Glammed up Grilled Cheese on CBC

This morning I had the pleasure of preparing and presenting the following grilled cheese sandwiches on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with guest host Laurie Hoogstraten.  Works beautifully with Tall Grass Prairie Sour Dough Light Rye bread and Nature's Farm eggs.

I served the sandwiches with Rhubarb Chutney made with Ras el Hanout. 
Enjoy!

Glammed up Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

1 loaf Sour Dough Light Rye (Tall Grass Prairie Bakery)

Pear, Blue, Onion Jam and Dijon Grilled Cheese

For each sandwich:
1 heaping tbs onion jam (recipe follows)
thinly sliced pear
Dijon Mustard, to your taste
Benedictine Blue, or other yummy blue cheeses
2 slices bread
1 tbs butter

Assemble sandwich as follows:  Spread Dijon mustard on bread slices topped onion jam, thinly sliced pear and desired amount of blue cheese.  Close sandwich.  Bring skillet to medium - medium high heat and add butter.  Grill sandwich on each side until brown and cheese has melted.  Cut in half, plate and serve immediately.  Enjoy!

Onion Jam
1 -3 medium red onions or up to 12 shallots, thinly sliced
2-5 tbs olive oil
pinch salt
Optional:  1 tbs brown sugar
Pepper, to taste

On low to medium low heat, add olive oil and sliced onions to a skillet.  Let cook for 30 + minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add seasonings and optional brown sugar to speed caramelization.  When fully soften but not dry browned, add liquid to deglaze.  Deglaze with red wine, balsamic vinegar, juice or tea.

Roasted Red Pepper, pesto, Bocconcini, Cave aged Gruyere, soft fried egg

Prepare sandwich as above, stacking with desired ingredients but leave open, frying one slice of bread open.  Prepare a soft fried or over easy egg.  Place in sandwich and cover.  Serve and enjoy the beautiful mess.