Chef Sean’s Budget Kitchen: Deep Fried Grilled Cheese
You can deep fry anything you put your mind to.
Grilled cheese sandwiches. They’re as American as apple pie, non-economical cars, and crippling student debt. A quick and easy comfort food staple, my favorite childhood staple has had something of a renaissance in the past few years, with grilled cheese sandwiches expanding outside of diners and at-home preparation to specific “melt-shops” that carry specialty items with more exotic cheeses that I can’t pronounce. There will be none of that here today. I am here to help you take back the grilled cheese sandwich. For America. And how better to salute our nation in a time of turmoil than to make an American tradition even more American?
By deep frying the living shit out of it.
About three weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to be invited to a “fried party” here in New York. What, you may ask, is that? Essentially, it’s a gathering based around excessive consumption of alcohol, a plethora of batter and bread crumbs, and dropping whatever edible things you find in a pot of hot vegetable oil. I came across deep fried Snickers bars, deep fried cookies, and even deep fried tequila (10/10, would eat again). In this sea of early-onset-diabetes-causing treats, I decided to put a new spin on the classic grilled cheese, all for under $20. Mind you, the $20 budget is using this as a party favor to feed a medium to large group of people, because I’m all about making the unhealthy food go around. Some of you might not believe in handouts in America, but I love handing out delicious and bad-for-you foodstuffs on a budget. Here’s my method that you can use to be the talk of your next gathering, before the food coma sets in and no one has the ability to speak for several hours.
YOU WILL NEED:
- 1 loaf of white bread: $2
- 1 packet of American cheese singles, white or yellow (doesn’t really matter, it’s all processed goodness) $4
- 4 eggs $2
- 1 cup flour $3
- 2 cups breadcrumbs $3
- 1 bottle canola oil (peanut will work as well) $3
- 4 tbsps butter $3
- A cooking thermometer (not necessary but highly suggested)
- A medium pot/deep fryer
- Tongs/Slotted Spoon
Prices reflected in what I paid at my local store here in Manhattan, rounded up or down.
- Set aside 20 slices of white bread. Unpackage cheese singles, assigning two per sandwich, making ten.
- Butter outsides each slice of bread thoroughly. After buttering, place two slices of cheese between slices, making ten sandwiches. Cut sandwiches into quarters. Set aside.
- In three medium-large bowls, place the flour, the eggs (mixed, a bit of milk is optional here for thickness), and the bread crumbs, in that order.
- Pour oil into pot. Preheat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Once oil is preheated, scale back the heat to between 250 and 300 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure crispy sandwich bites.
- Taking sandwich bites, coat in flour, then eggs, then bread crumbs. Make sure sandwich bites are sealed in bread crumbs to avoid leaks/oil burning.
- Using tongs or a slotted spoon, fry the sanwich bites, four at a time, in the oil for between 45 seconds and 1 minute on each side. Different oils will heat at different temperatures, so watch for any potential burning.
- Carefully transfer the fried sandwich bites to a paper towel to drain. Serve immediately. Ketchup or tomato soup make for a good dipping sauce.
This is the United States of America. The country where you, in theory, are free to do anything. That includes deep frying anything. All you need to be a hit at your next party is a bottle of canola oil, batter, and ingenuity. I think all Americans should have to have a bottle of canola oil on them at all times for deep frying. It’s the American way. I’ll leave you with this picture of Abraham Lincoln riding a bear; tell me it doesn’t make you want to deep fry your entire fridge.
Got a recipe for cheap eats you’d like to have posted? Email seanfrancisdevlinwrites@gmail.com to have it run on Thrifty Barfly!
