Just a heads up that today is the final day to vote in the National Sandwich Day Challenge, sponsored by Arnold and Oroweat Bread. Thank you SO much to all of you who have been voting for my sandwich – Cheddar Bacon Panini with Caramelized Apple Onion Chutney - all month long. I really do appreciate it!

You can still vote for your favorite one last time today on Facebook (they do require you to “like” Arnold and Oroweat first) until midnight tonight EDT. Remember to scroll all the way down to the end of the recipe and click on the big blue “Vote” button. Many thanks again everyone!

This post is one in a series sponsored by Arnold and Oroweat Bread, for which I have received compensation. My opinions are always my own.

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If Cheddar Bacon Panini with Caramelized Apple-Onion Chutney sounds like something you’d love to sink your teeth into, I hope you’ll vote for it (be sure to scroll all the way down and click the big blue “Vote” button!) in The National Sandwich Day Challenge!

In celebration of National Sandwich Day, which is coming up on November 3, Arnold/Oroweat Bread is hosting The National Sandwich Day Challenge. They’ve asked four bloggers – including myself – to create the best sandwich we can imagine, incorporating their sliced bread. I’m usually not one to enter into competitions where voting is involved, but this is a sandwich challenge – Panini Happy has to represent, right?

For my entry, I grilled my idea of the ultimate autumn grilled cheese: sharp aged cheddar and thick-cut bacon with a sweet and tangy (with a touch of heat!) homemade caramelized apple-onion chutney on Oroweat’s extra-sour rye.

You can find the recipe and vote for your favorite once per day on Facebook (they do require you to “like” Arnold/Oroweat first) until 12:00 AM EST on October 29. Thanks for your support!

This post is one in a series sponsored by Arnold/Oroweat Bread, for which I have received compensation, but my opinions are always my own.

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Welcome to the 2nd Annual Grilled Cheese Pageant!

From traditional cheese-and-bread to cheese-stuffed bison burgers, from sourdough to gluten-free lemon pound cake…more than 30 food bloggers and other grilled cheese fans submitted grilled cheese sandwiches comprised of all types of ingredients in this year’s Pageant. Prepare to be allured, intrigued and inspired as you observe the procession of grilled cheese interpretations. And be sure to click the photos to view the recipes!

In the spirit of “cheesy-ness”, I’m handing out 11 different pageant-themed titles this year – seven from last year plus four new ones. Go with it…these aren’t easy to come up with! The list of sashes is as follows (click the links to jump ahead):

Harvest Queen • Best Personality • Best Swimsuit • Best Talent • Classic Beauty • Inner Beauty • Miss Congeniality • Most Chic •
Sweet & Sassy • Tiny Miss •
* GRAND SUPREME *

Our (randomly selected) Grand Supreme winner will be receiving a Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron Panini Press & Skillet Grill Set, courtesy of Le Creuset. The winner is announced at the end of the procession.

Let the show begin – bring on the cheese!

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Get your skillets, grills and ovens ready – it’s time to submit your best grilled cheese for Panini Happy’s 2nd Annual Grilled Cheese Pageant!

Last year’s pageant was such a cheesy blast. Thirty-six food bloggers and other grilled cheese fans, in celebration of National Grilled Cheese Month, paraded their tastiest and gooey-est grilled cheese sandwiches in fun pageant-themed categories such as “Best Evening Gown” (fancy sandwiches), “Harvest Queen” (grilled cheese sandwiches containing fruit) and, of course “Grand Supreme” (the overall winner). What will this year’s categories be? That all depends on the sandwiches you guys make – you submit a sandwich, I’ll assign you a sash.

I’ve got a fantastic prize for this year’s Grand Supreme winner (randomly selected from all participants) – the much sought-after Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron Panini Press and Grill Set in Kiwi (retails for $189.95 at Amazon), courtesy of the wonderful folks at Le Creuset. If you know and love Le Creuset like I do, I know you’ll love this giveaway. I recently test-drove one (in gorgeous cobalt blue) – read all about it here.

The Pageant curtains open on Tuesday, April 20 – join the fun! See entry details below.

