admin, Author at Just Bare Foods

A Winter Blast of Sunshine

Posted on April 3, 2023April 3, 2023

Snowbird-style escape.

No matter where a GPS finds your neighborhood, we’re deep in the heart of cooler (or downright frigid) weather. Many of us yearn to fly to warmer climes, playing snowbird. These are the lucky folks who spend their winter months in Arizona, Florida or Texas, living on the edges of citrus groves, avocado ranches or on streets lined with pomegranate trees. But even if you can’t escape, now is the time to gather up the best of what winter offers-sparkling fruits that can revive dreary days and sagging appetites. All are storehouses of restorative vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients.

Tropical dreams.

Many of the fruits that are abundant this time of year are at their harvest peak, bringing an aromatic whiff of far-away places. Citrus in particular, from tangy-sweet Meyer lemons to perfumy mandarin oranges, offers so much variety it’s easy to find a favorite. But beyond citrus, be on the lookout for succulent Fuyu persimmons with their brilliant orange skin; carambola (star fruit), a sure-fire hit sliced into a refreshing salad to serve alongside a glazed roast chicken; pomegranates, which are on the wane now but still can be found to spruce up salads; and the star of the toast world-avocadoes, which are botanically classified as a fruit. But don’t forget pineapple, papaya, and mangoes, which also hang around into the winter. Individually each winter fruit has a strong nutrition profile, from the obvious jolt of vitamin C in a single grapefruit or star fruit to significant boosts of vitamin A, folate, potassium, fiber (eat the whole fruit rather than just drink the juice) and healthy fats (avocados, of course). In cold and flu season, bypass the medicine chest and head straight to the fruit bowl.

Choose your technique wisely.

The vibrant tastes and visual beauty of winter fruits offer a huge splash of freshness to almost any dish, whether as a primary ingredient or as a final snap to contrast rich flavors. Depending on how they’re prepped in the kitchen you can add zestiness, sweetness or pucker-up tartness. Using citrus as an example, juicing a lime or pomelo yields mellow taste with a sweet edge, while grating the zest (just the colored part of the citrus peel where the essential flavor oils are) provides the deepest essence of citrusy flavor. Slicing a lemon gives you both aspects of the fruit. Or segment a juicy and jewel-like grapefruit or orange for a main dish salad. There’s nothing better than a platter of sliced ripe Hass avocado and segments of red Texas grapefruit arranged on a bed of crisp winter endive. Just top with sautéed chicken, and tie everything together with a creamy poppy seed dressing.

Turn on the heat.

Winter fruits aren’t just for salads, though there’s no denying the cheeriness of lemon zest in a vinaigrette dressing or a sprinkle of pomegranate arils, which makes the most of their robust color and flavor in perking up cold-weather meals. But how about adding some heat? Consider chicken piccata, a classic recipe that melds the tartness of lemon, easy-going wine and briny capers to take chicken to a new place.

Another citrus option would be stuffing a whole chicken with small lemon halves and scattering a few more in a roasting pan. The juices released from both the lemons and the chicken mingle to create an extraordinary pan sauce with no extra effort. Also, ripe persimmons are luscious roasted with root vegetables and served around baked bone-in chicken pieces. Or avocados are amazing when halved and grilled on the stovetop or outside, then filled with a chicken salad dressed with a creamy lime dressing. Embrace winter!

What’s in your store? Name your citrus.

Lemons (regular, Meyer)
Limes (Persian, Key, finger, Kieffer)
Oranges (navel, Valencia)
Cara cara oranges (red inside like grapefruit)
Blood oranges Tangerines (Satsuma)
Mandarin oranges
Clementines
Kumquats
Pomelos (or pummelo)
Grapefruit (white and red)

A Do-Over for Leftovers

Posted on April 3, 2023April 3, 2023

Holiday cooking, take 2.

Even though they’re a busy home cook’s best friend, leftovers don’t always get the love they deserve. Maybe it’s the word itself — leftovers. It can seem like déjà vu all over again. But here’s a newsflash. Leftovers can actually be the starting point for something entirely different. This holiday season, it’s time for leftovers to get a do-over.

Have we met before?

Here’s the scenario. Over the weekend you prepared an elaborate feast, and naturally there were leftovers. That’s good, in particular the chicken and sweet potatoes. Because in the twinkle of an eye, a little holiday magic comes into play. It’s like giving yourself a present — an easy, healthy weeknight meal that cooks in 15 minutes.

