Basil Balsamic Strawberries & Whipped Feta Grilled Cheese for #SundaySupper

Sometimes I feel like a disappointment to my gender…

And it has nothing to do with this amazing Basil Balsamic Strawberries & Whipped Feta Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

What I mean is that I don’t like cheesecake.  Doesn’t every woman LOOOVVEE cheesecake?  Aren’t we all supposed to think we’ve died and gone to heaven as we gaze into the dessert case at The Cheesecake Factory?  I don’t.  I like cheesecake-flavored things, I like those no-bake, faux-cheesecake tasting things, I like stuff with cheesecake swirl.  But a big, dense hunk of cheesecake – not my thing.

I don’t like chocolate cake too much, either.  Chocolates, yes.  Chocolate pie, absolutely.  Chocolate cake – not so much.  I know!  Who am I?  Lovely golden cakes or strawberry shortcakes or carrot cakes – I’m all over those.  But sadly, as you probably know by now, these days, at least until baby is born, no cake for me.

So this week’s Cheese, Cake & Cheesecake #SundaySupper left me with cheese.  Mmmmm, CHEESE!  I am all about cheese.  Goat cheese, blue cheese, cheddar cheese, monterey jack cheese, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, cream cheese.

I saw this Whipped Feta from Jessica at How Sweet It Is, and I had to make it, though I used a combo of Greek yogurt and regular cream cheese, versus her whipped cream cheese, because that’s what I had.  And then I had to turn it into another fancy pants grilled cheese!  Helloooo cheesy #SundaySupper!

OK, I know I’ve done strawberries in grilled cheese before, but I just love strawberries and feta.  Throw in a little balsamic vinegar and basil, and it was a perfect combination of sweet and salty, with amazing creaminess that just oozed perfectly as you sunk your teeth into the sandwich.  A finger-licking kind of sandwich!  And, to have that contrasting crispy texture, instead of buttering up the bread and potentially making it soggy with all the gooey whipped feta inside, I just sprayed the outside of the bread with olive oil.  Perfect!!

Then, just to put it over the top, drizzle with some thick, syrupy aged balsamic, and WOW!

Totally Bug- and Hubby-approved.  Well, The Bug had to pick out the basil, because anything green and leafy is totally offensive to him.  But gooey cheese and strawberries – he is all over that!

And of course I had to make some for myself on my  Rudi’s Gluten-Free new line of softer and fluffier Gluten-Free Sandwich Breads…  for dinner…  and for lunch.  Yep, I did it!

So if you could only eat one of the following for the rest of your life, which would it be – cheese, cake, or cheesecake?

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Basil Balsamic Strawberries & Whipped Feta Grilled Cheese for #SundaySupper

 

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Creamy & crispy, sweet & salty, tangy & tart, simple & sophisticated – this Basil Balsamic Strawberries & Whipped Feta Grilled Cheese has it all.

Author: Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips, with Whipped Feta adapted from How Sweet It Is

Recipe type: Sandwich, Lunch, Dinner

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the Whipped Feta:

• 8 oz. feta cheese
• 2 oz. cream cheese (I used light cream cheese)
• 2 T Greek yogurt (I used Chobani 0% Plain)

For the Grilled Cheese:

• 1 c sliced strawberries
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• 2 T basil cut into a chiffonade (fine ribbons)
• freshly ground black pepper
• 8 slices of your bread of choice (I used whole wheat and Rudi’s Gluten-Free Sandwich Breads)
• Whipped Feta
• olive oil in a spray bottle
• Aged balsamic vinegar, or regular balsamic vinegar that has been reduced to a syrup (optional, but soooo delicious)

Instructions

For the Whipped Feta:

1. Crumble the feta into a food processor, then pulse until crumbly.
2. Add the cream cheese and Greek yogurt, and process for several minutes, until smooth and creamy.
3. Place in the refrigerator to firm up slightly before making the grilled cheese.

For the Grilled Cheese:

1. Combine the strawberries, balsamic vinegar, basil, and pepper in a small bowl, and allow to sit for at least 15 minutes.
2. Spread 2-3 T of the whipped feta on each of the eight slices of bread.
3. Divide the strawberry mixture between four of the slices of bread, and top each one with one of the slices that just has cheese.
4. Heat a large pan over high heat, and coat with the olive oil spray.
5. Place the sandwiches in the pan, spray the tops with olive oil, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until bread is golden brown.
6. Uncover, flip sandwiches, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, until second side is golden brown and cheese is melted.
7. Drizzle with aged balsamic, or balsamic reduction, if desired (Do this! Trust me!)
8. Let sit for a minute or two before cutting.

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Enjoy!

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This recipe was shared with: Weekend Potluck #58

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Tagged as: #SundaySupper, Balsamic Vinegar, Cheese, Chobani, Dinner, feta, Gluten-free, greek yogurt, Grilled cheese, Lunch, recipe, sandwich, Strawberries, Vegetarian