Expats.cz Team members share the best recipes for you to try over the weekend.
Grilled Charlie by Jason
In the FX sitcom It´s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, intrepid Charlie Kelly (played by Charlie Day) gives his roommate Frank (Danny DeVito) instructions on making a mysterious sandwich of (presumably) his own design: “A Grilled Charlie has peanut butter last! Peanut butter outside, chocolate inside! Butter inside, cheese outside!” Any attempt to follow these vague instructions – and fans of the show, of course, will want to follow them to the T – will result in a mess, as bloggers and youtubers can attest. While I have no doubt this is the sandwich Charlie and the creators of IASIP had envisioned, I´m a little more refined, so here´s my modified version.
Prep Time
n/a
Cooking Time
5 minutes
Ingredients
Proper ingredients for any Grilled Charlie: Wonder Bread, extra crunchy Peter Pan peanut butter, Hershey´s chocolate syrup, and a slice of orange American Cheese (a processed cheese-like product). With none of these readily available in the Czech Republic, these substitutes – found at most Prague Albert Supermarkets – will do:
- Skippy brand peanut butter (creamy or crunchy, to taste)
- 3 slices of Penam Super Sandwich bread, the one with the stars & stripes
- 1 slice of Veselá kráva “Toast” cheese
- 3-4 squares of Orion čokoláda na vaření (I´ve been unable to easily locate a proper substitute for the Hershey´s, so we´ll have to make our own chocolate syrup – please don´t use that generic-looking “dessert topping” in the yellow bottle.)
- Butter, any variety will do
Directions
1. Make some chocolate syrup: throw a few squares of the cooking chocolate in a small saucepan, and add a few drops of water (a tablespoon or two). Heat on high, constantly stirring for a minute or two.
2. Make the first part of the sandwich – a grilled cheese. Throw some butter on a saucepan, medium heat. Place a slice of cheese in between two slices of bread, and throw the sandwich on. Fry for a minute or two until nice and golden, then flip. (You can also butter the bread directly instead of melting it in the pan. Down to preference.)
3. When the grilled cheese is thoroughly cooked, spread some chocolate sauce on top. Take another slice of bread, spread some peanut butter on, and layer that on top of the chocolate, peanut butter side down. Flip the sandwich over and fry until all sides are golden (add more butter if necessary). 4. Slice diagonally and enjoy with cold beer.
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Other recipes:
Main Dishes:
Bohemian Mushroom Goulash with Herb Dumpling and Bacon by Miroslav Hanzal from Hilton’s CzecHouse Grill & Rotisserie
Chicken Madras Curry by Andy
Chicken Tagine with Dates and Honey by Dominic
Grilled Charlie by Jason
Pad Thai by Eva H.
Pork roll filled with ham, eggs, and sausages by Eva R.
Pumpkin Burger with honey and ginger dressing by Blue Chef from Belushi’s Bar & Restaurant
Ricotta Pie by Radka
Saffron risotto with St. Jacob’s Scallops by Petr Bureš from Bellevue
Sicilian style pizza by Brett
Spaghetti with bacon by Olga
“Staročeska Kuba” Mushroom Delicacy by Jan
Wild Boar Ragout with Bacon Dumpling by Marek Fichtner from Kempinski’s Le Grill
Desserts:
Beer Strudel by Veronika
Carrot Cake by Jan
Carrot Cupcakes by Olga
Tarte Tatin by Jan Pipal from Brasserie Délice at Sheraton Hotel
Wasps’ Nests by Pavlina