Living in PEI where lobster is one the Island’s primary seafoods, it’s a common food and one I find quite versatile and an easy ingredient with which to create tasty recipes. This Lobster Grilled Cheese Sandwich features tender, succulent chunks of lobster paired with a trio of melting cheeses, all enhanced with a spread made with mayonnaise/salad dressing mixed with red pepper jelly, Dijon mustard, and a dash of Old Bay Seasoning. Garlic and Onion Chive Butter rounds out the flavor notes in this divine gourmet sandwich.

CHOOSING THE BREAD

You will want to use a hearty bread for this sandwich because it is packed full of wonderful ingredients that need to be held together by substantial bread slices. It’s a full sandwich! Select, for example, a rustic artisan bread, sourdough bread, or another sturdy bread that will toast well. This sandwich also works well with large, standard-sized country style white bread slices that are reasonably thick.

LOBSTER

Approximately 2½ ounces/70 grams of cooked lobster meat will be needed for this sandwich. Chop the lobster into bite-sized chunks, about ½“ in size each.  I recommend heating the lobster in butter in a small skillet for just a few minutes before adding it to the sandwich. The warmed lobster meat will help to better melt the cheese than using cold lobster.

BUTTER

Certainly, plain butter can be used to sauté the lobster and to spread on one side of each bread slice. However, I like to use my Garlic and Onion Chive Butter because it adds more delicious flavor notes to the sandwich. Click here for the Garlic and Onion Chive Butter recipe.

Butter one side of each bread slice with room temperature butter and flip the slices over, buttered side face down, on to a cutting board.

CHEESE SELECTION

When it comes to cheeses, there is an extensive latitude of options. Use whatever melting cheese(s) you prefer. Whatever cheese combination you choose, you will need approximately 2½ ounces/70 grams of cheese in total. I like to use a medley of shredded Havarti, Gruyère, and Gouda in this sandwich as I find they pair well with the lobster and they are cheeses I just simply like.

That is not to say the sandwich can’t be made with just one or two kinds of cheese. If preferred, simply a good quality aged Cheddar Cheese would work also. Know that the flavor profile of the sandwich will largely be based on the choice of cheese(s) so choose cheese(s) you enjoy eating on their own. Use the large hole side of a box grater to shred the cheeses. I find shredding them (versus using sliced cheese) allows the cheese(s) to melt better throughout the sandwich.

SANDWICH SPREAD

For the spread on the interior of the bread slices of the sandwich, whisk either mayonnaise or salad dressing (click here for my Homemade Salad Dressing recipe) with Dijon mustard and, if desired and you have them on hand, some red pepper jelly and a dash of Old Bay Seasoning.  The latter two ingredients are optional but recommended as they do add to the flavor profile of the sandwich.

SANDWICH ASSEMBLY

Once the spread has been applied to the bread slices, spread half of the cheese mixture on one of the bread slices, pressing the cheese down gently to adhere it to the bread.  Next, distribute the warmed lobster chunks over the cheese. Then, add the remaining cheese on top of the lobster. Carefully transfer the remaining bread slice on top of the cheese. Using an egg lifter, or large flat spatula, gently press down the sandwich to hold the ingredients together.  Don’t over-compress the sandwich and flatten it too much as you still want to see the chunks of lobster in the sandwich when it is cut.

Using either the large egg lifter or a bench scraper, transfer the assembled sandwich to a preheated non-stick skillet set over medium heat. Toast the sandwich, flipping once, until both sides are toasted golden brown and the cheese is melted. Once the sandwich has been flipped to toast the other side, press down gently on the sandwich with an egg lifter to slightly compress the sandwich to seal the ingredients together and hasten full melting of the cheese. Reduce heat, if necessary, during the toasting process to prevent sandwich from burning.

This luxurious gourmet Lobster and Grilled Cheese Sandwich may be served with potato chips, a green salad of choice, or the traditional side to a grilled cheese sandwich – a cup of tomato soup.

LOBSTER GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

Ingredients:

2½ oz (70g) cooked lobster meat, cut into bite-sized pieces, about ½“ each
1 tbsp butter (or Garlic and Onion Chive Butter)

Apx. 2 tbsp butter (or Garlic and Onion Chive Butter), softened to room temperature for spreading [See Note below]
Apx. 1½ – 2 tbsp mayonnaise or salad dressing [See Note below]
1½ tsp red pepper jelly (optional but super tasty if you have it on hand)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Dash of Old Bay Seasoning (optional)

2½ oz/70g good quality melting cheese(s) of choice (e.g., Havarti, Gruyère, Gouda, Aged Cheddar), shredded
2 slices bread of choice

Method:

Select desired blend of good quality melting cheeses to equal approximately 2½ oz/70 grams. Havarti, Gruyère, and Gouda are a particularly good combination in this sandwich. Use the large hole side of a box grater to shred the cheeses. Combine the cheeses together in a small bowl.

In a separate small prep bowl, whisk the mayonnaise or salad dressing with the red pepper jelly (if using), Dijon mustard, and Old Bay Seasoning (optional).

