While pudgie pies are our bread and butter, we decided to dabble off the pudgie path and enter the Wisconsin Grilled Cheese Championship Competition a few weeks ago. We fancied-up a recipe from Pudgie Revolution called “Lemon Curd’s the Word” and, if we do say so ourselves, it is pretty dang delicious.
The judges thought so too because our grilled cheese incarnation, “Very Dairy Lemonberry,” won Best in Show. Best in Show! We are still bursting with joy over this major award!
As always, we want to share the deliciousness far and wide, so here’s how you can make this award-winning, dessert grilled cheese:
First, you’ll need to bake an extra-large loaf of lemon poppy seed bread. We tried baking bread from scratch and making different box mixes. The winner was Betty Crocker’s Lemon Poppy Seed mix. We followed the package instructions for 2 boxes, and poured the whole thing into 1 loaf pan. We upped the baking time by about 20 minutes, checking for doneness by inserting a toothpick until it came out clean.
Next, toast some pine nuts in a skillet on low heat for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Meanwhile, make some lemon-basil glaze by mixing lemon zest, minced basil, and confectioners sugar with fresh lemon juice.
The final item to prep is the Carr Valley Fresh Goat Chèvre Cheese. Mix a tablespoon or two of lemon zest and minced basil in with this tangy, fresh cheese and then form it into a log using plastic wrap. Now you’re all set for assembly!
To prepare the sandwich, slice bread about 1/2-inch thick and toast in melted butter over medium-low heat. Remove bread, add more butter to the pan, and top toasted sides with lemon curd and BelGioioso Mascarpone Cheese. Return to pan once butter has melted.
Top mascarpone cheese with slices of MonteChevre Blueberry Vanilla Goat Cheese, toasted pine nuts, Carr Valley Fresh Goat Chèvre mixture, and K. Clark Blueberry Balsamic Jam.
Carefully combine sides once golden and drizzle with lemon-basil glaze. Try to remember to take a photograph of the interior before you eat the whole thing!
Very Dairy Lemonberry
Ingredients
- extra large loaf lemon poppy seed bread, made from 2 boxes Better Crocker Lemon Poppy Seed bread mix
- Carr Valley Fresh Goat Chèvre
- BelGioioso Mascarpone Cheese
- MonteChevre Blueberry Vanilla Goat Cheese
- pine nuts, toasted
- lemon curd
- K. Clark Blueberry Balsamic Jam
- 1 lemon (for juice and zest)
- fresh basil, minced
- confectioners sugar, about 1/4 cup
- butter, about 4 tablespoons per sandwich, divided
Instructions
Bake bread, increasing bake-time until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool, and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Toast pine nuts over medium-low heat until golden and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, mix confectioners sugar with lemon zest, minced basil and lemon juice until you have a glaze consistency. Mix fresh goat chèvre with basil and lemon zest to taste. Melt butter in pan over medium-low heat and add bread to the pan until toasted. Remove from pan and spread toasted sides with mascarpone cheese and lemon curd. Melt additional butter and return bread to pan. Top mascarpone cheese with sliced blueberry vanilla goat cheese, pine nuts, chèvre mixture, and blueberry balsamic jam. Carefully combine when both sides are toasted and golden-brown. Drizzle with lemon-basil glaze and serve immediately. It’s a great way to have a Very Dairy Lemonberry day!