Grilled cheese season is heating up

A few tweaks — and a dose of fontina — transform the old-school grilled ham and cheese.

• 1 bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed
• Coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fig jam
• 8 slices best-quality white bread
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 8 ounces fontina, thinly sliced
• 8 ounces sliced ham
• Unsalted butter, room temperature, for brushing

1. Blanch broccoli rabe in batches in a pot of salted boiling water until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add broccoli rabe; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Season with salt. Let cool slightly, then finely chop.

3. For each sandwich, spread 2 teaspoons jam on one bread slice and 1 teaspoon mustard on another. Layer one slice with cheese, broccoli rabe and ham, dividing evenly. Close sandwich; brush each side with butter.

4. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Cook sandwiches in batches until golden brown, flipping once, about 3 minutes a side. Serve immediately.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 539 calories, 26 grams fat, 43 grams carbohydrates, 34 grams protein, 104 milligrams cholesterol, 1,602 milligrams sodium, 6 grams dietary fiber, 44 percent of calories from fat.

Imagine the dream meatball sub, liberated from the roll and cloaked in porcelain-white mozzarella.

• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 pound ground beef (85 percent lean)
• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
•  1/2 cup finely grated pecorino
• 1  1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 clove garlic, minced
•  1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
•  1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• Pinch of red-pepper flakes
• 1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, pureed
• 4 leaves fresh basil (optional)
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

1. Using your hands, gently mix together pork, beef, breadcrumbs, pecorino, salt, eggs, garlic and parsley in a large bowl. Form mixture into 2-inch balls.

2. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs; cook, turning, until browned all over, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate.

3. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes and basil; simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Return meatballs and any juices to pan. Simmer, turning meatballs once, until cooked through, about 20 minutes.

4. Heat broiler. Arrange mozzarella on top of meatballs. Broil until melted, 2 to 3 minutes; serve.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 679 calories, 50 grams fat, 15 grams carbohydrates, 41 grams protein, 225 milligrams cholesterol, 1,249 milligrams sodium, trace dietary fiber, 67 percent of calories from fat.

The sauce and toppings can be prepared up to two days ahead. If you make only one pizza, freeze the other half of the dough in a resealable plastic bag for up to three months.

Dough:

• 2  3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
•  1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Pinch of red-pepper flakes
•  1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Toppings:

• 1 eggplant (about 12 ounces), stemmed and cut lengthwise into 1-inch-thick slices
• Coarse salt
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 12 ounces provolone, thinly sliced
• Fresh oregano leaves, for serving

1. To prepare the dough, stir together flour, salt, yeast and 1  1/4 cups water in a large bowl until dough is very sticky. Cover with plastic wrap; let stand 12 to 18 hours at room temperature.

2. Sprinkle dough with flour. Divide in half. Divide oil between two 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillets (preferably cast iron). Swirl to coat. Add dough to each skillet; turn to coat with oil. Gently flatten dough with your hand. Cover; let rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

3. Prepare the sauce by heating oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add pepper flakes and onion. Cook, stirring, until onion is tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add tomatoes and juices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly. Puree sauce in a blender, in batches (to avoid filling jar more than halfway), until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

4. For the toppings, heat oven to 400 degrees. Place eggplant in a colander; season with salt. Let stand 30 minutes.

5. Rinse eggplant, drain and pat dry. Arrange on a baking sheet; brush with 2 tablespoons oil. Roast, turning once, until very tender, about 25 minutes. Let cool slightly, then cut into  1/2-inch pieces.

6. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add chard in batches with 1 to 2 tablespoons water. Cook, stirring until just wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Let cool.

7. Heat oven to 475 degrees with rack in lower third. For each pizza, press dough until it touches edge of skillet. Ladle  3/4 cup sauce over dough, leaving a  1/2-inch border. Top with 3 ounces cheese. Add  1/2 cup each chard and eggplant. Top with another 3 ounces cheese. Bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted, about 18 minutes. Sprinkle with oregano; serve.

Nutritional analysis per slice: 218 calories, 11 grams fat, 27 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams protein, no cholesterol, 324 milligrams sodium, 2 grams dietary fiber, 44 percent of calories from fat.

Grating the Gruyere cheese (after removing its thick, crusty rind) ensures lacy, even melting.

• 4 medium portobello mushrooms, stems removed
•  1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• Parmesan bechamel (see below)
• 4 slices rustic bread, toasted
• 1 cup grated Gruyere

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Brush both sides of mushrooms with oil. Arrange, stem-side down, in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; season with salt and pepper and top with rosemary. Roast, flipping once, until mushrooms are tender, about 25 minutes. Let cool; slice 1/4-inch thick on the bias.

2. Heat broiler. Spread 2 tablespoons bechamel on each bread slice. Divide sliced mushrooms among slices, then top each with  1/4 cup Gruyere. Broil until cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 337 calories, 24 grams fat, 20 grams carbohydrates, 13 grams protein, 30 milligrams cholesterol, 232 milligrams sodium, 2 grams dietary fiber, 62 percent of calories from fat.

Parmesan bechamel

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
•  1/2 shallot, finely diced (2 tablespoons)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
•  3/4 cup whole milk
•  1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot; cook, stirring occasionally until tender, about 2 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Slowly add milk and cook, stirring until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add Parmesan and season with salt and pepper.

Nutritional analysis per 1-tablespoon serving: 39 calories, 3 grams fat, 2 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram protein, 9 milligrams cholesterol, 39 milligrams sodium, trace dietary fiber, 66 percent of calories from fat.