Swiss Patty Melt

Six onions make a LOT of caramelized onions. So when the recipe for Caramelized Onion and White Bean Dip called for just one cup of cooked onions, I wondered why in the world the recipe instructed you to caramelize six onions. But thank god it did!  They are SO good. And, if you're taking the hour and a half to let them get the perfect color and sweetness, why not make extra?

A Swiss patty melt is one of Brian's favorite sandwiches to get out. They are like a burger and a grilled cheese all in one - what's not to love?! I never thought of making them at home until I saw an episode of The Pioneer Woman. It doesn't take much more effort than regular grilled burgers and doesn't require any fancy ingredients or tools. And it's a great way to use up some of those leftover onions.

In the time it took Brian to grill the burgers, I had put the melt part of the sandwiches together. The official recipe has more detailed instructions, but I think you'll get the picture.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

• 2 grilled burgers - whatever size and doneness you like (they aren't on the griddle long enough to cook any more than they did on the grill, so pull them off when they are perfect)
• 4 slices good rye bread
• 1 Tbsp. softened butter
• 4 slices Swiss cheese
• 1/2 C caramelized onions

Method:

1. While burgers are grilling, heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat.
2. Start like you would any grilled cheese: Butter two slices of rye and place butter side down in the pan. Top each with a slice of cheese and top each with half the onions.
3. Top each with a cooked burger, then another slice of cheese. Finally, top that with another piece of buttered bread, butter side up.
4. When the bottom bread is nicely grilled, flip and grill until done.
5. Serve immediately.

(Honestly, this is the first Pioneer Woman recipe that I've wanted to make. But I follow her blog religiously. She has a great way with words and takes incredibly beautiful photos of her family, pets, and ranch. I think I secretly wish I lived on an enormous cattle ranch in the mid-West, too.)


Source: Food Network

Lazy Pierogi

I love pierogi. I think potato and cheese is my favorite. (Of course I would love the pasta that is filled with potato!) Sauerkraut is good, too.

However, I've never cooked prepared pierogi at home and have never made them from scratch, which I understand is a labor of love. This lazy pierogi is equally loving, but with far less work. Satisfying, warm, and comforting...nice dish to nourish the soul. It made me wish Brian's Gramp was still living above Bri - I think he'd love it!

When Sue emailed us this recipe, she warned me that I would use every pot in the kitchen.
She was right! But it was pretty easy to put together after work on a week night.

Ingredients:

• 1 (14 oz.) can sauerkraut
• 1 box bow tie pasta (I'd only use half a box next time)
• 2 sticks margarine
• 2 onions, diced
• 8 oz. sliced cremini mushrooms
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. caraway seed
• 1 kielbasa, cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 low sodium beef bouillon cubes

Method:

1. Drain sauerkraut, rinse in cold water. Put in saucepan and add enough water to just cover
   sauerkraut and simmer 30. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cooking liquid.
3. At the same time, sauté onion in margarine until soft. (I found it was more like a braise than a sauté, because of the amount of margarine.) Add mushrooms and cook through. Stir in pepper and caraway seeds. Add kielbasa and combine well.
4. Dissolve bouillon in reserved pasta water. Stir into onion mixture.
5. Fold in drained sauerkraut and pasta. Mix well.
6. Serve hot.

Source: SuSu

Three-Ingredient Pulled Pork

This was quite simply one of the easiest, most delicious meals I've made in a long time. Thanks to my friend Erin, I can now serve up authentic Pulled Pork Sandwiches with just three simple ingredients (plus rolls, of course).

I love that you can use a lean, high quality pork roast for this. I trimmed the roast before cooking it and any fat that was left slid off easily when it came out of the crock pot.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lb. boneless, center cut pork roast, fat trimmed
• 12 oz. root beer soda
• BBQ sauce to taste (plus extra for serving, if desired)

Method:

1. Season roast all over with salt and pepper. Place in slow cooker.
2. Pour soda around roast.
3. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
4. Remove pork from slow cooker. Remove any remaining fat from pork.
5. Shred pork with two forks.
6. Place shredded pork into medium sauce pan.
7. Stir in desired amount of BBQ sauce (I used about 1 C) and 2 TBSP of the soda from the crock pot.
8. Heat gently until ready to serve.

