Strawberry and Basil Grilled Cheese with Strawberry-Chipotle Dipping Sauce

I took my kids out to a strawberry field this week and we picked a huge bucket full of strawberries and then ate them all in one day. I do this once a year and it is divine. There’s nothing like fresh picked strawberries.  My town has an annual Strawberry Festival this weekend with a strawberry cooking contest. I can’t enter the contest, but it did get me thinking what I would make if I could enter. Some of those fresh strawberries turned into this wonderful creation…a grilled cheese sandwich of course. One of my other loves in life besides nutella and strawberries. The grilled cheese is wonderful on its own, but throw in a strawberry-chipotle dipping sauce and you’ve got yourself something pretty dang good. It’s sweet and spicy, ooey and gooey. 

Ingredients

Artisan bread, sliced

Fontina Cheese

Fresh Basil

Strawberries, sliced

Butter

Instructions

You know how to make a grilled cheese. Butter the bread, stack cheese, strawberries, basil, and then more cheese (cheese next to the bread helps it all stick together). Grill both sides until browned and cheese melts.

Strawberry-Chipotle Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

2 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

1 lb strawberries, hulled and halved

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 chipotle pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp crushed garlic

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp ground mustard

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Toss in the onion and saute for 2 or 3 minutes.

2. Add in the strawberries, brown sugar and balsamic. Cook, stirring occasionally until the strawberries get all soft and mush, 5-7 minutes.

3. Add in the chipotle, salt, garlic, worcestershire, and ground mustard. Stir to combine. Use an immersion blender to blend in the pan or transfer to a blender or food processor to puree, returning it to the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. 

***Use it as a dipping sauce or meat glaze

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