How to Enter:

Send me an e-mail, with Grilled Cheese Pageant in the subject line, to panini [DOT] happy [AT] yahoo [DOT] com (ONE entry per person, please!) with the following information by Friday, April 16 at 8 PM PDT:

• First name
• Blog name (or hometown if you don’t have a blog)
• Blog URL (if you have a blog)
• Recipe post URL, please include a link to this post within your post (if you have a blog)
• ONE photo of your grilled cheese sandwich, at least 490 px wide
• A one-line description of your sandwich

I’ll post a roundup of all the submissions (aka, The Pageant) on Tuesday, April 20. Anyone is welcome to share a sandwich in the Pageant – however, due to the cost associated with shipping a cast-iron grill, I’m afraid the giveaway is open to those with U.S. mailing addresses only.

Blog Badge:

Bloggers: If you’d like to include a Pageant badge on your grilled cheese post, here you go:

FAQ:

Is this a judged competition?
Absolutely not. It’s a celebration of grilled cheese, plain and simple. As I mentioned earlier, there will be a prize awarded – a Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron Panini Press & Skillet Grill Set – to a participant selected at random.

Do I have to have a blog to participate?
No – anyone can submit a sandwich photo. Refer to the submission guidelines above.

What qualifies as “grilled cheese”?
If you think it’s grilled cheese, it’s grilled cheese. Ideally, we’ll see something that’s been grilled and contains cheese – beyond that is your own call. NOTE: Your sandwich does not have to be grilled on a panini press. Any grilling method is fine.

Can I submit a grilled cheese sandwich I posted on my blog a while back?
Yes. Please feel free to submit a sandwich (just one, please) that you’ve posted within the past 6 months.

~ HAPPY GRILLING! ~

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Would you believe me if I told you this was among the most challenging panini I’ve posted thus far?

Before I explain why all the fuss, I’ll first let you in on what you’re looking at. We’ve got homemade peanut butter, homemade strawberry jam (my first jam ever!), and fresh banana grilled on sliced buttery brioche. Luxe all the way!

Through My Lens is a blog event that my friend Kristen (of Dine & Dish) recently launched in conjunction with her new food photography blog, Culinary Snapshot. This time around participating bloggers will be posting their best shots of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. As someone who photographs sandwiches on a pretty regular basis, I thought this event would be right up my alley.

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[The 2nd Annual Grilled Cheese Pageant is live (4/20/10)!]

Welcome, everyone, to The Grilled Cheese Pageant!

In celebration of National Grilled Cheese Month, thirty-six food bloggers and other grilled cheese aficionados are showing off a dazzling array of deliciously inventive sandwiches for your viewing enjoyment. From “Best Evening Gown” to “Country & Western Wear”, we’ve got a bunch of fun pageant categories – keep scrolling, you’re not going to want to miss any of them. And, of course, we’ll be crowning the (randomly selected) Grand Supreme winner of ‘wichcraft: Craft a sandwich into a meal–and a meal into a sandwich, by Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio, at the end of the procession.

Since this is a celebration, not a competition, every contestant will be “going home” with a sash and title (cut me some slack on these, I did my best!).

On with the show!

This is the portion of the pageant where the contestants grace the stage in their fanciest attire. These two contestants brought some truly fancy grilled cheese.

It’s debatable whether adding healthy vegetables into a grilled cheese sandwich will help us to look good in our swimsuits but it’s a nice thought to have as you digest these next four tasty vegetable-laden contestants.

Each of these contestant whipped up their own condiment spreads to complement their grilled cheese sandwiches. Now that’s talent!

As you can see, there are many different interpretations when it comes to one’s notion of a “grilled cheese sandwich”. But, of course, the classic version is comprised simply of cheese and bread. The following contestants are the purists.

The title of Miss Congeniality is bestowed upon contestants who are especially congenial and charismatic. The next three sandwiches all feature bacon – and bacon sure is nice.

For the very youngest pageant competitors there is a crown for “Tiny Miss”. Two of our grilled cheese contenders feature eggs – work with me here – it doesn’t get much younger than that!

A veritable fruit orchard is represented in these next six sandwiches, resulting in irresistible sweet and savory combinations.