Need some other ideas? Leftover herbed bread stuffing, cooked veggies, chopped chicken and eggs are all you need to make a great skillet supper frittata. If wild rice stuffing and cranberry sauce or chutney are on hand, consider making cranberry glazed chicken with wild rice pilaf. The possibilities for creative new combinations are endless. From traditional favorites new traditions can emerge.

Going, going, gone.

Another way to manage leftovers during the holiday season is to send them home with guests. It’s a tasty way to celebrate the festivities one more time. A little wrapping paper. Sparkly ribbon. Hand-written note. Suddenly, leftovers are transformed into a thoughtful expression of friendship, and the gift of food is one everyone can appreciate during the busiest time of the year.

Wait. How many people are coming?

It’s a good problem to have when more friends or family want to join a holiday get-together. Scaling up, though, doesn’t necessary mean simply doubling, tripling or quadrupling recipes. If the plan is for everyone to bring appetizers, for instance, the main course could grow in more modest proportions. A variety of online resources can help with menu planning.

As the holiday season moves into high gear, think of leftovers as the gift that keeps on giving. Twice as nice. Full of joy. Simply delicious.

Cacciatore Creativity

Posted on March 22, 2023March 22, 2023

Translating a classic.

Every few hundred years or so it’s a good idea to take a fresh look at a classic dish. An Italian-American favorite with roots in Italy going back centuries, chicken cacciatore is the perfect recipe to expand upon because variations have existed over time. In Italian, the word cacciatore means hunter, and it’s common to hear chicken cacciatore described as a hunter’s chicken stew. In Italy, though, the dish is more often known as pollo alla cacciatora, which actually means the hunter’s wife’s chicken stew. Whose dish is it, his or hers? It’s time to make it yours.

All the ingredients for a successful makeover.

The essence of chicken cacciatore is the combination of a lean meat, aromatic vegetables and savory mushrooms. Some early forms of chicken cacciatore don’t include tomatoes, which arrived in Italy in the 16th century as the result of explorations in the Americas and gradually became accepted as an edible food. But the version of chicken cacciatore popularized in Italian-American cooking in the 1950s usually features a red sauce, typically thick and heavy.

This new recipe for Refreshed Chicken Cacciatore calls for diced tomatoes plus sun-dried tomatoes. It also includes pimiento-stuffed olives for a sweet-and-salty bonus. Pre-cooking bacon or pancetta adds a depth of flavor to go along with the olive oil you’ll use to sauté the chicken thighs and veggies. It all comes together in the skillet for 15 minutes of braising, which in fact is the secret for why this recipe is so beloved.

In praise of the braise.

Though braising is similar to simmering in the sense there’s liquid and low heat, the two cooking techniques are different. With braising, you’re using just a small amount of liquid or sauce to finish cooking a main ingredient — usually meat — that’s already been sautéed and browned. When you’re simmering a stew, in contrast, all ingredients are completely submerged.

Braising can be a lengthy process, but it doesn’t have to be. Here, it’s just 15 minutes in a light sauce you create from red bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, diced tomatoes and white wine or chicken broth. The veggies stay crisp, and the chicken remains tender and moist.

Finish with farro.

Chicken cacciatore pairs perfectly with your favorite rustic bread or rice, but there’s an ideal option even older than the recipe itself and also associated with historic Italian cuisine. Serve your chicken cacciatore with farro, which looks and tastes like a light brown rice. It’s sometimes called emmer, and this high fiber whole grain contributes B vitamins, zinc, iron and protein.

If you’re on the hunt for a fresh new take on a classic recipe, try Refreshed Chicken Cacciatore. It’s yours to savor and enjoy, a healthy new variation that makes a great meal even better.

Back-to-school snacks

Posted on March 22, 2023September 1, 2023

Snacking demystified.

Kids groan. Parents cheer. Teachers prepare. It’s back-to-school time, and once again that means fresh starts and new beginnings. Yes, it’s bittersweet with summer winding down and more details to attend to than minutes in the day. But here’s the good news. Managing snacks doesn’t need to be on your worry list. Just follow a few basic concepts to prepare and pack snacks that promote your child’s growth and development.

Think of snacks as part of the day’s meals. Grains and starches provide quick energy, proteins build bodies, and fruits and veggies protect from illness.
Ensure basic food safety, starting with washing hands and keeping cold foods cold.
Promote hydration for health. Tap water is hard to beat, and juicy foods contribute too.
Pack for healthy teeth. Sugars and simple starches break down quickly and feed oral bacteria that cause decay. In general, focus on proteins, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables. Try to finish snacking with drinks of water and save sticky foods for times kids can brush their teeth.

