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UP TO NO GOUDA, the first book in the brand-new Grilled Cheese Mystery series by Linda Reilly, is a scrumptious feast for the reader! Ms. Reilly is known for writing captivating cozy mysteries, and this hits the mark on all accounts. With a small-town setting in Vermont, a yummy grilled cheese shop, and a well-paced plot that balances mystery with friendships, I couldn’t put the book down. I’ve long appreciated that the author also creates kind, sweet characters, people you’d like to hang out with on a consistent basis. The protagonist, Carly Hale, is a delightful woman set on making a new life for herself and making her dreams become a reality after the death of her husband. Assisting her in her new grilled cheese eatery is her friend, Suzanne, and an older teen, Grant, who has his sights set on culinary school. I love the comradery of the trio and the care they take with each other.
It’s no wonder that when Suzanne is suspected of murdering Lyle, Carly’s ex-boyfriend, Carly and Grant jump in to clear her name. It doesn’t help matters that Lyle ended Carly’s lease and she has no choice but to close her restaurant and move out within thirty days. Ms. Reilly sets the murder up with strong motives for the suspects, and plenty of townspeople who disliked the victim. The plot was well-paced with some twists I didn’t see coming. I fell for the author’s misdirection several times and was taken by surprise at the suspenseful reveal. And best of all, you can always count on a heartwarming conclusion in Ms. Reilly’s books, making me eager for the chance to visit with Carly and her friends soon!
I’ve always enjoyed grilled cheese sandwiches but reading this book made me crave one! The author includes several grilled cheese sandwich recipes at the back of the book and they all sound fantastic. I couldn’t help but be drawn to her recipe for Smoky Steals the Bacon because, well, bacon! What I didn’t expect was to be smitten with the smoked gouda oozing between the slices of bread or the heavenly addition of grilling the bread on top of a layer of grated parmesan cheese. Oh. My. Word. This has become my all-time favorite sandwich and I find myself looking at the clock an hour or two after breakfast, wondering if it’s too early for lunch yet. …checks clock again… okay, it’s close enough to noon and it’s time to go grill up another sandwich or two!
Amazon Synopsis
Back in Balsam Dell to heal after the death of her husband, Carly Hale is finally pursuing her lifelong dream—opening Carly’s Grilled Cheese Eatery. After only five months, business is booming as Vermont vacationers and townspeople alike flock to lunch on her Party Havartis and other grilled cheese concoctions. All but Lyle Bagley, Carly’s one-time high school boyfriend and now town bully who just bought the building that houses her eatery and wants Carly out. After a muenster of a fight, Carly’s forced to put her nose to the rind and find a solution to keep her business afloat.
That is…until Lyle is discovered dead behind the dumpster of Carly’s shop, and one of her employees becomes the prime suspect. In order to save her eatery and prove her friend’s innocence, Carly must sleuth out the killer before she’s the one who gets grilled.
With a delightful cast of characters, an inventive amateur sleuth, and a whole host of cheesy hijinks, Up to No Gouda is the perfect cozy murder mystery to melt into.
A special thanks to Linda Reilly for providing a winner with a print copy of UP TO NO GOUDA. Contest ends February 3, 2022 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)
This simple recipe produces a grilled cheese that bacon lovers will add to their list of favorites!
- Salted butter, softened
- 2 slices asiago bread
- 4 - 6 slices thin-sliced smoked gouda
- 3 - 4 slices crispy cooked bacon
- Grated parmesan cheese
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Butter one side of each slice of bread.
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On the unbuttered side of one slice, stack half the gouda slices; add the crispy bacon slices and then the remaining gouda. Top with the remaining bread slice, butter side up.
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Sprinkle a generous layer of grated parmesan cheese in a cast-iron pan or nonstick skillet.
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Place the sandwich on top of the parmesan and grill over medium heat for about 3 minutes.
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As you grill, press lightly with a spatula or grill press. Before flipping over to grill the remaining side, remove the sandwich from the pan and sprinkle another layer of parmesan cheese in the skillet. Place the ungrilled side of the sandwich down, on top of the parmesan, and then grill the other side for approximately 3 minutes. The outside should be golden and the cheese thoroughly melted.
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Slice in half diagonally and serve with chips, pickles, tomato soup, or whatever else makes your taste buds sing!
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I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Just about any grilled cheese sandwich is my favorite. The recipe in the lost sounds especially delicious!