With their tomatoes, basil and focaccias, the flavors and colors of Italy inspired these next three contestants. Bravo!

This category – especially popular among the rodeo pageants – celebrates the spirit of the great southwest. And you know what else is popular in the southwest? Chile peppers! You get a little pepper kick in each of the next three sandwiches.

Mozzarella cheese is prized not only for its creamy saltiness but also for its ability to stretch to great lengths. You might say it’s the most athletic of all cheeses. At least that’s what we’re saying in this pageant (a stretch indeed). Bring on the mozz!

These next contestants exemplify the versatility of grilled cheese sandwiches as excellent vehicles for leftovers. Just add cheese and bread and you’ve got a darn good meal.

Last, but most certainly not least, I’d like to recognize our Prince Charming sandwich of the pageant – Marbled Jack and Ham Grilled Cheese submitted by Recipe Boy, the 7-year-old son of Lori at The Recipe Girl. The future of grilled cheese is a bright one!

And now for the highest honor of the evening…the (randomly selected) winner of the Grand Supreme tiara and a copy of Tom Colicchio’s brand-new ‘wichcraft cookbook goes to:

Kevin and his Ultimate Grilled Cheese from Seriously Good!

Congratulations to Kevin and all of the pageant participants! I hope you had as much fun with this event as I did and maybe even picked up a few new grilled cheese ideas along the way. Thank you so much for making Panini Happy’s first-ever blog event a fun success. Happy grilling!

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Just a reminder that entries for Panini Happy’s Grilled Cheese Pageant are due this Friday, April 17 at 12:00 PM PDT. You can preview just a few of the tasty sandwiches that have already been submitted in the above collage…mmmm!

Remember – your sandwich doesn’t have to be fancy and you don’t have to be a blogger to participate. This is all about celebrating and showcasing the humble grilled cheese sandwich, in whatever form you like it most. And to make things even more fun, one participant, selected at random, will receive a copy of Tom Colicchio’s new sandwich cookbook, ‘wichcraft: Craft a sandwich into a meal–and a meal into a sandwich.

Ready to enter? See the original post for details. Happy Grilling!

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Is your grilled cheese “glitz” or is it more “natural”? Either way, show it off in all its glory in Panini Happy’s first-ever blog event – The Grilled Cheese Pageant!

April is National Grilled Cheese Month, so to celebrate I thought it would be fun to invite you all to showcase your best grilled cheese sandwiches in a little “pageant” of sorts (can you tell I’ve been watching “Toddlers & Tiaras” on TLC this season?!). It’s not a beauty pageant per se, because as well all know the best tasting stuff often isn’t the prettiest. I’m talking about a taste pageant – whatever type of grilled cheese you like the most, let’s see it!  And because every pageant needs a grand prize – one participant, selected at random, will receive a copy of Tom Colicchio’s (of Top Chef fame) delicious new sandwich cookbook, ‘wichcraft: Craft a sandwich into a meal–and a meal into a sandwich.

How to Enter:

Send an e-mail to panini [DOT] happy [AT] yahoo [DOT] com (ONE entry per person, please!) with the following information by Friday, April 17 at 12 PM PDT:

• First name
• Blog name (or hometown if you don’t have a blog)
• Blog URL (if you have a blog)
• Recipe post URL, please include a link to this post (if you have a blog)
• ONE photo of your grilled cheese sandwich, at least 490 px wide
• A one-line description of your sandwich

I’ll post a roundup of all the submissions on Monday, April 20. And, yes, I’ll ship internationally on this one so it’s open to all. Have fun with this – can’t wait to see your grilled cheese!

FOOD BLOGGERS: You can feel free – but are not at all obligated – to display either of the following badges in your blog post:

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What is the “ultimate” peanut butter sandwich? I’ve been pondering this question ever since I found out that “Sandwich” was the theme for The Peanut Butter Boy‘s next Great Peanut Butter Exhibition. As a panini blogger, I ought to have a point of view on this, right? Well, here it is: heaps of homemade peanut butter – lightly sweetened with honey – and delectably sweet caramelized bananas spread upon freshly baked homemade white bread, grilled nice and crispy on the panini press. Sweet and savory, gooey and messy – it’s the ultimate peanut butter panini.