Spicy and Sweet Baked Beans

I follow a number of great blogs, food and otherwise. If you have a minute, take a look at some of my favorites...they are right over there, listed on the right-hand side of this page.

One of my favorite food blogs is The Wicked Noodle. Kristy, the writer, has a wonderful take on the day-to-day ups and downs, challenges and small triumphs we all face, and she makes some really great food in the process. Check her out. These beans are her recipe, and they are delish - just like I suspect all of her recipes are.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce 
• 2 (28-ounce) cans baked beans, both drained of liquid on top of can after first opening

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 300°.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shallots; sauté 4 minutes or until golden. Add cumin and garlic; sauté for 1 minute. Add tomato puree and oil, and cook for 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Add honey and the next 5 ingredients (through chiles). Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Combine beans and shallot mixture in a 2-quart baking dish. Bake at 300° for 1 hour or until thick and bubbly.

Source: The Wicked Noodle

I wasn't terribly prepared when I made these beans. And these were some important beans - I was serving them at our first official party in our new home. Despite my scrambling and frantic measuring, they came out wonderfully...and they were a huge, spicy hit! So much so...that I neglected to get a photo.  But, they look like you expect baked beans would look and Kristy has some nice shots on her page is you really need to see them.

Strawberries and Cream

The orange dreamsicle cake was such a hit that I wanted to try other combinations. Last week, it was strawberries and cream. As I suspected, it was like eating strawberry shortcake, only better! This is such a quick and easy dessert, and everyone loves it. Best of all, the combinations are endless and you really can't go wrong.

Ingredients:

• 1 (18 1/4 oz.) white cake mix
• 1 (3 oz.) strawberry Jell-o
• 1 C boiling water
• 1 (3 1/2 oz.) box french vanilla instant pudding
• 1 C milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip

Method:

1. Set out Cool Whip to thaw.
2. Prepare cake mix according to directions for a 9X13 pan.
3. After the cake is done, remove from oven and poke holes throughout cake with a fork.
4. Prepare the Jell-O with 1 C of boiling water. Pour over cake.
5. Allow to cool 30 minutes or overnight, covered tightly and stored in fridge.
6. In a large mixing bowl, mix together pudding and milk. Stir in extract. Mix well.
7. Fold in Cool Whip.
8. Spread over cake and chill additional 2 - 3 hours before serving. Serve with fresh strawberries.
9. Store tightly covered in fridge.

Source: Food.com

Rosemary Roasted Pork Tenderloin

This was so good that I made it tonight for the second time in less than two weeks. It's a really quick and easy marinade that makes for a juicy, flavorful piece of pork.

Tonight I made it with a new Near East quinoa and brown rice with rosemary and olive oil that was delicous. I need to learn more about cooking with quinoa.

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 C apple juice concentrate
2. 1/4 C Dijon mustard
3. 2 T dried rosemary
4. 4 cloves garlic, minced
5. 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6. 1.5 lbs pork tenderloin

Method:

1. In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients; mix well.
2. Set aside 1/3 cup; cover and refrigerate.
3. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the pork and remaining marinade. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate overnight.
4. Drain and discard marinade from meat.
5. Place meat in a roasting pan coated with nonstick cooking spray.
6. Pour the reserved marinade on top.
7. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F.
8. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.               

Source: All Recipes

Orange Dreamsicle Cake

What better way to top of Sue's birthday dinner of Tuscan Chicken with Lemon Couscous than with this dreamy, creamy Orange Dreamsicle Cake? There's  nothing like homemade birthday cake - and this one is definitely a winner.

