January 6th: Gourmet Grilled Cheese & Spinach Salad

This year, Monday night is dance night for Olivia and our busiest night of the week. She does two dance classes: 45 minutes of tap, 1 hour of ballet, with a 1 hour break in between. That's after a full day of school. Eep. Luckily, she is enjoying both. I try to plan simple meals for Monday nights that can be pulled together quickly in between chauffeuring Miss O around. Greg thinks my definition of simple meals might not be the same as others'.

Turns out tonight I could have done a more complicated meal, as Miss O has been running a fever for a few days and didn't go to school or dance today. However, I am not one to stray off my schedule, so I made our meal as planned, from January 2013's Chatelaine:

Gourmet Grilled Cheese & Spinach Salad

Instructions

Spread 1 tsp honey on a slice of multi-grain bread. Top with 1/4 cup grated aged Cheddar, thinly sliced red onion and thinly sliced apple. Top with another 1/4 cup grated Cheddar, then sandwich with another bread slice. Brush top and bottom with 1 tbsp melted butter. Repeat, making 4 sandwiches in total.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium. Arrange sandwiches in pan. Cook, flipping halfway through, until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted, 6 minutes.

Divide 4 cups baby spinach amongst 4 bowls. Top with 1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts and 1 apple, thinly sliced. Whisk 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar with 4 tsps each canola oil and honey. Drizzle over individual servings of salad.

Serves 4.

The original recipe called for parsley where I have used spinach. I wasn't sure my family would go for a parsley salad, and besides, I had to buy spinach for another meal for this week, so subbed it in. I also increased the vinaigrette amounts.

The sandwiches were okay but not repeatable. The salads were better but that recipe will be tossed also. Ah well.