As I've mentioned on other forums, I've had a bit of a money crunch. It happens. I'll get past it eventually. However, it has affected the way that I eat. I've been eating things that are very (and I mean VERY) inexpensive. For instance, over the last week, I've eaten almost nothing but grilled cheese sandwiches. Two pieces of bread, a slice of cheese and some butter. Very cheap and not bad although after the 5th to 6th day, it gets pretty boring.

I had to spice it up a bit. So, I started adding a slice of tomato from my garden. I normally cook them, but since I haven't been cooking since I made that spaghetti sauce over a week ago, they were going to go bad. It wasn't bad with the tomato, but I needed to switch from American to Swiss cheese. The American had too strong of a flavor for the tomato.

Still needed more. Last night, I was reading through some of my cookbooks. One of them is an international cookbook. It had a couple of recipes that were topped with grilled onions and apples mixed together. It sounded odd, but I thought I'd give it a try. I had onions. I bought a couple of apples at the store (on sale). Washed, pared, sliced and grilled them together in a bit of olive oil.

Meanwhile, I put a slice of bread with a tomato and one with a slice of Swiss cheese in the toaster oven and browned them. When they were done, I pulled them out and put the onions and apple mixture on them and gave it a couple of squirts of spicy brown mustard. It was actually good. The onions absorbed the apple's sweetness which complimented the tomato. The mustard balanced out the sweetness with a bit of spice. The cheese gave it a good creamy taste.

To give you an idea about the flavor, let me say this. I didn't mind that there wasn't any meat on the sandwich.

I don't know if you live close to a Safeway, but all of their Tillamook cheese is 3.99 for a 2lb block.  It's a great time to try some new cheeses.

Nope, I'm not even sure where the nearest Safeway is located. We only have 2 supermarkets here - a Brookshire Brothers and a Super Walmart. Neither of them has much of a selection of anything. It's a good thing I have simple tastes.

That combination sounds good. I think a grilled apple & cheddar would be tasty as well.

That does sounds good. I sometimes fry onions and apples with polish sausage. I love grilled cheese sanwiches and have them several times a week. Sometimes I make them like you do with the tomato and swiss. I have also put a crosswise slice of apple on a toasted slice of bread, topped it with a slice of cheese and broiled it. Another cheap sandwich I make is spread some thick baked beans on a toasted bun or bread then top with cheese and broil. It is even better if I have some bacon bits to but on the beans.

My mom has been making grilled cheese with tomato sandwiches forever, she puts mayo on them I think, really good, especially with garden fresh tomatos.  The other sammie sounds good too.  Now I am hungry!

I'll probably try more things as I work my way through those cookbooks. This is my first attempt to incorporate fruit into an actual meal. When I was growing up, fruit was used exclusively for desserts and snacks. It's taken me decades to get the point where I'll even consider the idea.

One of my favorite sandwiches, which I get from the gourmet shop by Harvard when I'm not feeling like making it, is a baguette with ham (use enough to stand up to the other flavors), brie (nice thick slabs of it), slices of granny smith apple, and dijon mustard. It's crunchy and meaty and sweet and tart and spicy all at the same time. It's divine.

recently  on my blog I did several variations for peanut butter sandwiches.  You might get some ideas.  I am posting the link

frances

http://francesbitsandpieces.blogspot.com/2009/09/tasty-treats-with-peanut-butter.html

There are whole cookbooks dedicated to different kinds of (gourmet) grilled cheese sandwiches.  I love to experiment with them.  Hope you find several that you like while you are econimizing!

Ruth

ETA - apples show up periodically in chefs' cooking like on Iron Chef America.  I always think it sounds interesting.  Pork chops are sometimes cooked with different fruit.  Pineapple comes to mind as well as the apple.

You want lots of nutrition for minimum cost: dried pinto beans. Lots of ways to make them tasty, too. It isn't as cheap, but NOTHING concentrates protein and fat like peanut butter.

I know. In the words of LIttle Jimie Dickens:  "I'm just a plain old country boy, a tater eating country boy. Raised on corn bread and navy beans."

The school lunches I carried in a sack on the school bus may have had something besides a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a velveeta cheese sandwich, and an apple, but I don't remember it right off.

For basic grilled cheese, we grew up eating it with grape jelly spread on the top. (Make sandwich, grill like normal. Then spread jelly on the top of the sandwich after it's on the plate.)  Yum! To this day, I can't really eat a "plain" grilled cheese. It's just too lacking in flavors.  Many friends have thought the jelly idea sounded odd, but then every single one that tried it, loved it.

Flavor-wise, it kind of goes back to fruit and cheese concept or a Monte Crisco sandwich (which must be the most decadent sandwich of all time. Basically a high-end cheese sandwich dipped in batter, deep fried, and served with rasberry preserves.)

You can do a lot of interesting things with grilled cheese. For a savory taste, I like cooked bacon and grilled cheese. (but not jelly on that one!).

I love!! peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!  :)

Your ideas sound great.  Thanks for posting!

That combo jogged some old images from my childhood (I am 66 now). My mother used the combo with pork.

My contribution to the weird combinations for a sandwich is peanut butter, mayonnaise, and banana

I hear ya plain ol Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, would get boring really freaking fast.

The grilled apple and onions sound pretty darn good. Would be worth a try. Might just do that!