Ingredients:

• 1 (18 1/4 oz) box orange cake mix
• 1 (3 oz) box orange Jell-O
• 1 C boiling water
• 1 (3 1/2 oz) box instant French vanilla pudding
• 1 C milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp orange extract
• 1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip
• 1 Tbsp orange zest

Method

1. Set out Cool Whip to thaw.
2. Prepare cake mix according to directions for a 9X13 pan.
3. After the cake is done, remove from oven and poke holes throughout cake with a fork.
4. Prepare the orange Jell-O with 1 C of boiling water. Pour over cake.
5. Allow to cool 30 minutes or overnight, covered tightly and stored in fridge.
6. In a large mixing bowl, mix together pudding and milk. Stir in extracts and zest. Mix well.
7. Fold in Cool Whip.
8. Spread over cake and chill additional 2 - 3 hours before serving.
9. Store tightly covered in fridge.

Source: Food.com

Tuscan Chicken with Lemon Couscous

In celebration of Sue's birthday, Brian and I made dinner tonight on the Plum. This is a new recipe from the American Heart Association. If you didn't know it is heart healthy ("HH," as Brian refers to it), you'd never know. Big flavors in a nice, easy, delicious meal!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• Zest of one lemon, divided
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp  chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 16 cubes
• 16 whole crimini mushrooms, stemmed and cleaned
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 16 pieces
• 16 cherry tomatoes
• 1 small onion, quartered, then chopped in eigths
• cooking spray
• 1 box parmesan couscous
• 1 1/4 C chicken stock
• 2 scallions, diced

Method:

1. In a large freezer bag, stir together 1/2 the lemon zest, lemon juice, rosemary, oil. garlic, oregan and red pepper flake.
2. Add the chicken and stir to coat.
3. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes or up to 8 hours. (Turn several times if marinating longer than 30 minutes.)
4. When ready to cook, preheat grill on medium high.
5. Drain the chicken and discard the marinade.
6. Alternately thread chicken and vegetables onto 4 metal skeweres.
7. Lightly spray all sides with cooking spray.
8. Grill the kebobs 2 - 3 minutes on each side (8 - 12 minutes total), or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the vegetables are tender.
9. Meanwhile, cook the couscous according to the package directions, using the chicken stock instead of water. When done, fluff with fork, adding in the remaining zest and half of the scallions.
10. Serve kebobs over the couscous, and garnish with remaining scallions.

Foolproof Quiche

Almost two months to the day from my last post - yikes. I'm not sure where the time went,  until I consider the packing, unpacking, organizing, cleaning, and shopping that consumed all of March and much of early April. A resolution when we moved was to eat in much more often, so hopefully I'll have many more recipes to share.

When we were talking about making a quiche for Easter brunch, Brian stumbled upon this recipe. It's more a guideline than a recipe with specific measurements and ingredients, and it's exactly the way I like to cook...with what's on hand, what sounds good, with just a few "rules" to make sure it all comes together well.

How to Make a Foolproof Quiche

I made a quiche again yesterday for brunch with some great friends - my first official company in our new home! This is what I did this time...

Ingredients

• 9" prepared pie crust
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup fat free half and half
• pinch of salt
• half of a large onion, chopped
• 8 oz. Cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 8 spears of asparagus, cut in half
• 2 cups freshly grated Gruyere

Method

1. Roll out the pie crust and fit it into straight-edged pie plate - I used Polish pottery. Trim away any overhang and reserve for patching up any cracks that appear during baking. Freeze the crust for 30 minutes.
2. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line the pie crust with parchment and fill with pie weights or beans. Bake for 20 minutes and remove the weights and parchment. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until just starting to brown. Cool.
3. While the crust is baking, saute onions and mushrooms in oil and butter until soft and mushrooms have given off all of their liquid. Cut asparagus spears so each top piece will fit nicely into the pie dish, from the center to the edge. Grate cheese.
4. Sprinkle half the cheese over the bottom of the pie crust and top with the fillings. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top. 
5. Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, and salt until frothy. Pour the custard into the pie crust.
6. Bake the quiche at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes, until the edges are set but the quiche still jiggles a little in the center. Cool for at least 20 minutes.

