One of the many depressing parts of growing up is realizing that you are way too broke to go home for Thanksgiving. Which sadly means no more of Mom's famous mac'n'cheese, Grandpa's baked beans, or Uncle Bro's secret mashed potatoes (ok, not so secret, he mashes one sweet potato in the mix and it makes all the difference!). It's not all that bad though, because it also means that there's no more interrogation sessions about what you're doing with your sad, pathetic life in Brooklyn self after you finish your internship or your alliance with certain political affiliations (My parents are grown-up hippies, so yeah, I'm not talking about them). But I'm sure you can relate, and I can definitely do without that.
Instead, I'll be trying to fit 15 of my closest friends into my tiny little apartment (there's no kitchen table so I'm still trying to figure that one out), having panic attacks over botched recipes, and making way too many trips to the liquor store below my apartment. And ya know what? I can't wait! And because of all these Thanksgiving-related things that are flooding my mind, I decided to do a simple grilled cheese that will give you an easy yet delicious meal to hold you over until the big feast. With a spicy pepper jack cheese from Tillamook (you know, my favorite), and some sweet, creamy apple butter, and a buttery croissant, this GC encompasses one of my favorite flavor combo's SWEET & SPICY (and buttery) and it's an excellent little Fall treat that pairs nicely with an acidic Sauvignon Blanc.
Because you'll probably be spending way too much money this Thanksgiving, here's a simple 3-ingredient GC!
Ingredients
- 1 plain croissant
- 11/2 tbsp few slices of Tillamook pepper jack cheese
- apple butter (I used Fly Creek)
Directions
- The first thing you'll want to do is slice your croissant in half and thinly slice some of that Pepper Jack and lay it on. I only use Tillamook's variety because I love how there's little bits of sweet peppers and how the creaminess of the cheese contrasts with spicy little bits of jalapeno peppers. It's so freaking good.
- Then you'll just want to dab on some of the apple butter.
- My roommate brought some of this stuff home from Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard, which is upstate, and it is sooo amazing. Slightly tart, yet super sweet and utterly creamy. I could eat spoonfuls of this stuff. Seriously.
- Add another layer of of the Pepper Jack and put the top piece of bread back on top. Because croissants are basically all butter, and because I remember how greasy the last GC was that I made on a croissant (SEE HERE), you don't even need the stuff! You'll just want to turn your heat to medium low and stick it on.
- After about five minutes on each side, it should start becoming even more flaky, golden, and crusty. I smashed mine a little because I couldn't resist.
- When it's all pretty on both sides, take it off and give it a minute to sit. At this point, the cheese will be soaking up into croissant, and omg, it's about to get REAL.
I hope you all have an awesome Thanksgiving and that you remember your knife skills so that no one looses a finger. And if/when you're about to have a food-related breakdown, step out of the kitchen take a deep breath, eat a xanax take a huge swig of some wine and get yourself together kid!
Pair this GC with a nice tart and acidic Sauvignon Blanc which will contrast with the sweet notes in the apple butter along with the creamy texture and spicy undertones from the Pepper Jack.
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