The Great Cooking Magazine Challenge ~Double Decker Truffled Grill Cheese

Its been a while since my last installment of The Great Cooking Magazine Challenge. Well over due given the stack of magazines I have :-) This is my way of making good use of my many cooking magazines and a challenge to all of you out there who might have stacks sitting around as well. Make something from one of them!

That's the challenge...will any of you take it and run? If so, grab the logo, link back to me in your post and let me know in the comment section of this post that you took the challenge. Then I'll add your link to this post. Now get to flipping through mags and cooking! :-)

Update!
Here are those brave souls that have taken up the challenge. Will you be next?
Carol at There's Always Thyme To Cook made Chicken and Yellow Pepper Salad from the August edition of La Cucina Italia.

Susan at Savoring Time in the Kitchen made Light and Lemony Potato Salad from the August edition of Southern Living.

Lynn at Happier than a Pig in Mud made Herb Spoon Rolls, also from the August edition of Southern Living.

Kate at A Spoonful of Thyme made Dilled White Bean and Grape Tomato Salad from the June edition of Bon Appetit



The May issue of Food Network Magazine has some great recipes in it. Lots I really would love to try and taste. This morning when I was looking through it, I was looking for ideas to use a half loaf of Trader Joe's brioche bread sitting on my counter waiting to go bad. I was thinking french toast, but ended up with grilled cheese instead! I'm sure Emeril's version was just as tasty, but I had Sandra's ingredients on hand for the most part, except for the fresh figs (I subbed nectarines).



There is one ingredient in this recipe, truffle oil that many may not have on hand and I think you could skip it, but if you run across any I would recommend picking some up. It has incredible flavor even using just a tiny amount. I found this cheapo version at TJMaxx which has mainly olive oil and a touch of truffle, with a spritzer to use sparingly. It doesn't take much but still lots of truffle flavor!



This was pretty tasty. I love sweet and savory in the same bite! If you like Monte Cristos dipped in raspberry jam or turkey & cranberry sauce sandwiches, you will probably like this.

Double-Decker Truffled Grilled Cheese

Courtesy of Sandra Lee for Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 to 3 teaspoons truffle oil
• 6 thin slices challah bread (I used brioche)
  
• 7 ounces brie cheese, sliced, rind removed
• 4 fresh figs, sliced (I used nectarine slices)
  
• 6 ounces monterey jack cheese, sliced
• 1/2 cup fig preserves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt 3 tablespoons butter with 1 teaspoon truffle oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add 2 slices bread, and toast on both sides. Set the toast aside and reserve the skillet.

Lay out one slice of untoasted bread. Top with one-quarter each of the brie, figs and jack cheese, then a slice of toasted bread, then another layer of brie, figs and jack. Close with a slice of untoasted bread. Repeat to make another double-decker sandwich.

Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter with the remaining 1 to 2 teaspoons truffle oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the sandwiches and cook until golden on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden on the other side, about 2 more minutes, then transfer the skillet to the oven and cook until the cheese is melted, 6 to 8 minutes. Serve with the fig preserves.

It made a great Saturday brunchy meal for a rainy August morning. Good thing I brought a little Kitchen Bouquet inside to enjoy :-)