I haven’t had a real good cheese sandwich in ages. It’s one of the simplest things to make and one of the best childhood “dinners” you could ask for but recently, I’ve been disappointed with all my grilled cheeses. I have a feeling it’s because of the cheese and lack of toppings I used. You know how on television, you always see commercials for the all-american cheese that you make for your kids? With the cow jumping over the moon? That kind of cheese stuck (ha!) and you could get by with that when you’re a kid, but now that we’re adults, I think it’s time for an adult grilled cheese. Like one with full flavor, one with toppings that you won’t make you go “eww it’s green,” as a kid.
I’ve been seeing the avocado grilled cheese all over the place. Maria of Two Peas and Their Pod essentially started the entire sensation. I saw it everywhere on Pinterest and Instagram. I never gave into it because I couldn’t believe how avocado on a grilled cheese could be that good.
I really shouldn’t have written that idea off. I mean, I have a slight obsession with anything avocado and I love a real good grilled cheese but why I never felt the need to try what all the foodies out there were trying, I haven’t a clue. I was seriously missing out. And if YOU haven’t had avocados with cheese, then you’re missing out.
So I’m here today to not let you miss out. I thought, let’s get some real good cheese, not the fake kind, and some bacon. Bacon. Everyone loves bacon, and when you mash it all together with a grilled cheese and avocados..holy cannoli, it is a godsend. You could call this a “California grilled cheese” cause of the avocado, but seriously, whatever you decide to call this amazing creation, I promise you that you won’t get enough of it. The creaminess of the avocado, the saltiness of the bacon, and the nuttiness of the cheese…I just need to stop talking about it. I’m hungry just thinking about it. I was upset that I finished mine so quickly and couldn’t have another. If you’re curious, I used Kerrygold’s Dubliner cheese. Thanks to the suggestion of Lindsay, it was probably one of the best cheese decisions I’ve made. I couldn’t stop eating the cheese wedge. I had to force myself to stop because otherwise this grilled cheese wouldn’t have come to be!
Go try avocados and bacon on a grilled cheese. STAT. I promise you’ll love me. For.ever.
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THE GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED, thanks to everyone who participated!!
Did you catch my Mother’s Day brunch menu yesterday?
Then you’re probably here for the giveaway, right? Or are you here for me? I’d like to think the latter ;)
Anyway, I have a bonus recipe for you today — I made a strawberry orange smoothie in my KitchenAid blender. What I love about blenders is – you throw everything in, press a button, give it a whirl, and you have a delicious drink in a matter of seconds! You can grab the easy recipe below.
Okay, back to the main reason of this post: this Sunday is not only is it a time to celebrate your mom, it’s also a time to raise awareness for a cause that many mothers have very dear to their hearts – raising funds and awareness for the fight against breast cancer. I personally do not have my own family experiences with this but I have been through the breast cancer struggle with a friend of mine who’s mother lost her fight to breast cancer two years ago. It was one of those moments where you couldn’t believe it was happening. From the moment she told us what her mother had been diagnosed with to the night she told us her mother passed, it was such a roller coaster of emotions.
Jason isn’t a far cry from this experience himself. His own mother – my future mother in law – was diagnosed with breast cancer when Jason was very young. Though he doesn’t remember too much of it, he does remember the toll it took on his family and how sad it was. Luckily, she is a survivor and has been in remission for several years.
Both Jason’s mom and my friend have continually donated to help raise funds and awareness for this fight against breast cancer. KitchenAid does the same. Through its Cook for the Cure program, KitchenAid has generated more than $8 million for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and KitchenAid offers several ways to support the cause as apart of the Mother’s day celebration. For one, KitchenAid has a line of pink products that celebrate and help support the Cook for the Cure program. For every pink product purchased, KitchenAid will donate to the Susan G. Komen fund.
I hope you’ll join me this Mother’s day as we honor our moms and thank them for everything they’ve done, as well as joining me to honor those moms that aren’t here with us. Whether you indirectly or directly know of someone who has fought breast cancer, join me to help raise awareness!