At Easter, we baked the quiche on Saturday night, cooled it, then stored in the fridge overnight, as instructed on the site. We warmed it in a 325°F oven for nearly 40 minutes on Sunday morning, and it was still so cold in the middle we had to heat the slices in the microwave (since everything else was ready). Yesterday, I put the entire thing together in the morning and it was pretty quick and easy. At the most, I might prepare the filling and crust the night before, but put it together and bake it fresh when I'm ready to serve.

Thyme Flies

Hard to believe it's been over a year since my very first blog post. I had had a food blog in mind for a long time, and had known for months that when I finally did it, it would be called Thyme Well Spent.


When I finally decided to give it a go, I sat down one Sunday morning and was surprised to find how easy it was to create a blog. Certainly, I was at no loss for material, given how much we like to go out, eat out, and cook in.

What I grossly underestimated was how hard it would be to come home after eight to 10 hours of sitting in front of a computer at work and finding the motivation to blog in the evening. I also had no idea how much fun it would be to read my friends' and family's comments, nor did I have any inclination that my most frequent commenter would be our friend Jim.

I'm way, way behind on posting. It's been over a month since my last message, and there are a number of recipes, restaurants, plays, and weather disasters worthy of writing about. I'll start with a terrific Crock Pot Jambalaya and promise to get caught up before too much more time goes by.

Thank you for reading - and for commenting!!

Crock Pot Jambalaya

• 1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1" pieces
• 1 lb. andouille sausage, diced
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, reserved 
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 cups cooked rice

Method:

1. In a slow cooker, combine chicken, sausage, tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and celery. Stir in oregano, Cajun seasoning, hot sauce, bay leaves, and thyme.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours.
3. Add in reserved chicken stock as necessary, to reach the consistency you desire.
4. Discard bay leaves and spoon mixture over cooked rice.

I started with this recipe, but because we had no shrimp on hand, upped the amount of chicken and sausage. I also drained the tomatoes a little, fearing it would be too thin. Next time, I would drain even more liquid, as it was a little more soup-y than we'd like. The flavor was perfect, though!

The Last Supper

With the rapture bearing down upon us yesterday, we opted for a "last supper" at Plan B in West Hartford. This was the second time we have eaten there in two weeks and I so wish it wasn't 40 minutes down the road! Best yet, it was voted one of Connecticut's best burgers by the Hartford Courant.

Name of Restaurant: Plan B
Location: West Hartford (they are also in Glastonbury and Simsbury)
Day / Date / Time: Saturday afternoon
Type of food: Burgers, beer, beef, and bourbon
Occasion / Event: The end of the world...or any other time you want the perfect burger!
Dined with: First with Brian, Kelly, and Amy, then with Brian and Jean
Ambiance / Entertainment: Fun, casual, comfy a little loud.
Wine / Cocktails: Huge selection of beer (can't go wrong with a Miller Lite bottle); nice wine selection
Appetizers: The jalapeno poppers were outstanding. Apps range from $7 - 10, with lobster sliders at $14.
Entrees: Burgers, burgers, burgers!! We've tried the Blue Cheese, Baha, Tavern Classic, and Bacon Cheese beef burgers; the Buffalo Chicken; and the Salmon Burger - and all were terrific. Burgers can be served on a bed of greens or with a whole wheat roll at no cost. Sides are fun and very tasty - tater tots were a huge hit! (Great pickles, too!) We're actually a pretty good test for a burger joint, since Brian likes his rare and I like mine cooked all the way through - and when a restaurant can serve up both our burgers done perfectly, they get extra points in my book.
Desserts: I'm sure they have them, but I'd rather finish my burger and fries than save room for dessert!
Average price range: Burgers range from about $10 - 14. 
House favorites / Signature dishes to reorder: Burgers! There are other things on the menu, but seriously - go with a burger.

Lunch for Two for $10.25?!

I first learned about Ba'nh Mi', Vietnamese "street food" sandwiches, on the Food Network show "The Great Food Truck Race" last year. They're a delicious blend of super fresh vegetables, hot peppers, meat, and cilantro with a little bit of mayo to hold it all together.

