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This sandwich is a variation on the classic tuna melt (which is itself a variation on the classic grilled cheese sandwich.) This one's a bit more upscale, since it uses shrimp and crabmeat in place of tuna, and it's garnished with green olive 'eyes' to make it a bit more fun as well.
Ingredients
- 8 thick slices of bread (see tip below)
- 3 tablespoons butter (softened)
- Garnish: paprika
- 1 Recipe for crab and shrimp salad
- 6 to 8 ounces cheddar (mild or medium, shredded)
- Garnish: stuffed Spanish olives
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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Generously butter the bread slices on one side and dust lightly with paprika.
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Place 4 of the slices butter side down in a large skillet or griddle. Distribute half the cheese evenly over the 4 slices.
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Top the bread with the seafood salad and the remaining cheese. Place the remaining bread slices butter side up on top.
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When the underside is golden and crisp, carefully turn the sandwiches (use a turner underneath and a flexible spatula on top to make turning easier.) Cook the other side until golden and crisp.
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Cut the sandwiches in half and garnish with olives on toothpick 'stalks' set at an angle for that endearingly crabby appearance.
Tip
- A large store bought Italian bread is good for this. You want a bread that has a moderate crust and a fairly soft crumb. A coarse-textured peasant bread or a dense sourdough might be too hard to bite through without making a mess of the filling.