Now, how about winning a pink product for your mom?! KitchenAid was nice enough to send me a blender (since I’ve been dying for one!) and they were super generous by providing me an additional one to give to a very lucky Table for Two reader!! I love you KitchenAid :) and I’m in LOVE with this blender! It’s so powerful and I’m super excited to use it in my new house and to be blending smoothies all summer long to kick me into shape! Oh, and the occasional adult drinks here and there after a long day at work ;)
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So, one lucky Table for Two reader will win this beautiful pink Artisan Series 5-speed blender with a BPA-free pitcher. It features five speeds plus a Pulse mode and Crush Ice feature that will surely handle all your blending needs! Just in time for all those summertime daiquiris, margaritas, and smoothies!
To enter, leave a comment and tell us what you like to (or would like to) make in your blender. This is a mandatory entry!
For additional entries, do any of the following (and come back here and leave a comment telling us you’ve completed each task):
Follow @tablefortwoblog on Twitter.
Subscribe to Table for Two via Google reader or email.
Like Table for Two on Facebook.
Follow @KitchenAidUSA on Twitter.
Like KitchenAid on Facebook.
Tweet the following: Enter to win a @KitchenAidUSA blender from @tablefortwoblog – http://www.tablefortwoblog.com/2012/05/08/cook-for-mom-and-cook-for-the-cure-giveaway/
Official Rules: No purchase necessary. Open to U.S. residents only . Giveaway will end on Monday, May 14th, 2012 at 12:00 pm EST. One winner with a valid entry (no cheating!!) will be selected at random using random.org. Winner will be announced here shortly after noon on May 14th, 2012 and also will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be selected.
Disclaimer: While KitchenAid did provide me with the blender, I was not monetarily compensated and all opinions are always my own.
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Mother’s day is coming up this Sunday and I’m here to help share with you a brunch menu that I came up with that you can make this Sunday for mom’s special day! Your mom has cooked for you your whole life and has shared many memories with you in the kitchen. It was her way of showing you her love, so why not give back this Mother’s day and cook something special for her? It’d be far more fun than waiting in line at a restaurant or trying to talk over everyone and lose out on that intimate conversation that you could have right in your own home! You’d be showing your gratitude and you’d be showing her that all that time you spent with her in the kitchen wasn’t wasted time.
Not only is it a time to celebrate your mom, it’s also a time to raise awareness for a cause that many mothers have very dear to their hearts – raising funds and awareness for the fight against breast cancer.
I hope y’all are ready for this Mother’s Day brunch menu! Loosen up those pants (yoga pants anyone?) and let’s dive right on in. I’ve teamed up with KitchenAid for this Mother’s Day brunch and I’m also Cooking for the Cure! Tell your mom to take a backseat this May 13th :) I’ve made it easy for you — I came up with a great brunch menu below that you can serve to mom in bed!
I have made mini orange blossom muffins, mini egg, sausage, & cheese frittatas, and cinnamon apple french toast. You can wash these all down with some mimosas ;)
I’m a huge fan of these mini orange blossom muffins because they’re chock full of orange flavor. It’s not overpowering but these muffins aren’t lacking in the flavor department, they taste so fresh! The glaze also is infused with the orange citrus taste. The muffins itself are extremely moist and soft. It’s because they have sour cream in the batter. It’s all it took to make these tender and delicious. And mini muffins are so easy to eat and dangerous too. It’s too easy to pop these cuties in your mouth!
Alright, this french toast is unreal. If you can, use challah bread (holla for challah, haha) for french toast. It’s thick and has superb taste. The cinnamon apples atop the french toast just rounds out this dish. You can make any topping you want for french toast but I think tying in the cinnamon apples with the cinnamon french toast just finishes it out. I loved how the sticky sweet sauce just falls off the apples onto the french toast.
I mean, just look at that. How hungry are you right now? I personally didn’t use maple syrup for my french toast since I thought the cinnamon apples with their sauce were enough, but Jason used maple syrup, so it’s just really up you and up to mom!
