Classic Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Sweet Potato Fries and Chili

Around this time of year, many people are looking to stay indoors and relax in the comfort and warmth of their home. After a long morning of chores and activities, you and your loved ones may find yourselves wondering, “What’s for lunch?” Well, we have some ideas for you. Today, we’ll be featuring a menu that’s fit for 4 people and will surely be one of the simple delights of the season. Below are the recipes of 3 separate items to truly make a remarkable lunch. You and your family will create memories in preparing such a delicious meal and may even be motivated to cook more often. Feel free to adjust these recipes to meet your family’s wants and needs as well as share them with friends.

What’s for Lunch?

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches:

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Total Time: 20 Minutes

Yield: 4 Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 4 Slices of White American Cheese
• 4 Slices of Yellow American Cheese
• 8 Slices of Country White Bread
• Softened, Salted Butter

Directions:

• Lay out your 8 slices of bread. Put a slice of White American Cheese on 4 of the slices, and a slice of Yellow American Cheese on the other 4 slices.
• Take a slice of bread with the White American Cheese and a slice with the Yellow American Cheese and sandwich them together so that the cheese slices are in the middle. Butter both sides of the sandwich.
• Place the sandwich on a griddle and cover it with a metal bowl for about 2 to 3 minutes until it is golden brown.
• Flip the sandwich over and cover for another 2 to 3 minutes until the other side is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
• Remove sandwich from griddle and continue process for remaining 3 sandwiches.
  

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Sweet Potato Fries:

Prep Time: 50 Minutes

Cook Time: 25 Minutes

Total Time: 75 Minutes

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of peeled sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon of freshly-cracked black pepper
• fine sea salt (as needed)

Directions:

• Slice sweet potatoes into long, uniformed, thin strips about ¼’ wide, so that they all look nearly identical for even cooking. Put slices into a large bowl of cold water and soak for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat your oven to 425° F and then line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and mist with cooking spray.
• Drain and dry your fries. Then put them into a clean bowl where you can drizzle them with olive oil and toss them until they’re all evenly coated.
• In a separate bowl, use a whisk to mix the cornstarch, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper together. Sprinkle this mixture over the bowl of fries, and toss them until they’re all evenly coated and the cornstarch has soaked into the olive oil.
• Evenly spread the fries out on the baking sheet with parchment paper so they do not overlap.
• Place the baking sheet in the oven for 15 minutes and then remove to flip each fry over with a spatula. Put the backing sheet back into the oven for another 15 minutes or until fries have browned at the tips and have become crispy.
• Remove the backing sheet from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack. Add salt, cheese, or other seasonings and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
  

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Chili:

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Cook Time: 25 Minutes

Total Time: 30 Minutes

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 diced medium yellow onion
• 1 pound of 90% lean ground beef
• 2 ½ tablespoons of chili powder
• 2 tablespoons of ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons of salt
• ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper
• 1 ½ cups of beef broth
• 1 (15 oz.) can of petite diced tomatoes
• 1 (16 oz.) can of drained and rinsed red kidney beans
• 1 (8 oz.) can of tomato sauce

Directions:

• In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat.
• Add your chopped onion to the pot and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the ground beef into the pot and use a wooden spoon to break it apart. Cook this mixture for another 6 to 7 minutes.
• Add chili powder, cumin, sugar, tomato paste, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stir all ingredients in the pot until well combined.
• Add your diced tomatoes, kidney beans, beef broth, and tomato sauce and stir well.
• Let mixture simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.
• Once finished cooking, let your chili rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
• You may garnish your chili with ingredients such as shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions, saltine or oyster crackers, diced avocado, or whatever you like.
  

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After the Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Sweet Potato Fries, and Chili are all ready to serve, plate them and serve them to your family for smiles all around.

Let us know your favorite recipes in the comments below. And, as always, visit Fifthroom.com for all your outdoor living needs.