Caramelized Onion & Spinach Grilled Cheese
Ingredients:
2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon thyme
¼ cup white wine
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided (1 tablespoon for the bread, 2 tablespoons for cooking)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
Salt and black pepper, to taste
4 slices of bread of your choice
2 slices of Swiss cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 slices of Cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
2 garlic cloves, minced
Instructions:
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the sliced onions and thyme, stir well. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until the onions start to soften.
Sprinkle sugar over the onions and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for another 15-20 minutes until they are deeply caramelized. Add the white wine and balsamic vinegar, and season with salt to taste. Cook for an additional 5 minutes until the liquid has reduced. Transfer the onions to a bowl and set aside.
In the same skillet, add the chopped spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes until it softens. Remove from heat and set aside.
Mix the cream cheese with the cooked spinach, adding salt and black pepper to taste.
In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of softened butter with the minced garlic. Spread this garlic butter mixture evenly over one side of each bread slice.
On the non-buttered side of two bread slices, spread the spinach-cream cheese mixture. Then, layer each with two slices of Cheddar cheese, one slice of Swiss cheese, and half of the caramelized onions. Top with the remaining bread slices, buttered side facing out.
Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, place the sandwiches in the skillet, pressing down slightly with a spatula. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted.
Remove the sandwiches from the skillet and cut in half. Serve warm.