Vegan grilled cheese with beer caramelized onions

So in this post I mentioned that I needed to get rid of vegan cheese that was about to expire. The perfect solution - grilled cheese, please! I like vegan cheese enough on it's own, but I thought I'd add some other elements to it, caramelized onions, fake deli meat, sriracha (which I put on everything...I mean it).

While I was caramelizing the onions I was drinking a beer. I was planning on deglazing the pan with balsamic vinegar, but in a stroke of self-proclaimed genius I poured some of my beer in the pan instead. It turned out better than I could have imagined! The beer flavor isn't that strong, but the result is pretty delicious. When I bake I'm all about precision, but when I cook it's a whole different ballgame...a little of this, a little of that! So this recipe is very approximate. Feel free to add more of, subtract anything! It's all goooood

Vegan Grilled Cheese with beer caramelized onions:

Serving size: 2 sandwiches

4 slices of whole wheat bread

4 slices of vegan cheese (I use Go Veggie Pepperjack)

Margarine

2 slices of fake deli meat 

Sriracha

Beer caramelized onions (recipe to follow)

1. Spread a thin layer of margarine on the outsides of the bread.

2. Place bread butter-side down and put two slices of cheese on each sandwich.

3. Top with onions, deli meat, and a couple drops of sriracha. This is where you get creative! Look through your pantry and get fancy. Top it off with your second piece of bread.

4. On a low heat cook on each side until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Keep covered in between flipping.

5. So this is a tip that got passed along to me from my roommate. Once your grilled cheese is all nice and toasty, lift the lid, add a couple drops of water and quickly close it. The steam from the water helps melt the cheese. This is needed for the vegan cheese, but is definitely a good tip for anyone who likes their sandwiches dripping with ooey gooey goodness!

6. Optional - serve with a side salad. My go to salad is so simple - arugula, lemon juice, olive oil and a little salt.

Beer Caramelized onions:

2 tablespoons margarine

1 small red onion, sliced

About 1/3 cup of good beer (whatever is on hand. I happened to be drinking Harpoon)

1/4 tsp Salt 

1/4 tsp Pepper

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1. Melt margarine in a skillet.

2. Add onions, salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes until onions become soft.

3. Add the sugar and stir. Onions will start to brown.

4. Now comes the deglazing part! When the onions look like they need a little liquid and/or start sticking to the pan, add a little of the beer. I did a small pour, about 2 tablespoons at a time. Stir until the liquid evaporates and repeat these steps for about 20 minutes or until onions are the amount of doneness you desire.