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• Bread: Sourdough
• Condiment: Avocado spread
• Meat: Sliced turkey, bacon
• Cheese: Swiss, cheddar
• “Goodies”: Tomatoes, Mangoes

THE INSPIRATION: “In Da Club” by 50 Cent, for the Eat to the Beat! blog event.

THE PREPARATION: I thought an avocado spread – basically, a more spreadable guacamole – would not only provide great flavor but add color. To get the smooth consistency I wanted, I pulled my trusty mini-prep food processor out of the appliance wasteland that is my pantry. I pureed a basic guacamole recipe – 1 avocado, a teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt, 1-1/2 teaspoons of fresh lime juice, 2 tablespoons of cilantro – plus added 2 teaspoons of light sour cream for an even creamier texture. A little bland on the first try so I added another 1-1/2 teaspoons of lime juice and that punched things up a bit.

Next, I tackled the “center bread”. As you know, a traditional club sandwich is “double-decker”, with a bottom piece of bread, fillings, a center piece of bread, more fillings, and a top piece of bread. I wanted to keep this tradition with my panini-style club, but I had some concerns about how the center bread pieces might fare in the pressing. My solution: pre-press them on their own. I lightly pressed them on the panini grill at low heat for about 7 minutes.

THE CONSTRUCTION: I spread about 1-1/2 tablespoons of the avocado spread on the bottom slice of bread, layered on a few slices of quick serve fully-cooked bacon (this is so great to have on hand for making panini!), a few 1/4″ slices of mango and a slice of swiss cheese. This comprised the “downstairs” of my sandwich. Next went on the pre-grilled center bread and I built the “upstairs”: a thin layer of mayonnaise, turkey breast slices, tomato slices, cheddar and the top bread. This was getting a bit tall! Lastly, I sprayed the top with olive oil cooking spray and grilled on low heat for about 10 minutes. I went “low and slow” to ensure the cheese in the middle of this behemoth had a chance to melt without scorching the bread.

THE RESULTS: Good flavors, texture could use a little help. Despite my pre-grilling, the center bread still got a little mushier than I’d hoped. And then I remembered…I didn’t spray any olive oil on it before grilling! An olive oil “barrier” was probably more likely to keep out the extra moisture so I made a note to try that in Attempt #2. Also, I think the juice from the tomatoes may have contributed to the mushiness. This comes straight out of my 7 Tips for Making Great Panini - I should have followed my own advice! One surprising result was the importance of how to arrange the layers to maximize the sandwich’s visual appeal. When I cut it in half, the tomato and bacon layers weren’t too visible due to how I’d positioned them. The beauty of this sandwich lies in the colorful layers, so that was something else I wanted to rectify. Oh well…on to Attempt #2!

Turkey Mango Double-Decker Club Panini – Attempt #2

I learned my lesson in Attempt #1 and sprayed both sides of my center breads with olive oil this time before grilling. While I was at it, I also sprayed the outside of my bottom bread – it’s a little messy to spray the bottoms of these things, but it’s worth the extra handwashing to have the nice, crostini-like bread. To make the bacon more visible on the sandwich, I cut each slice in half and made a little carpet of bacon, covering the entire bread. You couldn’t miss it now! In place of the mayonnaise, I substituted a second layer of avocado spread – the mayonnaise wasn’t adding much flavor and definitely didn’t contribute to the colorful presentation. Lastly, I removed the seeds from the tomatoes and made sure they crossed the middle of the sandwich so they would be visible when the sandwich was cut in half.

THE RESULTS: Terrific! The middle bread held up much better this time around with the olive oil. The additional avocado spread added nice flavor and I could now see all the layers when I cut the sandwich in half. The mango is kind of a sweet little surprise in this sandwich – it tastes great with the bacon and is unexpected. All in all, I was proud of this adaptation of the traditional club.

Get the final recipe!

Check out more from the Panini Happy Classics series:

• An Ode (or Two!) to California (BLT)
• In Search of M. Croque (Croque-Monsieur)
• The Taste of Childhood (Peanut Butter & Jelly)

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