It looks like a typo.)

The biscuits are certified kosher (dairy) by OU.

belVita Biscuits Nutrition

 
There’s more information on the company website.

Find more of our favorite crackers and bread products.