I've investigated how to make the sandwiches at home, but for something so seemingly simple, the recipes are pretty complicated - time consuming at least. You have to finely julienne the veggies, marinate them (in a marinade you make), create the sauce, marinate and grill the meat, and - perhaps most difficult - find the perfect Vietnamese baguette to put it all on.

The good thing about being "foodies," though, is that many of our friends and family share our same passion for interesting, new food. Enter Brian's cousin, Pete. He told B about Can Tho' Fast Foods, at the corner of Dickinson and Wilmont Streets in Springfield.

Although the woman working didn't speak English very fluently, she seemed happy to see us and worked hard to answer all of our questions. The menu was handwritten on a white board and was entirely in Vietnamese, but there was Ba'nh Mi', taking up half the menu! Apparently they are as popular as we were led to believe. We couldn't tell what each variety was, but learned the sandwiches are made with either ham, meatball, barbecue pork, and a combination.

We each started with a barbecue pork sandwich and we split a baked dumpling. It was one of the best sandwiches ever!  The bread was amazing and fresh cilantro is one of my favorite flavors.  Bri then went for ham - I didn't love the meat, but the veggies and bread were equally delish. We also tried a spring roll-like concoction, although that's not what she called it. Throw in a bottle of water and we spent a whopping $10.25 for lunch. For both of us. Three good-size sandwiches, two "sides," and a bottle of water. $10.25.

When was the last time you spent $10.25 on lunch?

If only food trucks serving fresh, ethnic "street food" at low prices were popular in New England... Until then, at least we have Can Tho'!

39 and Counting

We spent the weekend on Plum Island celebrating B's birthday...the countdown to the 40th has officially begun!

The fun started Friday night on our way in. We stopped in town at The Grog, one of our favorites local bars. They have, without fail, the best seafood chowder I've ever had. Add a little of their hot sauce and it can't be beat. Some of their sandwiches are ok, and they make great flatbread. It's always been a place where we had a drink and a cup of soup...until, a few weeks ago, we ordered burgers. To die for.

Most everyone there at 10 on a Friday night are locals, and we know - and meet - more of them each time we go. Best spot in town and the perfect place to celebrate a birthday!

Saturday morning we were up and out early and spent the day in Portsmouth. We found the more commercial side of town and spent some time checking out the Nook at Barnes & Noble. (More on that later.) But the best part of Portsmouth is downtown, on the water. I did a little Christmas shopping and B asked the gal in the kitchen store for a lunch recommendation. I had my heart set on The Press Room, a place we stumbled on when last we were there, but she insisted the Coat of Arms was a better pub.

Not so. It seemed to have good potential as an after-work kind of place - pool table, darts, fireplace - but the waiter was crabby and the food was just OK. It's always good to try something new, but we should have held out for live jazz and falafel at the Press Room....

Lest we go hungry, S&K treated us to dinner at Joseph's Winter Street Cafe Saturday night. (Anyone who's been to the Plum knows that the day starts with a committee meeting, where we decide what, where, and when we are going to eat and drink...it's pretty bad when you're planning tomorrow's dinner before today's coffee...)

When last we were there, B and the chef almost came to blows - literally - over their interpretations of steak au poivre. (Let's just say the chef had a very loose interpretation.) It's a beautiful restaurant and the owner is someone B and his family remember from a restaurant they used to go to in Hampton, so he decided to give it another try for his birthday. The owner was as lovely as ever, and our food was delicious.

B started with raw oysters, which he said were excellent (I'll take his word for it), and we got mushroom sardi - sauteed mushrooms on toast with sour cream. I think I liked them more than the others did and would like to try making them - how hard can it be? I tried the bolognese (good, but mine's better!), B and S had different fish dishes, and K had osso bucu. Their presentation is really pretty and everyone seemed to enjoy their dinner (they must have been good - there wasn't a lot of sharing or left overs!). We tried creme brulee and tiramisu for dessert - they were good, but nothing out of the ordinary. I think I'd opt for more mushrooms next time, instead! ;-)

This coming weekend we are celebrating Christmas with B's family - there'll be lots of recipes to share!

Thanks to JW for kindly reminding me that there's no sense in starting a blog if you aren't actually going to blog...point well-taken!