Making the most of each bite.

Snacks are often small, quick bites, but ideally they’re filled with big nutrition. Let your child’s hunger guide the amount they eat. Your job as parent is to supply wholesome foods, and your child’s job is to let you know when they’ve eaten enough. Avoiding obesity means recognizing hunger and satiety cues. Help your child learn to rely on built-in cues for hunger and thirst. A 9-13-year old may need as many, or more calories than you do. On the other hand, times between growth spurts may make you wonder where children get all that energy when they’re hardly eating a thing.

The lettuce wrap is an example of a nutrient-dense snack. Carrots, lettuce and herbs provide 99 percent of the day’s vitamin A needs (healthy eyes) and 88 percent of vitamin K (those growing bones). The chicken provides 27 percent of the all-important niacin for maintaining a healthy nervous system. By composing the wrap, the child is learning to combine foods into a nutritious mini-meal.

Working together to promote family values.

It can be hard to find quality time together when everyone is busy. Why not multitask and make snack preparation a family activity? Working together lets parents hear about their kids’ activities while providing a moment to share environmental and food values. How long can cheese or nut butter stay at room temperature? Why does hummus need to be refrigerated? Learning food handling skills helps children become self-sufficient. And who knows? They may reward you by making lunch.

If you can find the time (and patience) to shop together, search for containers that fit the child’s interests. Think of orchestrating the production of transportable snacks as building healthy minds and bodies, all while making memories.

Snack Pairings.

New school, new classrooms, new friends. If there’s ever a time for comfort food, it’s right now. The nutritionally balanced pairings listed in this chart are classic combinations (and aid in cavity prevention), but you and your family have a whole year to experiment and discover new favorites.

Perhaps your child wants to explore new flavors. Increase the likelihood that snacks are eaten by offering options. Let your child choose additional pairing criteria such as flavor and texture. Include dried berries and spiced nuts in the trail mix for sweet and spicy flavors. Balance the texture of crunchy cucumbers with creamy hummus or yogurt dip. Making choices helps children learn. Healthy snacks keep brains sharp and bodies strong to help students make the most of all the opportunities a new school year provides.

Summer in France

Posted on March 22, 2023March 22, 2023

Celebrating the moment with family and friends.

It’s beautiful. Or as the locals would say, C’est beau! That’s the #1 reaction of visitors to France at the height of the growing season. Fresh produce abounds. Meals both simple and sublime surprise and delight. And for one of the nation’s most widely celebrated events, Bastille Day on July 14th, that’s a good time to keep things simple so there’s more time conversing instead of cooking. And why not enjoy the occasion outdoors? Let the festivities begin.

Not too thick, not too thin. Just right.

Based on the goal of simplicity, ease of preparation and maximum time outdoors, an easy option for grilling boneless, skinless chicken breasts is to turn them into paillards. The standard definition of a paillard is simply a thin piece of meat, often created by pounding. But you can also slice a chicken breast in half horizontally and get two cutlets of equal thickness for fast, even cooking. Brush on some olive oil, sprinkle with seasonings and you’re ready to grill.

From flame to feast.

Grilling a chicken paillard takes about three minutes a side. It’s that quick. And while the grill is hot, veggies of all kinds can be quickly roasted. But what holds all this together? Is there a sauce that brings out the best of chicken, veggies and even bread? Yes. In French cooking, the answer is a Grand Aïoli, which is essentially a garlic mayonnaise made from egg yolks, olive oil, salt, herbs and lemon juice. You can make it in minutes in a mini chopper or blender, as you’ll see in the recipe for Grilled Chicken Paillards Le Grand Aïoli.

Vegetable & Chicken Tian de Soleil.

French cuisine has earned a reputation for quality over quantity. Select, well-sourced ingredients skillfully prepared and served in reasonable portion sizes set a good standard for any meal. A great way to use leftover chicken and abundant summer produce is Vegetable & Chicken Tian de Soleil. In southern France, a “tian” refers to an earthenware cooking pot and also a baked dish of chopped veggies topped with cheese. Slice the veggies, bake and serve.

To everyone gathered, bon appétit!

Your feast is dazzling. Not because it’s complicated or required hours of preparation. Save that for another day and season. The season of the sun is here — warm, welcoming and bright with smiles. Take a cue from the French, and let their approach to summer inspire your next get-together. Simplicity brings out the best of summer. Bon appétit!

