This Planning/Grading Break Brought to You By... Not Your Momma's Grilled Cheese

My brain is fried from grading and planning.  We're all around the kitchen table. I'm grading and planning.  The husband is planning.  The High Schooler is doing Geometry.  The Middle Schooler is doing Math - Fractions more specifically.  Fractions make me want to curl up in a ball and cry.  The Husband is left to help.  I want to go to my happy place during Math homework.  So, here I am!  Talking about food and cooking and cooking and food.

Grilled cheese and tomato soup....  That's the ultimate in comfort food for me.  I don't know if I wasn't a fan of chicken noodle soup when I was growing up or if my Mom didn't like it and thus didn't buy it.  Every time I was sick, Momma made me grilled cheese and tomato soup.  To this day it's what I want to eat when I'm sick.  I'm not sick today but wanted something quick and easy for lunch today because I had a ton of grading to catch up and lots of planning for the week ahead.

I may have mentioned a love of all things Trader Joe's.  If I haven't said it before.... I LOOOOOOVE TRADER JOE'S!!!!!  We always buy cheese at Trader Joe's for our Saturday Date Night.  We buy some fancy cheese, some fancy crackers, some fancy meat.  It's fancy.

We bought a Danish Havarti - so creamy and mild!

We bought an Unexpected English Cheddar - sharp with a lovely bite!

And we bought a Red Leister Cheese - creamy and sweet with a hint of heat and roasted red pepper.

We had a lovely cheese and fruit plate which we shared with the boys - not quite Date Night.  I didn't want them to eat the grapes.  They remind me of what we called "Squeezy Grapes" growing up.  Grandpa would bring them home from trips to the lake - I think.  Where he got them is a mystery to me.  All I know is that we  snarfed them down.

Today, we had some of the cheese left over.  We decided these cheeses would make some fabulous grilled cheese sandwiches.  I also threw some Pumpernickel bread into the cart yesterday.

Sandwich #1 - White bread and American Cheese (for The Fussy One)
Sandwich #2 - White bread and Red Leister
Sandwich #3 - White bread and Havarti
Sandwich #4 - Pumpernickel and Red Leister
Sandwich #5 - Pumpernickel and Red Leister and Roasted Red Peppers
Sandwich #6 - Pumpernickel and Havarti
Sandwich #7 - Pumpernickel and Havarti and Red Leister
Sandwich #8 - Pumpernickel and Unexpected English Cheddar

Make these just like grilled cheese.  Butter a slice of bread.  Put the butter side down in a skillet or griddle.  Top with cheese.  Top with a second slice of buttered bread, butter up.  Cook until lightly browned.  Flip.  Cook until lightly browned and cheese is melted.  Remove from heat.  Cool slightly.  Cut.

We cut each sandwich into 4 pieces so we could all try each one.

Our faves?

Mine:  Pumpernickel and Unexpected English Cheddar followed by Pumpernickel and Red Leister and Roasted Red Pepper
The Husband:  Pumpernickel and Havarti
The High Schooler:  Pumpernickel and Red Leister followed closely by Pumpernickel and Havarti and Red Leister
The Middle Schooler:  Pumpernickel and Havarti