Grilled onion panini with miso butter

 

In another installment of cheaters always prosper, I gamed this recipe by having a packet of grilled onions in the refrigerator waiting to be used. I always like to maximize any grilling session to get the most out of the coals, so any corners on the grill are a great place to tuck a foil packet of onions, peppers or potatoes to grill along with everything else. Grilled onions make a pretty good stand-in for caramelized onions; they pick up some of that same rich color plus some smokiness from the grill. It's not a one-for-one substitution that I'd use in just any recipe, but they work great on sandwiches like this.

Sometimes in between I forget to think about grilled cheese as a lunch option. I haven't had the Velvetta version in decades. Can one go back, or am I spoiled for life?

 Caramelized onion grilled cheese sandwiches with miso butter
Adapted from “Umami Bomb” by Raquel Pelzel

Ingredients
1 cup caramelized or grilled onions*
3 tablespoons butter at room temperature, divided
1 tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon white miso paste
4 slices bread
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Method
Mix 1 tablespoon butter, mustard and miso paste. Set aside.

Spread remaining butter on outer surface of 4 bread slices. Spread miso butter on inner surfaces. Divide cheese and caramelized onions between two slices and top with remaining bread slices.

Toast in panini press or toast on both sides over low heat in a skillet until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted.

*To caramelize, thinly slice 1 large onion and saute over low heat in 1 tablespoon salted butter until caramelized. This always takes way longer than any recipe claims. Splash with malt vinegar. Or do yourself a favor and try my favorite slow cooker method from Lora Brody.

To grill onions, Cut a 15-inch length of tin foil. Put sliced onions in the middle in a not too deep layer. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt (and fresh herb leaves like thyme if desired). Fold foil in half lengthwise, then keep folding down in half again until the top is sealed. Fold in the ends to seal packet. Place on grill slightly off the hottest area for about 30 minutes.

Rating: Yummy. And with pre-caramelized onions, it's a fast fix. We used the sesame-topped Sicilian loaf from Turtle Bread, which worked well here.