Donna’s Day: Easy grilled cheese sandwiches for a crowd

Is there such a thing as easy entertaining? When reviewing our busy December days, I admit that in spite of my intentions, parties became a bit of a production with my long to-do lists and shoutouts to kids to run last-minute trips to the store to pick up mushrooms for the gravy or to our Scandinavian market for lingonberries and herring. By the time I lit ice candles on our porch to welcome guests, I had to ask myself, “Could I have simplified this?”

In this new year, I want to keep our welcome candles burning for all, but skip a bit of the fancy and go for the easy-prep practical. After all, it’s the get-together that matters, right? Spending time around the table eating, laughing and connecting with family and friends matters most.

That’s where making and serving oven-baked grilled cheese sandwiches for a crowd, the easy way saves the day. Bake them in the oven all at once instead of the traditional way of grilling in batches on your stovetop in a frying pan. They’ll be evenly browned and done at the same time, ready to be paired with a bowl of piping hot soup, such as fragrant basil tomato.

Slice the sandwiches in half diagonally and watch your guests enjoy dipping the pointed ends into the soup. Crispy, gooey and tasty, you’ll be creating fond food memories in 2022.

Here is my basic oven-baked grilled cheese sandwich recipe. Feel free to embellish with spicy mustard or mayo sauce spread inside and add additional varieties of cheese. Sometimes I include a pinch of kale or other fresh greens I have on hand.

Oven-Baked Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Servings: 6

Ingredients

12 slices white bread a half-inch thick, such as pre-sliced Texas toast

Butter, softened for spreading

6 thick slices cheddar cheese

Procedure

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Set parchment paper on a large baking sheet. Ask your child to count and place six slices of bread on the parchment lined sheet. Butter each piece and flip over.

Lay a slice of cheese on the unbuttered side. Top with another slice of bread. Butter top side. Bake in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes until bread is toasted on exposed side. Flip with a spatula and bake an additional 5 minutes until golden brown and cheese is just melted.

Cool for two minutes. Slice in half diagonally and arrange on a platter. Serve with hot bowls of your favorite tomato soup.