I just like plain grilled cheese while my husband likes grilled cheese with a slice of ham in it I have to admit the thought of bacon on a grilled cheese does sound very delicious!
I like grilled cheese made with a combination of different cheeses – including goat cheese. I’ve made grilled cheese with bacon and it’s really good. Grilled cheese with fresh tomato slices is good, can be a little messy.
Thank you for the chance to win the book.
madamhawk at g mail dot com
I love any kind of grilled cheese sandwich. Warm and gooey, what’s not to like? lol
My favorite is the classic grilled cheese made with white bread. I tried wheat but it is not the same.
Thanks for the chance.
Ham and cheese grilled sandwich
This book sounds so good and now I’m hungry for a grilled cheese without even reading it yet. We make our grilled cheese on homemade wheat bread with cheddar cheese. Yum! Sometimes I put a slice of ham on it.
“Do you have a favorite grilled cheese sandwich?” It’s an area of life where I would try to keep an open mind!
I like the classic sharp cheddar cheese on white bread. YUM!
We love any form of cheese sandwiches. My personal favorite is hickory smoked ham and swiss cheese on rye bread grilled to perfection.
Can’t wait for the opportunity to read “UP TO NO GOUDA” by Linda Reilly. Fabulous author whose books I always enjoy reading. lus I love getting in on a new series from the very get go.
I love any fried gc sandwich but partial to sourdough bread and a combo of cheddar and pepper Jack cheese
I love a grilled cheese ! Sour dough bread American, Gouda, and Havarti real butter ??
This smoked Gouda and bacon grilled cheese sandwich sounds like my new favorite!
I favorite is the special grilled cheese that Ten: one artisan cheese has on Wednesdays.
My favorite is putting a slice of ham with a bit of lettuce in it, I have a small grilled cheese maker I use, I got it from walmarts for about $8 it cooks just 1 but you can use it over again, I made 4 last night for us. Love the recipe thank you, I can’t wait to read this new series
Penney
I like regular grilled cheese.
Nothing better than a grilled cheese and bacon sandwich and that one sounds yummy.
That recipe sounds great.
Recipe sounds great.
I love grilled cheese sandwiches that is the sandwich my dad used to cook for me in 1960 on the weekends that he had me, He would drive to get me and when we got there he always knew they didn’t feed me so he would. He made the best grilled cheese sandwich it always came with his love. I don’t like american cheese I like swiss monterey jack and of those white cheeses. Every time we make them we add bacon and I always think of him and mention him to hubby.
I love grilled cheese … any time of year! In a restaurant, I’ll order a specialty grilled cheese if they have one on their menu.
I love any grilled cheese! One of our local restaurants does a fabulous BLT grilled cheese. If there is grilled cheese on the menu … I’ll order it!
I love a grilled cheese with fried bacon and a little mayonnaise
I love a classic grilled cheese, but sometimes I like to add some ham.
I love grilled cheese sandwiches. A great comfort food. I like to add a slice of avacado.
I love all Grilled Cheese. Most favorite is with Gouda or Monterey Jack on Multi Grain, but this recipe sounds delicious!
There was a restaurant that served a “fancy” grilled cheese that had multiple gourmet cheeses and the bread was soaked in red wine before grilling. It was decadent and expensive… but such a treat!
I love just plain grilled cheese. Like mom used to make. Two slices of American cheese and two slices of bread. And a glass of chocolate milk to go with it!
My favorite was from a (now, sadly, closed) little place in Down East Maine.
Thinly sliced apple, onion, and cheddar grilled until melty.
The directions are a bit confusing.
I assume you put the sandwich together, put the Parmesan cheese on the griddle, then put the sandwich on top. When ready to turn it over, remove it from the griddle, sprinkle the additional Parmesan on the griddle, and then put in the now turned over sandwich.
Is that right?
Yes, that is correct. Thanks for clarifying and I’ll try to reword the recipe to better reflect what to do.
rye with vegan swiss.
Grilled cheese, tomato and bacon
I had a grilled cheese with apples and brie once and it was so good! I still think about that sandwich! Sadly, while I love a good grilled cheese, I don’t make them as often as I should!
I like a cheddar grilled cheese, with whole wheat bread.
Grilled cheese is such a comfort food! No, I don’t have a favorite but this is one I really need to try!
I love Linda Reilly’s books and can’t wait to start this new series!
I forgot to say what my favorite grilled cheese sandwich is. I really like a grilled ham and cheese sandwich.
I like mine with munester cheese and slices of tomatoes!
