Grilled Cheese & Bison Sandwiches

Compensation was provided by Gallo Family Vineyards via Sunday Supper, LLC. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Gallo Family Vineyards.

Did you know that April is National Grilled Cheese Month? Honest to goodness, I had no idea, but am I ever on board with that! I grew up in Wisconsin, so needless to say, dairy is a big deal in my life. I remember going to Wisconsin Dells when I was a kid and always coming home with cheese curds…and loving the “squeak!” they made on my teeth!

Then when we moved to Alaska, while on the road we stopped to visit my parents and we went out to eat one night. At the restaurant, my family got to experience deep fried cheese curds for the first time! From that point on, we looked for that particular restaurant the rest of the trip. My family was hooked.

When I think about grilled cheese sandwiches, honestly the first thing that comes to mind is the Saturday mornings of my childhood when my mom was working. My dad would fix us lunch, and often it was grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup. Good memories!

Now-a-days I have a little more mature palate…and the idea of the “cheese in a box” is horrifying…but a grilled cheese sandwich will forever be comfort food to me.

Today Gallo Family Vineyards joins us as we celebrate all things grilled cheese!

So in honor of National Grilled Cheese Month, I am sharing my spin on the classic patty melt…with tangy Dubliner cheese and flavorful bison patties.

 

To begin, peel and thinly slice a red onion.

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.

Toss in the onion and sauté over medium low heat until golden and caramelized.

Now grab your bison. You will need about 2 pounds – this will make 6 sandwiches. You can adjust to your need.

NOTE: If you don’t have bison, you can absolutely make this with ground beef.

Portion off a section that is 1/3 of a pound. Roll it into a ball and place it on a sheet of parchment or waxed paper.

Cover it with a second sheet of the paper and the mash it straight down with the bottom of a heavy skillet. Press down as hard as you can.

You have a perfect little patty under there!

Sprinkle with some salt & pepper. Repeat this process with the rest of the ground bison.

Now that the onions are done, scoop them out to a dish and set aside for now.

Toss in a tablespoon of butter and let it melt. Place two of your patties in the skillet and cook them on medium high heat until browned on both sides and cooked through.

Repeat the process with the remaining patties, placing the cooked ones on a platter as you finish them.

When they are all cooked, grab a clean skillet or wash the one you were using.

Now grate some cheese. I used about 8 ounces for 6 sandwiches. I prefer to use Dubliner, but you can use any sharp cheddar that you have on hand.

Next, grab some rye bread and soft butter. Butter two slices and then place the buttered sides together for the moment – like you are making a butter sandwich.

Place a little cheese on the bread.

Top that with a patty.

Then pile on some of the sautéed onions and a little more cheese. Don’t worry about piling the cheese in the center – it will melt! So start heating your clean skillet…

Now pick up the top of the sandwich, and place it in your hot skillet.

Top that with the other slice of bread, butter side out. Cook these sandwiches 2 at a time over medium heat until golden on both sides.

My trick to turning these over, is to pick it up with a spatula, and hold the top with a second spatula, and then turn it all over together. It keeps the sandwich together.

Repeat with the remaining sandwiches!

Now to enjoy this yummy sandwich with some pickles and wine! I’ll be honest with you, rather than pairing this sandwich with a recommended wine, I chose to pair it with the Pink Moscato from Gallo Family Vineyards. Why? Because I hadn’t tried it yet!

And you know what? I think it was the perfect choice!

Enjoy!

For more information about Gallo Family Vineyards, you can connect with them via Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. And to see where you can find Gallo Family Vineyards’ variations, use This Locator.

 

 

Now I have to tell you, I LOVE grilled cheese sandwiches, so I can not WAIT to see all of these variations on the theme!

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