A Cure for The Hangover Part III : Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Spiked Banana and Caramel Milkshake

The release of The Hangover Part III this week (which I'm stupidly excited about!) got me thinking about, well hangovers not surprisingly. And how everyone seems to have a remedy they absolutely swear by.

A snap poll of the ladies in my office earlier this week (who are no strangers to a hangover it seems), revealed a range of cures for a seedy morning after a big night out. From the greasy - a fry up, hot salty chips and McDonalds - to the ridiculous - swimming and abstinence from alcohol. Can't see how that works at all.

 

With a little help from a fantastic place I visited on my last visit to Los Angeles, 25 degrees at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, here's what I think is the ultimate hangover cure. A grilled cheese toasted sandwich with plenty of greasy extras and a spiked milkshake to provide the essential "hair of the dog".

Well, it will help with the headache and seediness. What it can't fix is the shame and regret!

The recipes are below, but really, use whatever you fancy or can find in the fridge. You don't want to think too hard at this stage and definitely don't want to drive anywhere to get any special ingredients. Throw on whatever cheese you have and add whatever veggies are available. Let's face it, the important thing is that it has bacon on it people! (Unless you're vegetarian or adverse to bacon, in which case, substitute something like mushrooms or throw on a fried egg.)

As for the milkshake, you can substitute bourbon if you have that on hand or prefer it to the rum. The important thing is that it has alcohol in it people!

A shake for the shakes?!

So, now that I've got the cure, I just need to work on the hangover. Where's the rest of that rum?

Ultimate Grilled Cheese Toasted Sandwich (for two, or one if it was a particularly big night!)

A warm and melty hug of cheese lets you know everything will be alright!

Ingredients

4 slices thick white bread

Butter or margarine (optional)

1/3 cup cheddar cheese

1/3 cup Gruyere cheese

1/3 cup Pecorino cheese

3 rashers bacon

1/2 small onion

1 small tomato

1/2 small capsicum

Barbeque sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste

 Instructions

1. Slice bacon, onion, tomato and capsicum into strips of roughly the same size.
2. In a small pan, fry bacon in olive oil or butter. When bacon is starting to brown, add onion and cook until soft.
3. Stir through tomato, capsicum and barbeque sauce, cover pan with the lid and cook 4-5 minutes, or until the tomato and capsicum are also soft.
4. In the meantime, butter the bread and divide cheese between the two sandwiches.
5. Pile the bacon and vegetable mix onto the cheese, close the sandwiches and grill until the bread has browned and cheese has melted.

Spiked Banana and Caramel Milkshake (Makes 1 litre)

Note the Burch & Purchese Salted Caramel - amazing! But you can make your own

Ingredients

2 cups (500ml) milk
2 bananas
2-3 tablespoons salted caramel sauce
(or make your own with 400g caramels, 1/4 cup cream and salt to taste)
4 tablespoons vanilla ice cream
1-2 shots dark rum or bourbon

Instructions

1. Make salted caramel sauce if you need to by placing caramels, cream and salt in saucepan and stirring until smooth. (This will make more than you need, but lasts well in the fridge.)
2. Place all of the ingredients in a blender and mix until combined.