Spring Awakenings

Posted on March 16, 2023March 31, 2023

Local, fresh produce returns.

Patience may be a virtue, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Take winter, for example. It can test anyone’s patience and sometimes feels like it will never end. Yes, if you’re a gardener, there are seed catalogs to browse and plans to make. And in the kitchen, there’s always another nourishing, hearty stew to simmer and savor. But the arrival of spring is a true cause for celebration. A new growing season has arrived and with it comes fresh, local produce.

3, 2, 1 … grow!

The best news about gardening is you don’t need a lot of space to do it. Even apartment dwellers can use patios, balconies and windowsills. You can also start seeds indoors, and some veggies can be planted outdoors in temperatures as low as 35° F. Rest assured, your favorite farmers market growers will be ready when your local market re-opens outdoors for the summer because they started their growing season long ago in greenhouses. The biggest question is simply, what’s for dinner tonight?

The essence of the season.

Many veggies are at their freshest and most tender in the spring. The Just Bare® Chicken website has an extensive recipe library, and here’s a preview of what you’ll find browsing the collection. Asparagus? Morel mushrooms? Kale? Yes, yes, yes and more. You’re sure to find what you’re looking for this spring and throughout the year.

Navigating the Holidays

Posted on March 6, 2023April 3, 2023

How did November get here so quickly?

Conventional thinking suggests that a year has four seasons – spring, fall, summer and winter. The reality is a bit different. There’s actually a fifth season, the holiday season. It’s a force of nature too and calls for certain navigational strategies to make the most of this very special time of the year.

The holidays are, indeed, special. They’re full of festivities, celebrations and traditions. But mostly, they’re full of people — family, friends, coworkers, the neighbor next door and as hard as it might seem sometimes, you. Yes, you.

Dash away, dash away, dash away all!

As the calendar starts filling up with annual get-togethers and holiday parties, why not schedule something for yourself? In particular, something active you could do and invite family and friends to do too. Who’s up for a 5K walk over Thanksgiving? Or a 10K run to ring in the New Year? Getting ready could be just the ticket to keep the body moving throughout the holidays, and it could also help set the stage for a healthy 2023. Traveling during the holidays? Check online to find out what’s happening at your destination. And there are always regular walks in the neighborhood, touch football to burn off the most recent feast and longer hikes in nearby parks. For a lot of people, good cheer depends on staying active.

Something new for something old.

Another way to navigate the holidays is to get creative with healthy alternatives when you’re cooking. It’s true that some substitutions in certain recipes might be non-negotiable. Expectations are high for those family favorites handed down from one generation to the next. Then again, it might be the perfect time for an update so even more people love it. Coconut milk in place of heavy cream? Almond flour instead of white flour? The options are nearly endless.

Always welcome wherever you go.

There’s a bonus for making a dish with universal appeal. You like it too, and no matter what else makes its way to the bring-a-dish-to-share spread, you’re guaranteed at least one healthy choice and the start of the most nourishing meal possible.

For a great tasting finger food that’s welcome at any party, try Jerk Chicken Skewers. If the #1 strategy for enjoying the holidays is to keep things simple whenever you can, this dish excels in every way. It preps in 15 minutes and cooks in 12. Sweet and spicy, these mini skewers are the right bite at any gathering.

Tailgating U

Posted on March 6, 2023

Exuberant fans + asphalt neighborhoods.

The idea of celebrating outdoors in the brisk autumn air is a time-honored tradition harkening back to harvest festivals. College football parties most likely started on Ivy League campuses more than a century ago. Over time, ardent tailgating has become a mainstay activity at collegiate, professional or high school events. It’s one last hurrah before winter social hibernation sets in. Football (since the season is short and the number of home games limited) and auto racing are particular favorites for pre-game partying.

Envisioning a parking lot as the perfect setting for a gathering takes some imagination, but it’s easy once a sea of happy revelers get together to create a temporary neighborhood, socializing with friends and meeting new comrades. In fact, some dedicated tailgaters care more about the pre-game fun and never attend the game inside the stadium.

A great tailgating party doesn’t just happen.

Making a plan is key. Decide, for instance, if you want to invite your guests to bring a dish to share or if you’d rather do everything and maybe slow cook a big pot of shredded salsa verde chicken ahead of time for a creative build-your-own taco bar (using a camp stove to reheat). Or you could get all smoky and grill pre-seasoned chicken cutlets for hearty Greek-style sandwiches. Chicken Brochettes with Chimichurri Salsa or Coffee-Rubbed Drumsticks served with a creamy fresh fennel coleslaw are good do-aheads, ready to sizzle on a hot grill grate.

