The summer before I was set to start kindergarten, my dad came home from work one day looking alarmed.

“The school is on fire!”

Someone – a student, I think – had set the kindergarten building on fire.

And I was absolutely DEVASTATED – I thought that meant I wasn’t going to get to go to kindergarten, and that was just the most terrible thing my four-year-old mind could imagine.

They ended up putting the kindergarten classes in temporarity trailers for the first part of the school year, until the building was fixed up and useable again.

But we still had recess in the kindergarten playground.

The playground equipment was fine, if a little fire damaged, and I didn’t mind most of it.

But for some reason, I was absolutely terrified of the tall metal slide, which had gotten just a little discolored and warped from the fire.

By the middle of the school year we were able to move back into the kindergarten building, which looked like new. But I don’t think I ever got over my fear of that slide.

I’ve made this grilled cheese recipe a number of times, and OHMYGOD it is so good.

Rich and decadent and definitely on the salty side, so don’t skip the jam – it’s a vital part of the recipe!

The amounts I have listed make A LOT of sandwiches, but I really really love these so it’s totally maneagable (we seriously ate these for breakfast the next few days) AND I never like using a partial package of things like ground beef, so I have a habit of scaling recipes to fit the full package when I can.

Is that just me? Maybe it’s just me.

Curry Grilled Cheese

slightly adapted from Lady and Pups

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 9 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 tbsp finely minced ginger
• 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 5.4 oz (150 grams) Japanese curry cubes, cut into small pieces
• 1 lb shredded white cheddar
• crusty country bread
• berry jam (raspberry, strawberry, or blueberry are all tasty!)
• unsalted butter for cooking

Cooking Directions

1. TO MAKE THE FILLING: In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and cook the sliced shallots until deeply browned on the edges. Add the ground beef and cook until evenly browned. Add the ginger, garlic, and curry powder, and cook for another 30 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl, and while still hot, add the cocoa powder, freshly ground black pepper, small pieces of Japanese curry cubes, and mix until the cubes have melted. Let cool for 10 min, then mix evenly with shredded white cheddar. Can be made and kept in the fridge until needed.
2. TO MAKE THE SANDWICH: Smear a very thin layer of jam on one side of the bread, pile the filling on top (not too thick because it’s on the saltier side), then top it with another piece of bread. Butter both sides of the bread (about 1/2 tbsp for each side), then brown in a skillet over medium-high heat until golden browned on both sides. Serve immediately.

Sub to my YouTube channel and follow me on TikTok or Instagram to get notified whenever we have new videos!

Links in this post may be affiliate posts. If you buy an item through an affiliate link, I get a small fee, which helps support this blog!