Cheddar, Onion, and Pickle Sandwich
Sandwiches don’t need rice. [Photo credit: Alex Paternostro]
by Seth Paternostro
November 1, 2021
Along the highway, a castle stood tall, harking at passersby to come in for cheese. We bought their old-fashioned candies and a nine-year cheddar with character, just like the suits of armor that stood by. While the original edifice was boxed out and corporatized, a fluorescent-lit shell of its former glory, its memory shall live on in the arteries of countless cheeseheads.
The classic Reuben served at their wood-paneled bar was a delight for road-weary travelers. This cheddar, onion, and pickle sandwich is a variation with only a few minor substitutions.
Serves 1
Total time
25 minutes
Equipment:
cutting board, chef’s knife or cleaver, microwave-safe bowl, griddle or sauté pan, clean kitchen towel or paper towel, spreading knife, pastry brush, metal spatula
Tableware:
plate, small drying rack (to maintain crisp)
Ingredients
2 slices bread, preferably sourdough with a relatively tight crumb
¾ cup grated sharp cheddar
2 tbsps unsalted butter
⅛ onion, or about 1 tbsp when minced
1 tsp grainy mustard, or as desired
1 mini pickle, or as desired
Neutral oil, as needed
Black pepper, as needed
Kosher salt, as needed
Instructions
Set out all equipment, tableware, and ingredients.
Turn the griddle to medium-low heat, and wipe with a few drops of neutral oil.
Grate the cheese, finely mince the onion, and thinly slice the pickle.
Melt the butter in the microwave with a pinch of salt, then brush 1 side of each bread slice with the butter. Spread mustard on the other side of 1 slice.
Place the unmustarded piece of bread, buttered-side down, on the griddle. Stack, in this order, ¼ cup of the cheese, all of the pickle slices and minced onion, ¼ cup cheese, a pinch of black pepper, and the slice of bread with the mustard.
Sprinkle half of the remaining cheese around the edges of the sandwich. Cook until the bottom is golden brown, and the sprinkled cheese has crisped, then flip, and repeat the process with the rest of the cheese. Turn the heat down if the bottom browns faster than the cheese inside melts.
Remove the sandwich to a cutting board, slice into 2 triangles, then place on a small drying rack to stay crisp on the bottom. The second half can steam and go soggy by the time you finish the first if it’s left on a plate.
Enjoy this sandwich when you’re looking for a grilled cheese with a little something special.
Note: If you are making multiple sandwiches, another option is to brown each side of the sandwiches over medium-high heat and then transfer them all to a 400°F oven to quickly melt the cheese inside. When I make 1 sandwich for myself, I just prefer not to light the oven up.
NUTRITION FACTS:
Calories 574 Total Fat 34.8g (45%) Saturated Fat 23.3g (117%) Cholesterol 105mg (35%) Sodium 1034mg (45%) Total Carbohydrate 38.8 (14%) Dietary Fiber 2g (7%) Total Sugars 2.5g Protein 25.2g Vitamin D 0mcg (0%) Calcium 533mg (41%) Iron 2mg (13%) Potassium 111mg (2%) - Note: Please read our Nutrition Disclaimer.
Seth Paternostro is a writer and recipe developer based in Chicago. He is a co-founder of Our American Cuisine and graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University with an A.B. in East Asian Studies. You can learn more about him here.
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