Grilled Cheese with Strawberries

One of my favorite comfort foods is grilled cheese and today I am taking grilled cheese to a whole new level.  This is not your classic cheese sandwich but a new twist on grilled cheese that can be served for dessert… it a Grilled Cheese with Strawberries.

When I say grilled I mean on your outdoor grill.  This summer I have decided to do most of my cooking and baking on my grill.  My last post I made a Grilled Cherry Pandowdy that tasted awesome and was baked completely on the grill.

These grilled cheese sandwiches are made with a frozen pound cake, strawberries, mascarpone, lemon curd and strawberry jam.  They are fun and easy to make and the best part is you can make up a platter of the sandwiches and have them ready in the fridge for dessert or a snack.

Your first step to make these sandwiches is to take the cake out of the freezer and let sit for about 5 minutes; it helps to have the cake cold so when you cut it it is still firm. Cut off the ends of the pound cake for your snack and then cut the rest of the cake into thick slices. I cut 14 slices with the cake to make 7 sandwiches.

Start heating your grill while preparing the sandwiches with all the burners on high.   I have a non-stick grill pan I use just for the grill that I’m using today. You can also use a pizza stone (as shown in the pictures) to grill your sandwiches. Once the grill gets hot, put your grill pan or pizza stone on the grill.   And, if you don’t have a grill or just want to stay in the kitchen the skillet method on the stove works just as well.

Mix 1/3 cup of the mascarpone with 2 tablespoons lemon curd and set aside.  Thinly slice enough berries to cover the pound cake slices.  Next butter each side of the pound cake with softened butter.

By this time your grill pan should be nice and hot. Adjust the flames as needed so you don’t burn the cake.  Place the buttered pound cake on the hot griddle or pizza stone. The pound cake will brown in no time so you don’t need to close the lid.  Just watch the bottom until they are browned then flip over and brown the other side.

Here’s the pound cake on the griddle.

Here’s the pound cake on the pizza stone.

Both pound cakes are nice and browned.  What I realized is the grilled pound cake right off the grill is really, really good.  It’s sweet and buttery and the grilling gives it a caramelized flavor.  Seriously I am happy just eating the grilled pound cake.

5 from 2 votes

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Grilled Cheese with Strawberries

A sweet little dessert sandwich made with pound cake, mascarpone, lemon curd, and strawberries.

Course Dessert

Servings 7

Author Jere @OneHotOven

Ingredients

• 1 frozen pound cake - 10.75 oz package
• 8 oz container mascarpone cheese
• 1 small jar lemon curd
• Strawberries - 1 pint
• 1 small jar strawberry jam
• 1/3 cups softened butter

Instructions

1. Set the pound cake out to defrost
2. Pre-heat the grill and place your griddle or pizza stone on the grill top to heat.
3. Cut the pound cake into 1/4" slices - usually you get 14 slices
4. Butter both sides of the pound cake slices.
5. Rinse and pat dry the strawberries.Slice enough berries to cover the sandwiches.
6. Mix 1/3 cup of mascarpone with 2 tablespoons of lemon curd
   

Grilling the Pound Cake

1. Place the buttered pound cake slices on your griddle or pizza stone
2. Once the slices are browned on the bottom flip over and brown the other side.
3. Remove cooked slices to a plate

Making the Sandwiches

1. Spread one side of the pound cake slice with the lemon and mascarpone cheese
2. Spread another pound cake slice with strawberry jam
3. Lay the sliced strawberries on top of the mascarpone slice then cover with the strawberry jam slice.
4. These are little sandwiches but it looks nice to cut them on the diagonal for serving.
5. These sandwiches can be plastic wrapped and stored in the refrigerator for several days.

You can’t beat this pound cake for its nice dense texture and flavor for these sandwiches. There are so many possibilities to use when making these sandwiches.  You could try sliced peaches or even bananas with a caramel mascarpone.  Now that I am thinking about ways to vary this recipe I’m going to have to buy some more pound cake and heat my griddle up again.

Have fun with your grill and enjoy a dessert.