Kitchen Play: LAND O LAKES® Lobster Melt

It’s officially summer and nothing says summer in New England more than Lobster Salad! When asked by Kitchen PLAY and LAND O LAKES® to create a recipe using LAND O LAKES® 4 Cheese Italian Blend, I jumped on the opportunity because outdoor dining is one thing Martha’s Vineyard is known for. Plus, it’s something that the hubby and I love to do on our Monday night off together.

So, on to my recipe. I’m going to assume that you’ve all had a Tuna Melt, right? If you haven’t, it’s basically a sandwich with tuna dressed in mayonnaise and stuffed between slices of bread and melted cheese. Well, I wanted to recreate the classic melt, but with a twist: lobster salad! It’s the summer, time to splurge and try new things, time to eat sweet lobster while sipping on some refreshing white wine, it’s time for you to make this Lobster Melt as soon as possible!

Now, lobster salad does have its requirements: don’t add too many ingredients, let the sweet lobster meat shine, use your favorite mayonnaise, and DONE. No, don’t add cilantro. No, you can’t add bacon (although that would be amazing and I would not be upset about that!) This is why I chose to make this recipe, because I wanted to showcase both the cheese and lobster meat in their simplest forms.

But like everything in life (or everything that’s worth it), the cheese also serves a purpose in this sandwich. Placing the cheese on BOTH sides of the bread allows for a sealed barrier of flavor so the lobster salad doesn’t make the bread soggy. This allows you to transport it to the beach or your next picnic without worrying about soggy bread! Love cheese with a purpose!

Kitchen Play: LAND O LAKES® Lobster Melt

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 slices of bread
• 2 tablespoons butter softened
• 8 slices of LAND O LAKES® 4 Cheese Italian Blend
• Lobster Salad
• Lobster Salad:
• 1 pound lobster meat*
• juice and zest of one lemon
• 4 stalks of celery finely diced
• mayonnaise to taste

Instructions

• Prepare your bread by buttering one side of it and placing it butter side down on a flat top or hot sauté pan. Place two slices of LAND O LAKES® 4 Cheese Italian Blend on each side and let melt.
• To make the lobster salad, in a medium bowl fold together the lobster meat, lemon juice and zest, and celery. Add 1/4 cup of mayonnaise and slowly fold. This is done totally by feel and you'll need to add just enough mayonnaise until the lobster meat holds together.
• Place lobster salad on bread and close sandwich. Serve with fresh celery and enjoy!

*Note: You can steam fresh lobsters and dice the meat into chunks when cool. Some retailers sell quality frozen lobster meat, so if you can get it, by all means do so. Also, this recipe is adapted from the one I make at work created by Chef Mark Chaput.

Be sure to check Kitchen PLAY every day for the next fabulous recipe featuring new LAND O LAKES® 4 Cheese Italian Blend or LAND O LAKES® Deli American Cheese. Then, get in on the fun by leaving a comment with your own “30 Days of Outdoor Dining” tip for dining al fresco this summer. If you do, you’ll be entered to win a lovely grilling prize pack, including one grilling spatula, one marinade brush, one set of tongs and one grill scraper. Kitchen PLAY will be giving away four prizes total, one each week! Please visit Kitchen PLAY for sweepstakes guidelines.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Land O’Lakes as part of the Kitchen PLAY SideCar series. All opinions given are my own.