In small skillet over medium low heat, melt 1 tbsp butter (or, even better, Garlic and Onion Chive Butter). Add the lobster pieces and sauté over low heat briefly, just until lobster is warmed.

While the lobster meat is being warmed, spread the butter on one side of each bread slice. Lay the buttered sides face down on a cutting board. Spread the mayonnaise or salad dressing mixture on the unbuttered sides of both bread slices.

Spread half of the shredded cheese on one of the bread slices, lightly pressing the cheese mixture into the bread slice to adhere it to the mayonnaise (or salad dressing). 

Heat a medium-sized non-stick skillet over medium heat.

Distribute the warmed lobster meat on top of the cheese-covered bread slice. Top with the remaining cheese. Carefully transfer the remaining bread slice on to the top of the cheese. Using an egg lifter/large flat spatula, gently press down the sandwich to hold the ingredients together. Do not over-compress sandwich.

Using a large egg lifter/flat spatula or bench scraper, transfer the sandwich to the pre-heated skillet. Toast, flipping the sandwich once, until both sides are toasted golden brown and cheese is melted. When sandwich is flipped, gently press an egg lifter down on the toasted side of the sandwich to slightly compress it and to hasten melting of the cheese throughout the sandwich. Reduce heat, if necessary, during the toasting process to prevent bread from burning.

Cut sandwich into desired sized pieces. Serve with potato chips, a green salad of choice, or the traditional cup of tomato soup.

Yield:  1 serving

NOTE: Amount of butter and mayonnaise or salad dressing indicated in recipe are approximate measures only. Exact amounts will depend on quality and size of bread slices used.

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LOBSTER GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

This Lobster and Grilled Cheese Sandwich, with its layer of lobster meat sandwiched between layers of a medley of melting cheeses, takes a traditional grilled cheese sandwich to the gourmet level.

Course Sandwich

Cuisine Canadian

Keyword cheese, grilled cheese sandwich, lobster, lobster and grilled cheese sandwich, sandwich

Servings 1

My Island Bistro Kitchen My Island Bistro Kitchen – Barbara

Ingredients

• 2½ oz (70g) cooked lobster meat, cut into bite-sized pieces, about ½“ each
• 1 tbsp butter (or Garlic and Onion Chive Butter)
• Apx. 2 tbsp butter (or Garlic and Onion Chive Butter), softened to room temperature for spreading [See Note below]
• Apx. 1½ – 2 tbsp mayonnaise or salad dressing [See Note below]
• 1½ tsp red pepper jelly (optional but super tasty if you have it on hand)
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Dash of Old Bay Seasoning (optional)
• 2½ oz (70g) good quality melting cheese(s) of choice (e.g., Havarti, Gruyère, Gouda, Aged Cheddar), shredded
• 2 slices bread of choice

Instructions

1. Select desired blend of good quality melting cheeses to equal approximately 2½ oz/70 grams. Havarti, Gruyère, and Gouda are a particularly good combination in this sandwich. Use the large hole side of a box grater to shred the cheeses. Combine the cheeses together in a small bowl.

2. In a separate small prep bowl, whisk the mayonnaise or salad dressing with the red pepper jelly (if using), Dijon mustard, and Old Bay Seasoning (optional).

3. In small skillet over medium low heat, melt 1 tbsp butter (or, even better, Garlic and Onion Chive Butter). Add the lobster pieces and sauté over low heat briefly, just until lobster is warmed.

4. While the lobster meat is being warmed, spread the butter on one side of each bread slice. Lay the buttered sides face down on a cutting board. Spread the mayonnaise or salad dressing mixture on the unbuttered sides of both bread slices.
5. Spread half of the shredded cheese on one of the bread slices, lightly pressing the cheese mixture into the bread slice to adhere it to the mayonnaise (or salad dressing).
6. Heat a medium-sized non-stick skillet over medium heat.

7. Distribute the warmed lobster meat on top of the cheese-covered bread slice. Top with the remaining cheese. Carefully transfer the remaining bread slice on to the top of the cheese. Using an egg lifter/large flat spatula, gently press down the sandwich to hold the ingredients together. Do not over-compress sandwich.

8. Using a large egg lifter/flat spatula or bench scraper, transfer the sandwich to the pre-heated skillet. Toast, flipping the sandwich once, until both sides are toasted golden brown and cheese is melted. When sandwich is flipped, gently press an egg lifter down on the toasted side of the sandwich to slightly compress it and to hasten melting of the cheese throughout the sandwich. Reduce heat, if necessary, during the toasting process to prevent bread from burning.
9. Cut sandwich into desired sized pieces. Serve with potato chips, a green salad of choice, or the traditional cup of tomato soup.

Recipe Notes

Yield: 1 serving

[Copyright My Island Bistro Kitchen]

NOTE: Amounts of butter and mayonnaise or salad dressing indicated in recipe are approximate measures only. Exact amounts will depend on quality and size of bread slices used.

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