Grown Up Grilled Cheese

As I was rushing home from work today I was trying to think what could I make that was quick,nourishing and very tasty ? I knew I had to work on a lemon blueberry cheesecake before I started dinner so I wanted something that wouldn't occupy a great deal of my time because my little cheesecake was going to need my full attention. See I have my priorities straight -cheesecake first, dinner second. Of course I have some friends who would say who needs dinner when you have cheesecake !

Trying to think of something quick for dinner took me back to growing up, when my mother was working part time and we would get home from school and she would have less than an hour to feed us before she took off for work. Those nights became grilled cheese nights-something that was a favorite with my sister and brother too. Good old Kraft American Cheese on Wonder Bread, with a slathering of butter and a bowl of Campbell's Tomato Soup to wash it all down ! That's a comfort meal I crave on cold winter days. But today is not cold, and it's not winter,but I , like my mother, need something really quick,now, and fast ! And I can't get that grilled cheese out of my head. I remember seeing a recipe for grilled cheese and ham sandwiches in a magazine recently so as soon as I walk in the front door I grab my stack of April magazines and as luck would have it I stumble right onto the recipe in the first magazine I picked up. It's in the April issue of Food & Wine. By the way if you don't have this issue run out and buy it . There are so many fabulous " let's get together for a party " recipes in there I can't wait for summer to try them ! Anyway, back to the grilled cheese.

The recipe is called "Grilled Ham and Cheese with Strawberry-Red-Wine Jam ." It takes 30 minutes to prepare and it is delicious ! Of course I didn't have brioche so I substituted some fresh Italian bread and I used a Cabernet instead of the Pinot Noir in the jam-excellent ! First, I never thought of putting strawberry jam on my ham and cheese. Second I never would have thought of mixing red wine with my strawberry jam-but the combinations in the sandwich were perfection. The smokey ham,melted cheese,sweet strawberry jam and the wine on a crisp Italian bread-yummy. And with a glass of the same Cabernet I used in the jam-it's a great way to wind down after a busy day! I can't wait to try this on brioche the next time !