It’s all more fun and much less fussy if your menu is based on items you can make ahead of time that are easy to tote. Pack coolers with chilled food just before leaving home, with meat on the bottom in direct contact with ice packs. Wrap breakable bowls filled with slaw or potato salad or pickle-filled jars in tea towels to settle into the cooler, with condiments and veggies packed last.

Let the grilling games begin.

Some sources estimate that 92 percent of tailgate pro’s make at least part of their food on the grill, but in the last 10 years as the quest for better food has become mainstream, menus are now more creative. A hallmark of modern tailgating is a culinary competition that drives the event. Fan-generated entertainment is an integral part of the excitement.

If a char-grilled dish is at the heart of your menu, a small kettle or hibachi grill is tailor-made for tailgating. Set the grill up at least two feet or more from your vehicle. A chimney starter with newspaper or compressed fire starter cubes help get the coals going quickly. And try not to over-build the fire, using just enough charcoal to cook your food so it’s faster to extinguish the coals.

Food safety scores big.

To stave off hunger, set out snacks (like veggies, chips and layered dips) for grazing first. But wait to unpack chilled foods until the grill is fired up. Or if a family-style potluck is on the menu, wait until tables and chairs are set up and ready for the community spread. The buffet should be packed up again no later than two hours after the party begins.

As soon as food is off the grill, start cooling things down. Carefully remove the grill grate, close any air vents, then stir the charcoal with tongs or a stick. After a few minutes gently spray the coals with water (from that spritz bottle you should keep on hand to prevent flare ups), and cover the grill if there’s a lid. Transport the cooled grill with the coal ashes and safely dispose at home.

Ambiance + Spirit – Tips from the Pros.

Tailgating traditions embrace the best of sports enthusiasm. Bonding over common passions and good times had by all prevail despite friendly rivalries.

Every coach in every pre-game interview says that winning comes down to the fundamentals, and it’s true for tailgating too. Here, blocking and tackling means making sure you have all the essentials at the ready when the big day arrives, and a detailed checklist makes this prep-work fast and easy.

(Almost) 50 Ways with Home-Roasted Chicken

Posted on March 6, 2023March 6, 2023

It’s the dinner dilemma again.

At 4:00 p.m., is there an express lane grocery run in your future? A market drive-by to snag a rotisserie chicken always works for hot fare ready to go. But when you’ve got a few loose hours, maybe on a late Sunday afternoon, it’s just as easy to wrangle and roast two fresh chickens yourself. Consider it a twin score. It’s a comforting supper one night and the start of a second supper stashed in the fridge, ready and waiting to become a brand new fresh meal in minutes.

Roasting Cheat Sheet

Getting two chickens ready for a hot oven takes no more than 15 minutes. Set the stage first by heating up your oven to 425 ̊ F (turn on the convection option if you have it; the circulating air reduces roasting time and really crisps up the skin). Line a large shallow roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet with baking parchment (you can still save pan juices while making clean up faster). Settle two chickens side-by-side in the pan—no rinsing needed. If you’d like, stuff them with a few fresh lemon or onion wedges. Tie their legs together with kitchen twine and tuck their wings under the breasts, making them into compact packages that will cook evenly.

Now you can get creative with seasoning. Rub them lightly with olive oil or softened butter. Sprinkle liberally with coarse salt and ground pepper, along with your favorite dried herbs or spice blends that might complement how you plan to serve them. A pungent mix of ground smoked hot chiles and cumin or a fragrant mingling of crushed coriander, cinnamon, ginger and turmeric will pave the way for tacos or a quick curry. Pop the chickens into the oven and plan for 20 minutes per pound. A 3-1/2 pound birds need about an hour (click here for details). They should be a gorgeous golden mahogany brown, with no pink near the bones of the thighs. Roasting at a high temperature ensures moist and very tender meat.

Out of the Hot Oven

Take a minute to strategically plan how you want to use your chicken bounty (and get that grocery list started). Carve up one for dinner tonight? Slice, chop or shred for a bonus supper (or two) tomorrow? Or use both chickens to stock your freezer for the future? It’s easy to pull a freshly roasted bird into pieces, taking off the leg and thigh together, twisting off the wings, then slicing the breast halves from the center bone. Neatly slice the breast meat and refrigerate it for a pretty main dish salad; chop or shred both light and dark meat and store in 1-1/2 cup containers for tacos, pizza toppings or soups. Refrigerated cooked chicken is best used within 4 days. But if part of the meat is destined for the freezer, be sure the containers are sealed tightly and marked with a stash date, aiming to use the chicken within four months. Proper storage is key to the best eating quality—don’t waste your efforts!

