Grilled Cheese with Gouda, Mushrooms and Onions

This Grilled Cheese with Gouda, Roasted Mushrooms and Onions recipe takes grilled cheese sandwiches to a new level of goodness. A great classic grilled cheese sandwich is hard to beat. A grilled cheese sandwich jacked up with Gouda cheese, roasted mushrooms and onions, makes for a serious contender.

8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced (the sweeter the better)
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
kosher or sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
4 Tbsp. butter
4 slices bread of choice (I like sourdough)
1 cup gouda, shredded

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6).

On a baking sheet toss sliced mushrooms and onion in olive oil. Sprinkle with a few pinches of salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until roasted to your preference.

In a skillet on the stove top, melt 4 Tbsp. butter over medium heat.

While butter is melting, assemble sandwiches. On one slice of bread, layer shredded gouda, the roasted mushrooms and onions, then more gouda. (Layering this way ensures that the melty cheese will hold the sandwich together.) Salt and pepper to taste. Top with the other slice of bread. Lightly press together.

In the melted butter, place one sandwich down for one second, then gently flip it over to the other side. Repeat with other sandwich. Cook for about 2 minutes, until lightly browned, then gently flip sandwich on other side and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is melted and sandwich is browned to preference.

Makes 2 servings.

Cook's Notes:

• Roasting vegetables is such an easy step that adds so much flavour to vegetables and makes this sandwich so wonderfully tasty. The mushrooms and onions can be roasted ahead of time and stored, covered in a refrigerator until ready to assemble sandwich. If desired, rewarm roasted mushroom and onions up a bit in a skillet on the stovetop before adding to the sandwich.
• Choose your favourite mushrooms to use. Baby Bella mushrooms are lovely but any mushrooms you can find will work just fine.
• Even though any sweet or yellow onion will work for this recipe, if you can find a sweet Vidalia onion to use for this sandwich, get it.
• Although I think Gouda is just perfect for this grilled cheese, a Gruyère, Jarlsberg or your favourite softer cheese - even a brie (oh my!) would be fantastic.