Our last mini item. Mini sausage, egg and cheese frittatas. These were so addicting. The sausage gives this so much flavor and it was so easy to keep eating these. They were small and the perfect bite size. Do you want to know a secret? These weren’t pork breakfast sausage, we went to Trader Joe’s and got chicken breakfast sausage. They taste just as delicious and flavorful. Do you want to know another secret? These were made with egg substitutes. I had a pint of it left over from when I used them in my chicken tamale casserole so instead of tossing it, I decided to use it in this dish! As you can see, they turned out great!
What do you think of this brunch menu for mom? They’re all so easy to make that you can totally pull it off on Sunday! I have all three recipes for you after the cut, and for the mimosas, I simply used orange juice and Prosecco. I don’t think you need a recipe for that ;)
You know what else could help you pull off an awesome Mother’s Day? Winning a brand new KitchenAid blender for mom ;)
Come back tomorrow and you can enter to win this, courtesy of KitchenAid:
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Who’s ready for Cinco de Partay-o? I know I am! I don’t really “partay” to celebrate it per se but I’m excited to sip on margaritas, dip my chips into some killer guacamole, eat a few slices of carnitas pizza, and have a long siesta afterwards ;)
In regards to this celebration that we all know is just a mere excuse to throw back some margs and cerveza (or at least for us in the States), I’ve got the perfect compliment to soak up that booze cruise that’s going on in that stomach of yours.
Chipotle-style burrito bowls.
Raise your hand if you’re obsessed with Chipotle or crave it a lot. Uh, I’ve got both my hands raised and my feet.
I don’t know what it is with Chipotle or their crack-induced guacamole or chicken, but I seriously could eat there twice a week, or more. It doesn’t help that there’s like THREE of these darn establishments in a 2 mile radius from my house AND it’s also in every mall in the area. Guh, I just can’t get away from it. I try to cut down the calories while eating at Chipotle by having no beans and no cheese and brown rice instead of white rice (yes, they offer BROWN rice now. Thank you, Chipotle).
Now, I don’t really know how cutting out those two toppings can help the calorie count on my massive burrito bowl that weighs about as much as newborn child, but I do know I scarf it down as if I haven’t eaten in seven days.
Okay, so the nitty gritty. Making this at home is EASY and you can tweak everything yourself and it’s HEALTHIER because you know what’s actually going in all the toppings. Everything is homemade in these fake-out Chipotle burrito bowls. Errrything.
If you like more carbs or just don’t like the fact that this is a naked burrito, you can easily make this bowl into a burrito by shoving all the ingredients into a soft tortilla.
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This is the 3rd installment of PW Wednesday’s and I have to say, this is the most epic one yet. Just LOOK at that MEATY PIZZA!!! Good job, Gina, on picking this winner of a recipe!!
Let’s go right on in for its close-up. The ingredients on this pizza are INSANE. It’s not with a regular tomato base sauce, but with a tomatillo salsa! Who would’ve thunk?! Oh right, Pioneer Woman, of course! And the caramelized onions and red peppers..oh my gosh. I’m going to start drooling just thinking of this pizza.
My favorite part was all the MEAT on top of the pizza. You could never get something like this at a local pizzeria, and if even if you could, I bet it’d be like $20 a slice.
Yes, extra large slices were mandatory for this pizza. And extra au jus from the cooked meat was spectacular on the pizza as well. Oh, and don’t you dare skimp on dipping it in the tomatillo salsa after every bite. It.is.amaze-balls.
My personal notes about this recipe:
- I cooked the meat in the crockpot on high for 4 hours, meat came out super tender and fell apart just as easily.
- I used mango nectar.
- I think it needed more of a spicy kick to it. The outside rub, even though you seared it on initially, I feel like it didn’t do anything to the spice level of the meat as a whole.
- I made my own pizza dough.
- I didn’t use fresh mozzarella slices as called for in the recipe. I had a huge bag of shredded mozzarella from Costco that was about to expire so I used that instead. Still turned out great.
- You get a TON of leftover meat, which is great because you can make sandwiches with them or use it as protein for a salad. Or make another epic pizza.
