THE MIDDLE GROUND

There are so many ways to ruin a good dish while trying to lose weight.  Somewhere there is a middle ground.  Take the grilled cheese sandwich.  Everyone I know loves it.  It is often my husband's go to when he hasn't liked what had been served at a gala event or when he hasn't had a chance to eat.  The real way of doing it is slathering butter on the outside of the bread.  Put cheddar cheese on the inside of the bread and broil for a couple of minutes on each side.   I have heard of frying it but this is the best way I know.

So, then there are people who try and revise the tried and true to accommodate the people that want to lose weight while eating grilled cheese.  One such recipe suggests spraying the outside with something like Pam and using Swiss cheese or Jarlsberg or Mozzarella on the inside and fry in the pan.  I can't say I like much of any of this.  I don't like frying it.  I don't like spraying aerosol can sprays on my food and cheddar is the real way to go in grilled cheese although some restaurants want to get all gourmet on you and do brie with lobster and stuff like that. 

I am a traditionalist.  If you really want a grilled cheese sandwich, eat a quarter of it and share the rest with someone... and if they is nobody to share with take a single slice of bread, broil a half a sandwich and if you truly are good put half in the fridge to nuke in the microwave later.  There are ways to switch it up that are less calories or fat.  Try it with mozzarella and if you like it that is still a good start without screwing up the entire recipe.  Or just make a toasted cheese sandwich without the butter and put it in the microwave to melt the cheese.  I don't particularly like fake butters or watered down ones.

It is a similar idea to the S'mores that people love.  My daughter-in-law, Dara, takes a graham cracker and tops it with a marshmallow and a chocolate chip and puts it in the oven.  It is the middle ground.
It allows you to enjoy the traditional flavours without killing the dish.