I forgot to say what my favorite grilled cheese sandwich is — I love grilled ham and cheese
I like grilled cheese with white American cheese.
Cheese is one of my main food groups! This sounds delicious.
I like to use garlic Mayo on the grill side of the bread and mustard on the inside.
This series sounds great! I am a sharp cheddar cheese fan and I love fresh sliced tomato on a grilled cheese sandwich.
Grilled cheese with thin-sliced ham
I love grilled cheese with cheddar, tomatoes and bacon. The gouda sounds amazing. I will definitely have to try that. Thank you for this chance.
Grilled cheddar and bacon sandwich.
I love the macaroni and grilled Cheese sandwich at Panara!! So yummy!!
I love grilled cheese with cheese only.
Thank you for your wonderful giveaway!
I love just a regular grilled cheese sandwich.
I love plain grilled cheese.
Cheddar grilled cheese on whole wheat!
I’ll have to try the exterior parmesan method. I make grilled cheese using gouda, open faced, add crispy bacon and avocado, then close it. When I’ve tried making it with the bacon inside, it’s always gotten chewy.
My favorite ? is a triple blend with one being super mealty type of cheese and real butter so the bread gets really brown and melted well! I also love tomato on my grilled cheese too!
I like a combination of various cheeses and lots of butter, especially in thick home baked bread
Love Linda Reilly’s books. Recipe looks scrumptious.
Hubby and I are fond of toasted ham and cheese. I saw that this recipe calls for asiago bread? Now I have had asiago bagels but not bread before. Looked it up and our local Panera Bread makes it. Will be giving this a try. Love cozy mysteries at this time of the year. Down time in the garden means reading time for me. Yeah!!!
Grilled cheese and onions is wonderful! Thanks for the giveaway!
Tomato, mozzarella on rye, Congrats on your new release!
I love gourmet bread and vegan cheeses, plant butter mayo bacon, etc but I’ve never tried a grilled cheese with any bacon but now I have to! Thanks for the inspiring recipe!
Love grilled cheese.
I love my grilled cheese with American Cheese, I never tried bacon on it will have to try it sometime. Thanks for your great generosity.
I love my grilled cheese with American Cheese, I never tried bacon on it will have to try it sometime. Thanks.
Really like just the classic style, no frills!
Man, this post makes me HUNGRY! I love ALL kinds of cheese on a grilled cheese sandwich! American, cheddar, swiss, gouda for starters. Heck, even throw on a little bleu cheese too!
Mmmmm! Not a fan of plain grilled cheese but with bacon and tomato – Yesss!
Just regular grilled cheese, until now. I think Sneaky Steals the Bacon will be my new favorite.
Now I’m craving a grilled cheese sandwich. I have added bacon or thin green apple slices. My grandkids add Doritos to their grilled cheese sandwiches.
Every year at the county fair, The Crazy Readhead brings her grilled cheese truck. My favorites are the Granny Smith, made with tart Granny Smith apples and smoked gouda! And the Caprice, made with tomatoes, fresh basil and lovely mozzarella slices. I can’t wait for September!
I love a grilled cheese with muenster.
Currently listening to this thanks to NetGalley, still early on in the story, they just found the body. Great reader, excellent plot, and mouthwatering sandwich descriptions!
I love grilled cheese, I learned a little mustard adds a nice flavor to it! I’m picky however with my cheese type I don’t like swiss type cheeses, love sharp cheddars!
I’m delighted with almost any grilled cheese sandwich I’ve encountered that uses something other than American cheese (although if anyone offered me one with blue cheese, I’d say a firm no :^P ) . But your idea to use asiago bread is brilliant- next time I get an asiago bagel, I’ll have to try it :^) ! It sounds almost as good as the book- thanks :^) !
Just regular American cheese, with bacon when I have it. YUM!
I’m a purist when it comes to my grilled cheese sandwiches. American cheese on white or wheat bread. Really good with a bown of chicken noodle soup. Yummy!
Hi, I love grilled cheese sandwiches, when I first met my husband he would put jelly in the grilled cheese sandwich as he made it and it was delicious , it was the first time ever I had tried them like that I had never even heard of them this way , but I do have to say it was really, really good.
Hi, I love grilled cheese sandwiches, when I first met my husband he would put jelly in the grilled cheese sandwich as he made it and it was delicious , it was the first time ever I had tried them like that I had never even heard of them this way , but I do have to say it was delicious.
Love to get in at the beginning of a new series.
Sounds like a fun read. thanks
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