Grilled Cheese Naanwich

Grilled Cheese Naanwich by DK on Sep 26, 2020

Life with kids, needless to say, is hectic and ~~at times~~ most times exhausting! At the end of the day, I am too tired for "me time" ('cos working on me takes effort as well! :/ ) To keep my sanity, I look for food options that take minimal effort to make without skimping on quality. To balance nutrition, effort, time and flavor is not that tough, but it sure requires a lot of planning. I find Soup as the perfect candidate, that allows me to pack in nutrition by incorporating from multiple groups in our food pyramid thereby making it a complete meal by itself. Even otherwise, making a complimentary side to soup is not that tough. For simple soups, I find these grilled cheesy naan sandwiches (I call them naanwich) serve as a perfect accompaniment.

This is based on the classic grilled cheese sandwiches. So simple to put together when you have some prepared naan in your fridge. I like to stock some on hand for days when cooking is not high on the agenda. You can make an excellent chutney sandwich using these Naan making it a filling snack. At times, I use leftover veggies and/or some pre-prepped frozen beans as a stuffing to make it hearty.

I love to serve myself a large bowl of soup - especially Indian styled and small portion of this naan for lunch. My little dude hopes for vice versa! On this particular day we enjoyed a creamy (without much cream) tomato soup and these for our meal. Perfection....burp!

Cook time: Under 15 min
Prep time: Under 15 min
Serves: 1-2 people depending on the meal
Yields: Makes 1 cheese Naanwich

Ingredients

1 Naan (thaw at room temp or in microwave if frozen) - see Tips
2-3 Cheese slices (Cheddar/Mozzarella/Provolone etc)
1-2 tsp unsalted Butter/Oil

Tips

1. Naan: You can use any naan of your choosing. Any store bought works, or if you want to make your own, give this Butter Naan and Coriander Cilantro Naan a try.

Method

1. You can use any kind of naan for this - even whole wheat. Even flavored naan will work. I prefer using garlic naan for this.

Note: Check out my Butter Naan and Coriander Cilantro Naan .

2. The amount of cheese will depend on the size of your naan and/or your own preference. I have used two slices - a mix of provolone and mozzarella. You can use any good melting cheese.

Tips: Also see: Is Cheese Vegetarian?

3. Fold it in half.

4. Butter the top very slightly

Tips: Also see: What is Cultured Butter?

5. and place the butter side down on a medium heated skillet/pan/grill pan. You can likewise use some oil/butter on the skillet as well.

6. I like to press it down for an even color. I use a parchment paper and a cast iron mini melting pot to weigh it down. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes or until it turns reddish brown.

7. Remove the weight and spread some butter on top (optional)

8. before turning it to the other side. Cook for another couple of minutes until the cheese melts.

9. Once done, remove and let it sit for few seconds for the cheese to solidify before serving or slicing it in half.

These taste best while warm. Soft with a pillowy chewy texture aided by the cheese. You get the crispy bits here and there where the cheese might have touched the skillet. My family loves those even more.