Last night, I was lucky enough to attend Swagapalooza, an insanely cool event, created to bring bloggers and the makers of cool products/services together to mutually benefit one another (read: the bloggers get to sample said cool products and the entrepreneurs get to show off their goods to well-followed bloggers, who will potentially write about them). Upon entering, I was delighted to run into my friend Danny Gabriner of Sour Flour, who handed me a warm loaf of fresh sourdough bread, baked from scratch by Danny and the Sour Flour team.

This last detail was incredibly fortunate, since I also spent most of the evening sipping icy glasses of something called The Swagapalooza Special, a mystery concoction that worked quickly to ensure my feeling festive. So today, I cobbled together my gift sourdough with aged white cheddar, red onions caramelized in fruity olive oil, sage and black pepper in an insanely delicious grilled cheese (AKA hangover cure).

• ingredients
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Pantry
• 1/4 red onion, sliced thinly $0.50
• 4 fresh sage leaves, chopped $1 for a bunch
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp white cheddar $3.50 for 8 oz.
• salt and freshly ground black pepper Pantry
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature $1 for a stick
• 4 thick slices of fresh sourdough bread $1.50 for a loaf

Total Cost of Ingredients $7.50

Directions

Heat olive oil in a medium nonstick frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook for 15-16 minutes, allowing to caramelize, stirring occasionally. Add the sage and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Remove from heat.

To assemble the sandwiches, butter all 4 slices of bread. Between two slices of bread with the buttered sides facing out, layer half of the caramelized onion/sage mixture, half of the cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Repeat with the remaining bread and fillings.

To cook the sandwiches, heat the same pan you cooked the onions in (no need to clean it first) over medium heat. Cook the sandwiches for 4-5 minutes on each side, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese begins to melt. Flip and cook for 4-5 minutes on the other side.

Slice sandwiches in half and serve immediately.

Makes 2 sandwiches.