Dilemma Solved

Take a moment to bask in the relief that you’re steps ahead for getting really good suppers on the table this week. Now is the fun part, and the sky is the limit. Browse through these recipe suggestions and make them your own, or click on our formal recipes that call for cooked chicken.

Chicken salad starter (chopped and mixed with celery, flavored mayo, etc.) for sandwiches, paninis, open-face melted cheese sandwiches, wraps or stuffed into an avocado or tomato half.
Pizza topper with assortment of sauces, cheeses, other no-prep toppings on par-baked pizza/flatbread crusts.
A player with pasta in salads or uncooked pasta “sauces” or to bulk up mac ‘n cheese.
Deconstructed main dish salads like a big Greek platter, Niçoise, cobb or Caesar—a bed of greens
topped with sliced or chopped chicken, roasted asparagus, tomatoes, olives, crumbled feta, steamed new potatoes, hard-cooked eggs, bacon, etc.
Mason jar layered salads
Baked russet or sweet potato bar toppers with chopped and seasoned chicken, cheeses, sour cream, herbs.
Easy pot pies mix with an herbal gravy and roast veggies and topped with smashed potatoes.
Fast ramen bowls mixed in with a good broth, rice noodles and lots of fresh herbs, hoisin sauce and Sriracha.
Speed up hot dishes from impromptu lasagna or tetrazzini to a creamy rice casserole.
Fill up omelets or frittatas by tossing in leftover veggies, crumbled goat cheese and maybe a handful of
crisp bacon.
Fry up with root vegetables in a hash and top with a fried egg.
Swim in a soup or creamy chowder.

Cheesy Grilled Goodness

Posted on March 6, 2023April 3, 2023

Is there anything this sandwich can’t do?

Grilled cheese is a charmer. It wins friends pretty much at hello, and for many people the introduction starts early. Often, the relationship goes so far back to childhood that it’s nearly impossible to say when you first took a bite of a sandwich that remains a true and trusted friend all the way into adulthood.

What’s more, the plain grilled cheese of youth has gone through its own transformations over the years, and the grown-up versions popular now make this timeless classic even more mouthwatering. Today’s treat: Cowboy Barbeque Chicken Grilled Cheese.

This changes everything.

The essential goodness of a grilled cheese sandwich is the crisp, browned exterior and the ooey-gooey, melted interior. But every variable can change — the cheese or cheeses, the bread, the butter — which in turns changes the character of the sandwich.

What if you added the lean and clean protein of Just Bare chicken along with the bold flavors of barbeque sauce and red onions? Even better, why not save time by using Just Bare Rotisserie chicken from the deli? For consistent texture, it’s a good idea to chop or shred the chicken into small pieces. In minutes, you’ll be ready to start grilling — this time in the oven.

Pressing the issue.

There are a variety of techniques for getting a perfectly crisp, browned exterior and melted cheese on the inside. If you’re making just one or two, you can press the sandwiches between two heavy skillets. To weight down the top skillet, use a big can or two from the pantry.

For a larger quantity of sandwiches, consider using two large rimmed baking sheets, also known as half-sheet pans. A good strategy for making sure the baking sheets are the right temperature is to put the pans in the oven while you’re preheating it to 400° F. That way, when the oven comes up to temperature, you know the baking sheets are 400° F too. Be careful, of course, handling the hot pans and adding something heavy to weight down the top pan. A heavy pizza stove or cast iron skillet would be ideal to press down the top pan.

Order up! Grilled cheese glory.

One last comment on the essential ingredient in a great grilled cheese sandwich. That’s the cheese, of course, and there is seemingly an infinite selection to choose from. There’s a scientific explanation for why some varieties melt better than others, but a good rule of thumb is milder, softer cheeses melt better than harder, sharper cheeses that have been aged longer. This recipe suggests shredded Provolone, Havarti or Gouda cheese. Other options could be Swiss, Colby or Muenster.

Got that oven preheated yet? For lunch, supper or a late night snack, Cowboy Barbeque Chicken Grilled Cheese is a new grilled cheese classic that satisfies like never before.