Raise your hand if you’re a kid at heart.

Me, me, me!

I think the photo is from Camp Wai Lani summer session 2003? I can’t remember exactly, but I must have been about 10 years old.

Grilled cheese was one of my all-time favorite meals as a kid, along with Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, cheese hot dogs, scrambled eggs, chicken nuggets, pasta, Cosmic Brownies and Pop-Tarts.

Even though I’m 20 years old and no longer eat many of the above-listed foods, I still love a good gooey sandwich. The grilled cheeses of my childhood were made with two slices of potato or whole-wheat bread; two tablespoons Country Crock Spread; and two slices Kraft American cheese. However, I tend to be more adventurous with my grilled cheese fillings these days.

Introducing . . .

Spinach-Mozzarella Grilled Cheese

Let’s just say working at Panera Bread this summer definitely improved my sandwich-making skills.

A hot, melted reminder of childhood

Serves One

Difficulty: A bit more effort is required compared to the traditional sandwich, but it’s not hard at all.

Total Preparation and Cook Time: 10-12 minutes

Ingredients:

One 100% Whole-Wheat Arnold Sandwich Thin
Two large handfuls baby spinach
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 Roma tomato, cut into four slices
Dash of pepper
Dash of tomato basil garlic seasoning
1 1/2 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced (I used BelGioioso)
Two ounces (1/8 cup) shredded Italian-style cheese mixture (I used Winn Dixie’s variety)
1/8 cup diced red onion
Cooking spray (I used Pam’s Olive Oil spray)

Steps:

Apply cooking spray to a small pan, place on stove and heat at a medium-low setting.
Place spinach and garlic in pan and stir until spinach has wilted, about three to four minutes.
Remove spinach from pan and set aside.
Split the sandwich thin and arrange tomato slices on bottom half. Top with pepper and tomato basil garlic seasoning.
Arrange the remaining ingredients in this order: mozzarella; diced onion; spinach; Italian-style shredded cheese; and top slice of the sandwich thin.
Spray pan again and be sure stove is still set at a medium-low heat.
Place sandwich in the pan and heat until underside is golden brown, about four to five minutes.
Carefully flip the sandwich and heat other side until golden brown.
Serve with your favorite pasta sauce for dipping and/or baby carrots and bell pepper slices for dipping into hummus.
Enjoy!

Questions:

Do you have a favorite big-kid grilled cheese recipe? If so, please share it with me.
What is your favorite grilled cheese side dish? (Mine is still Campbell’s Tomato Soup made with half a can of water and half a can of fat-free milk.)