Ultimate White Trash Gourmet Grilled Cheese

Down in L.A. (Lower Alabama) where I was born, dinner consisted of whatever you could catch, kill, or whatever was cheap at the Piggly Wiggly. Baloney (Bologna, for those who lived uptown) was cheap and plentiful and I’ve downed many a fried baloney sammich in my time. I like it fried real crisp, piled two or three deep on white bread with mayo & mustard, maybe a slice of 'mater (tomato, if you ain’t southern), slice of onion optional. Sometimes we had to make do with a "Wish Sammich", as in, you got two pieces of bread and you wish you had some meat. We also enjoyed the occasional grilled cheese, where you buttered two slices of white bread, slapped some cheese in the middle and put it in the cast iron skillet to brown & melt, then used a spatula to smash it flat. The only real issue was whether to cut it into rectangles or triangles. That battle still rages.

Anyway, the other day I was contemplating all the above mysteries, thinking about a “gourmet” grilled cheese that even Larry the Cable Guy would like. I was fretting over the ingredients when the Missus walked through and barked, “just git ‘r dun!”.

Having said all of that crap, here’s my suggestion for a grilled cheese that even the city kinfolks might like when they come to L.A. to visit us in the double wide.

Ingredients

• Baloney (bologna), allowing two slices per sammich
  
• Swiss cheese, amount per sammich optional
  
• Rye bread (& butter)
  
• Onions, thinly sliced
  
• A little olive oil

In a skillet fry the baloney over medium heat until desired doneness (I like my crispy and nearly black). Remove, drain on paper towels and set aside.
Now begin to sauté the onions in a little olive oil over medium/low heat. Let them go slow enough that it takes several minutes to begin to get browned and caramelized—this brings out the sweetness of the onion. Once they’re caramelized to your taste, set aside on paper towels.

Next butter the rye bread, place one slice butter side down in the same skillet over low heat; on top of that put half of the swiss cheese; next add the baloney; then add onions to your taste; then add more swiss cheese and top with another slice of rye bread, butter side up.

Grill over low heat, flipping occasionally until desired brown-ness of the bread. It’s up to you whether to smash it flat. The good thing about using rye bread is that it’s an oval shape, so you avoid the issue of cutting it in rectangles or triangles.

Plate and enjoy. This is really good with a hearty soup, like potato, clam chowder, even chicken noodle. Or, if you're a wuss and want to go a little lighter, it's okay with a crisp green salad. Pop open a can 'o suds and enjoy.