We all decided to make mango margaritas with this dish, too, but unfortunately, I didn’t have a blender* and I tried using my food processor and it was just utter disaster. I just don’t think it was made to cut ice haha ;) you can still check out everyone else’s beautiful margaritas!
Gina has the recipe on her blog this week, be sure to check out everyone else’s: Megan, Rachel, and Tina!
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*Speaking of blender, shameless plug here for something going on on my blog next week. I’m partnering up with KitchenAid to Cook for Mom as apart of their Mother’s Day campaign and also using some of their Cook for the Cure products! I’ll have a whole line up of Mother’s Day brunch ideas next Tuesday and I’ll also be giving away this gorgeous blender to a lucky reader! Stay tuned!!
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38 Comments
What a great combination of flavours! Just the right balance between creamy and salty and sharp and delicious!
I haven’t made grilled cheese in too long. Your photos make me want to make this now!
This looks so filling and so delicious!
I’am totally into avocados these days! Never tried avocado with grilled cheese. Have to try this weekend!
Holy moly, girl!!!! I totally want to make and eat this right now!!
sooo hungryyyyyy.
looove kerrygold cheese, good choice!!
oh, yum! i’ve been seeing these all over pinterest, too, + they always look sooo good. i have to try these for lunch or dinner one night soon!
OMG yum!!! I need this in my belly right now. Come to Virginia and make it for me? :)
Kerrygold cheese really is the best, you can never go wrong with it on a grilled cheese, especially! Yay for avocados!!
I already do live in VA! So sure ;)
Death becomes me.
I love a good grilled cheese, and obviously no not have them enough after seeing this one.
I love grilled cheese and we happen to have it a lot here since it’s a quick warm lunch but I’m always sad when it’s missing bacon!
Oooh, I like the idea to use the broiler for these! I’d never thought about that.
I did that because I’ve noticed if I make grilled cheese in the pan, the cheese takes forever to melt and the bread gets way over-browned. The broiler makes the cheese melt so much faster and keeps the bread perfectly toasty :)
I’ll have one of those for lunch ! Thank you! he he he
I’ll have one of those for lunch ! Thank you! he he he
(If it is duplicated, please just delete one. Thanks) I got an error message
OMG….this looks like grilled cheese heaven! Great call on using the broiler!
All the best things in one sandwich. Love this.
bacon? avocado? love ♥ even though i don`t like grilled cheese sandwiches, i think i need to try this!
avocado + grilled cheese = amazing!! you + Maria are geniuses. I too have a “slight” obsession with anything avocado. except it’s not so slight… it’s kinda of gross how much i love it! :)
OH YES. This is something I can get on board with.
There really isn’t much of anything that beats grilled cheese when I’m craving comfort food. I admit I’m not an avocado fan, but this still looks really good! Love the bacon :)
Julie, these are perfect! Way better than a BLT or plain ol’ grilled cheese. Love using the broiler!
I’ve never tried avocado on a grilled cheese but bacon is phenomenal on one. Must go buy avocados!
Now that’s my kind of grilled cheese! Looks so mouthwatering, Julie! Love that you snuck in avocado and bacon… best combination ever!
Ok, you talked me into it. I actually have an avocado sitting in my fridge calling to me now, and it is currently 9 pm. Now you’ve got avocados speaking to me….
Best ADULT grilled cheese ever! My Jason is going to love this.
What a great combination! My husband would go nuts for this sandwich! I have never tried the grilled cheese avocado phenomenon so I really need to try this!
Um, kinda think I’m looking at today’s lunch here. Brilliant!!
Ahhhh I’m droooooling… this looks way too good! I love love love avocado, and bacon, and a good soft cheese :) It looks like brie, is that type of cheese similar?
Perfection!
I love bacon and avocado together!! This looks like one amazing sandwich!
Everyone loves grilled cheese but I never thought it could be so wonderful!
I love avocados! This looks so yummy!
I’ve totally had this combo before and it completely rocked my world! So simply, but amazingly delicious =)
Gosh – that looks really, really good. The only thing I would add would be a nice slice of a delicious ripe tomato. But even still, beautiful!
I’ve been eyeing these avocado sandwiches myself. Looks delicious!