Cheese dream
 | It has been suggested that this article bemergedintoCheese on toast.(Discuss)Proposed since July 2024. |
 A basic Cheese Dream | |
| Type | Open sandwich |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United States |
| Main ingredients | Bread,American cheese,butter(oilormargarinecan also be used) |
Thecheese dreamis anopen-facedversion of the Americangrilled cheese sandwichmade withbreadandcheese;it is cooked with eitheroil,margarine,orbutter.Other ingredients such asbacon,avocado,pineapple,eggs,or slicedtomatocan be optionally added to the open-faced sandwich as well.[1]
It can be cooked in a pan or skillet on the stove top, under abroileror using a pan in the oven. In its simplest form, it consists of a slice of bread, topped withAmerican cheese,and broiled until the cheese puffs up and browns.[2]Variants include the addition of ingredients such asbacon,slicedtomato,pineapple,avocado,andeggs.
History
[edit]Made with basic ingredients (bread, butter and cheese) and heated, cheese dreams are said to have originated as "the cheese dream" during theGreat Depression,as "an inexpensive company supper dish"[1][3]and an inexpensive option for feeding friends and family atSunday supper.[4]Additions of slicedtomatoes,hamandbaconcould be used, and they were often accompanied byolivesandpickles.[4]A 1932San Jose Newsstory, "Cheese Dream New Favorite Sandwich," suggested sprinkling the cheese "very sparingly" with a bit ofmustard,cayenne"and a little minced red sweet pepper"; the sandwich was browned on both sides and served with "very hot, rich tomato sauce."[5]The sandwiches may predate the Depression, however, as a 1918Good Housekeepingissue mentions Cheese Dreams as a luncheon dish, "our teahouse friend."[6]
Cheese dreams were advertised in 1957 as a 55-cent (equivalent to $5.97 in 2023) luncheonette lenten special inDaytona Beach,Florida'sSunday News Journal.[7]In 1960, theMilwaukee Journalrecommended preparing Cheese Dreams in the oven with scrambled eggs and ham.[8]
Recent interest
[edit]Popular in the 1950s as acomfort food,thegrilled cheese sandwichhas made a comeback in various incarnations in the 1990s and 2000s.[4]It was estimated in 2001 that Americans consume around 2.2 billion grilled cheese sandwiches yearly and chefs have experimented with different types of bread and cheese in updates of the classic, old-fashioned cheese dream.[4]Pumpernickel,sourdough,dark brown andryebreadhave been used, topped withSwiss cheese,Goudaandhavartirespectively. Other options include apples withmozzarella,peaches withedamand pear withgorgonzolaorbrie;Italian herbs, sun-dried tomatoes and mozzarella; or turkey and ham, with which "a variation on aMonte Cristo"can also be created.[4]Scott Fletcher of theGrafton Village Cheese Companymakes cheese dreams with rustic country bread, sharpCheddar cheese,white pepper, eggs, milk, unsalted butter andmaple syrup.[9]
See also
[edit]- Cheese on toast,the open-faced sandwich popular in the UK
- Open sandwich
- Grilled cheese,a closed, melted, cheese sandwich
- Monte Cristo sandwich
- Croque-monsieur,the French fried cheese and ham sandwich
- Welsh rarebit,cheese sauce served over toasted bread
- Fondue,the cheese sauce that food is dipped in, from Switzerland
- Comfort food
- List of sandwiches
- Dream of the Rarebit Fiend,a comic byWinsor McCayin which cheese on toast inspired strange dreams
- Toast sandwich
References
[edit]- ^abUebelherr, Jan (March 26, 2004)."There's no secret to great grilled cheese".Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.Archivedfrom the original on November 12, 2018.RetrievedFebruary 5,2010.
- ^"The Official CheeseDreams Network - All things CheeseDreams!".The Official CheeseDreams Network.Archived fromthe originalon 2017-02-02.Retrieved2017-01-28.
- ^Meitus, Marty (January 3, 1999)."OLD FAITHFUL GRILLED CHEESE, A DEPRESSION-ERA STANDBY, HAS RETURNED".Rocky Mountain News.Archivedfrom the original on November 12, 2018.RetrievedFebruary 5,2010.
During the Depression, when Sunday Night Suppers became a popular way to entertain, thecheese dreambegan to appear on dining tables from coast to coast.
- ^abcdeMarty MeitusDreaming up variations of grilled cheeseOct 10, 2001Milwaukee Journal Sentinelp. 29 (Scripps News Service)
- ^"Cheese Dream New Favorite Sandwich".San Jose News.July 15, 1932.Archivedfrom the original on February 23, 2022.RetrievedSeptember 20,2016.
- ^Eaton, Florence Taft (1918)."Meatless Main Dishes".Good Housekeeping.Vol. 67. p. 52.
- ^"W.T. Grant Co. advertisement".Sunday News Journal.Daytona Beach, FL. March 10, 1957. p. 18.
- ^The Milwaukee Journal.September 26, 1960. p. 21.
{{cite news}}:Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^Tracey Medeiros (2008).Dishing Up Vermont: 145 Authentic Recipes from the Green Mountain State.Storey Pub. p. 112.ISBN9781603420259.
