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These gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches combine creamy fontina, fruity fig spread, and—for a layer of sweet-tart flavor—pickled beets. For an equally bright side, we’re making a seasonal salad with blood orange, mandarin, and shallot marinated in the beets’ pickling liquid.
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Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel and thinly slice the shallot. Reserving the pickling liquid, carefully drain the beets. Thinly slice the cheese, discarding any rind. Peel the garlic. Peel the mandarin; separate into segments. Peel and medium dice the orange. Cut off and discard the root end of the lettuce; separate the leaves.
In a bowl, combine the sliced shallot and reserved beet pickling liquid; season with salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally and separating the shallot layers, for at least 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
While the shallot marinates, place the bread on a work surface. Divide the fig spread, sliced cheese, and drained beets between 2 of the slices. Season with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining slices.
While the shallot continues to marinate, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat half the butter on medium until melted. Add the sandwiches and cook 2 to 4 minutes on the first side, or until lightly browned. Add the remaining butter. Flip the sandwiches and cook 2 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned and the cheese is melted. Transfer to a cutting board. Carefully rub the top of the cooked sandwiches with the whole garlic clove; discard the clove. Season with salt. Cut the sandwiches in half.
Just before serving, reserving the liquid, drain the marinated shallot. In a large bowl, combine the mandarin segments, diced orange, marinated shallot, almonds, lettuce leaves, and as much of the reserved marinating liquid as you’d like. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the halved sandwiches with the salad on the side. Enjoy!
Tips from Home Chefs