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Ahh, the grilled cheese sandwich. Don’t you think it’s just the most perfect kind of sandwich? You have bread (yum), cheese (yum) and then any other ingredient you can think of stuffed inside because what doesn’t go with cheese? Not much! I’ve been a busy bee here lately, and since I’ve started a second blog with my husband our kitchen has been working overtime. Since the grilled cheese is one of my all time favorite sandwiches, we decided to start a series over there called “Grilled Cheese of the Month” where each month we feature a new and delicious grilled cheese creation. I’m super pumped about it and we are going to push the envelope of cheesy breaded goodness! This month kicked it off with an all out battle to see who made it better (I totally won) and I got so caught up in the excitement of sweet cheesy heaven that I went a step further and decided to share my take on the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich here! So behold, the veggie stuffed Jalapeño Mac N Cheese Grilled Cheese Sandwich. YUM!
I know, you just drooled all over your keyboard. Sorry about that. I’m sure you are fighting back the urge to whip this up right now, but let’s take a minute to talk about just what’s going on here because this sandwich is stuffed to the gills! First we’ve got macaroni noodles, then a whole lot of veggies, some butter, a generous amount of cheese, a tomato and of course the classic Wonder Bread.
You already know that I can be a bit of a bread snob, but when thinking up this grilled cheese I just had to take it old school and use a bread that was a staple of my childhood. And you know what? It was darn good too! Here is how to make it:
Mac N Cheese Grilled Cheese
- 2 slices of Wonder Bread
- Blue Bonnet butter
- 2 cups elbow macaroni
- Package of pepper jack Kraft Natural slices
- 1 tbsp milk
- 2/3 cup diced veggies of your choice (I am using red, yellow and green bell peppers)
- Diced jalapeno (optional)
- Kraft Singles in Sharp Cheddar
- 1 Tomato
The first thing you are going to do is is make your mac n’ cheese. You won’t need a lot, but if you want you can make a whole batch and then save the unused portion as a side dish for later. This part will take you around 30 minutes, but most of that is cook time so you aren’t really doing any work. So, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and cook your noodles to just tender. When they are ready drain and pour into a large bowl. Add in veggies (grilled or raw, either is fine) and then tear up your Kraft Natural slices and mix them in with your macaroni.
Mix in a tablespoon each of milk and butter and then pop your pasta in the oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted. When that is done you can go ahead and get your skillet ready and set it on medium-high and lightly butter your bread. When it comes time to make your grilled cheese sandwich it will only take you about 5 minutes, and the most important thing to pay attention to is your cook temperature. All stoves are different, and when I say medium-high I would try to shoot for the low end of that just to make sure you don’t over brown your bread. It only takes a minute before it’s burnt, so really keep an eye on it!
Pile a generous spoonful of mac n cheese onto one piece. I know, it looks delicious as it, but we still have a few more ingredients to go before it hits “ultimate” status!
Cover it with a slice of Kraft Singles sharp cheddar and a couple of tomatoes.
I don’t know about you, but growing up my grill cheeses were always white bread, butter and Kraft singles. It’s classic, right? So since I’m paying homage to my roots with the Wonder bread I thought it was only fitting that I add in some singles action. And you know what? It makes it absolutely perfect!
Now top it with your other slice of bread, brown each side in your skillet for 1-2 minutes and then you are finished! (If you are making this with mac n cheese that has cooled, you will need to warm it in the oven for a few minutes after your bread is browned so the cheeses melt well.)
Just look at that crispy, golden brown! You will want to serve this warm so the cheese stays melted, so go ahead and cut into it and check out the ooey gooey middle!
I think I just died and went to grilled cheese heaven. Seriously guys, this ain’t your mama’s grilled cheese. Just look at this thick, rich, cheesy goodness! When I first thought about adding macaroni noodles to a sandwich I will admit I was a skeptic. But I never back down from a food challenge so I went with it and oh.my.heck. is it good!
So now that I’ve shared my own version of the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich with you, head on over and share your own cheesy creations on Instagram (tagged with #ShareYourCheesy) for a chance to win a great prize! Need some inspiration? Check out Cooking Up Good for ideas and more! You can find all the Kraft cheese you need in the refridgerated section of your local Walmart.
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