An Early-Bird Special by Any Other Name...

E, K, and I went to dinner the other night to celebrate K's birthday. Fortunately for us, she chose Tavern on the Hill in Easthampton to celebrate.

If you've not been, go. I always remember how much I love their food, but I tend to forget between each visit there how much I love the restaurant and atmosphere. Whether it's a couple of hours on a "Sunday Funday" spent at their bar, drinks and dinner on a summer evening on the deck that offers crazy good views of the Valley, or a cozy table in the dining room (in front of the fireplace, if you're lucky!) - you won't be disappointed.

So, Wednesday night, we met up after dinner after work. I arrived first, hungry and thirsty, and started with a glass of wine and their great, warm rolls. By the time E arrived, I knew what I was having, and I surprised myself by deviating from my traditional Tavern meal (fodder for another post) and selecting a meal from their Sunset Menu.

When I told B about their Sunset Menu he said, "Oh, lots of places do that..it's like the early bird special." Perhaps, but no one does the early bird like the Tavern.

Served from 5 - 6:30 Monday thru Thursday and 4 - 6:30 on Sundays, the menu offers a three-course meal for $20. You get your choice of an appetizer (soup, salad, and traditional apps like stuffed mushrooms, mussles, and garlic bread); entree (many of their standard menu with a few new items thrown in); and dessert (creme brulee, chocolate mousse...the usual suspects).

The problem with such price fixe menus, for someone who likes to eat anyway, is that the courses are typically a mere shadow of a regular course. You get what you pay for, and all of that... Not so at the Tavern on the Hill. I heard another waitperson assuring the table next to ours that the portions were "generous," so figured I'd go for it - and learned she was absolutely right.

K and I both started with the Equinox salad, for which I typically pay a $3 up-charge when I order it instead of the regular house salad with a traditional entree, and E had stuffed mushrooms. The salad is one of my favorites, with pears, candied pecans, and Roquefort cheese and the mushrooms had a nice herbed veggie stuffing and cheese. For dinner, I chose the chicken and mushroom risotto - a steaming, heaping bowl of creamy, rich pasta - and K and E both had the spice rubbed pork with potoato and vegetable. Neither of these is on the traditional menu, but would be welcome additions if they were.

Now, a complaint I have about price fixe menus is that they always offer dessert, which almost never get if left to my own devices - I'd much rather an app or a glass of wine in place of the dessert (which B has successfully negotiated, smart man!). But I went with the flow on Wednesday and am so glad I did! E and I got the creme brulee, which was too much to finish after such rich meals, and the birthday girl enjoyed every last bite of her warm brownie sundae.

I'm not sure how long the Sunset Menu will be available, but if you're looking for a very delicious, very reasonable meal in a lovely setting, you won't be disappointed.

Shady Glen Cheeseburger

Not too long ago, B and I saw a segment on the Food Network about a hamburger joint that serves cheeseburgers with grilled cheese.  Not the crazy phase (let's hope it's just a phase!) of a cheeseburger served between two grilled cheese sandwiches...this is a scruptious burger topped with gooey yet crunchy cheese that has been melted on the grill.

So on a recent beautiful fall Saturday, we took a drive to Shady Glen Dairy Store in Manchester, CT, to try one for ourselves.

There was a line when we arrived, and some confusion about how seating is  handled. Once we found a helpful regular to give us some tips, it was pretty simple. The line forms to the left for booths and to the right for counter seating. As soon as a seat opens up, the next person in line can grab it.

The same gal who helped us navigate the seating recommended the Bernice Original platter - the "grilled cheese" burger served with two sides. I chose crinkle cut fries and cottage cheese, B ordered fries and onion rings. The burgers were served with just the cheese on a standard roll - lettuce and tomato is one of the sides you can order.

I added a little ketchup, mustard, and plenty of chopped onion to mine, folded the cheese over, and ended with the top of the bun.  Amazing!!  The cheese is crunchy and gooey, and a little salty.  The burger was the perfect size and cooked just right. I'm kinda glad Manchester's a good 40 minutes away....