Natalie McLaury considers herself a bit of a hoarder when it comes to magazines. Never one to pass up a good deal on a subscription, it’s to the point where she now finds herself receiving a magazine in the mail several times a week. Most of the time, she rips out pages of recipes but fails to actually create the recipe in her kitchen. Not anymore! Join Natalie as she cooks the magazines.
By Natalie McLaury
In high school, my cooking portfolio consisted of macaroni and cheese from the box, pancakes (from a mix), and grilled cheese. My mom was a wonderful cook, so I still ate well, and consequently didn’t feel any pressure to expand my skills. Things certainly have changed…my mac and cheese is still cooked on the stovetop, but no blue box is in sight, and I have a whole host of pancake recipes found on my personal blog, The Sweets Life. Grilled cheese, on the other hand, has stayed tried and true.
I have several paninis and pressed sandwiches featuring different ingredients on the blog, but sometimes you just can’t go wrong with a classic grilled cheese. Since my favorite way to enjoy grilled cheese is to dip the sandwich in copious amounts of ketchup, I decided to fancify this pleasure and made a tomato chutney to accompany the sandwich. 
A little bit fancy, but undoubtedly still a simple grilled cheese, an easy meal you can’t ever go wrong with! I fell in love with this chutney…it’s spicy and a little bit sweet and has a great chunky texture. The chutney can be used to dip the sandwiches, or you can spread a layer between the slices for tomato in every bite. Leftover chutney can be stored, in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to three months. I have a bunch of it left so I’m figuring out how to use it!
How do you enjoy your grilled cheese?
PrintGrilled Cheese with Tomato Chutney
- Total Time: 40 minutes
Description
Liven a regular grilled cheese sandwich with a sweet and spicy tomato chutney.
Ingredients
- for the sandwiches-
- bread
- cheese (I used American)
- butter
- for the chutney-
- 28 oz. can whole tomatoes with juice, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup raisins, chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- To make the chutney, combine all ingredients in a heavy kettle. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer mixture, stirring occasionally, for an additional 30 minutes, or until thickened and reduced to about 2 1/2 cups.
- To make the sandwiches, butter two slices of bread. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Place cheese (and chutney, if desired) on the unbuttered side of one piece of bread. Cover with second piece, butter side out, and cook on skillet, 2-3 minutes per side, or until bread is browned and cheese is melted.
Notes
Chutney adapted from Gourmet Magazine
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
