Lenten Meal Ideas...Featuring Shrimp Scampi Grilled Cheese #shrimp #grilledcheese #grownupgrilledcheese #elevatedcomfortfood

The Lenten season begins next week, so I'll be sharing a delicious seafood or vegetarian recipe here weekly. I'm starting things off today with a gourmet grilled cheese that seafood lovers are guaranteed to go crazy for! I used nutty Comté and smooth-melting Gruyere cheeses to create my Shrimp Scampi Grilled Cheese. My inspiration was two of my favorite dishes: cheesy garlic bread and buttery shrimp scampi. Wait until you see how easy this flavorful grilled cheese is to whip up. With one bite, I guarantee you'll be hooked!

Shrimp Scampi Grilled Cheese

a Weekend Gourmet original

Ingredients (makes two sandwiches):

• Four 1/2-inch slices from a French boule (or other round bakery bread)
• 4 oz. Comté cheese, cut into thick slices
• 4 oz. Gruyere cheese, cut into thick slices
• 3/4 lb. medium shrimp (21/25 size), peeled and deveined
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• Salt & pepper to taste

For the compound butter:

• 1 stick salted butter
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 1 tsp. granulated garlic
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 1 TBS chopped parsley
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Directions:

Step 1: Make the compound butter by adding the softened butter to a small bowl. Add the olive oil, granulated garlic, lemon zest, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Stir until all ingredients are completely combined.

Step 2: Add half of the compound butter to a large nonstick skillet over Med-High heat. Add shrimp, chopped garlic, and lemon zest. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are cooked. Remove shrimp to a bowl and set aside. Wipe out the skillet before assembling the sandwich.

Step 3: Assemble the sandwiches using two slices of the bakery bread each. Spread 1/4 of the remaining compound butter on two bread slices. Arrange half of the Comté and half of the Gruyere on the other two bread slices. Arrange half of the cooked shrimp on the cheese bread slices. Top with the buttered bread slices -- buttered side up.

Step 4: Heat the skillet over Med-High heat. Add one sandwich (buttered side down), and cook 2-3 minutes. While the sandwich cooks, spread 1/4 of the compound butter on the top side of the sandwich. Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes, until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted. Repeat the process with the second sandwich. To serve, cut the grilled cheese sandwiches in half with a serrated knife...then enjoy the melt!

If you love cheesy garlic bread and garlicky shrimp, you're going to go crazy for this amped-up grilled cheese! Add some artisan chips or oven fries...and perhaps a glass of white wine...and you've got a perfect meal. I especially loved how nicely the Comté and Gruyere cheeses melted...total perfection. Who says you have to be a kid to enjoy a grilled cheese sandwich?!?!?