“McCall’s is the perfect place to go when you want to watch the game, hang out with your friends and have it all feel like a neighborhood bar and restaurant,” Chef Anthony Yannuzzi shares. “Most things are made from scratch in the kitchen here like hand-cut fries, all of our sauces, burgers, meatloaf and our butternut squash grilled cheese. It is all elevated comfort and pub-style food that sets our menu apart from others.”
It is the creativity and the camaraderie that Chef Yannuzzi loves. “We change our menu about every six months, and my staff and I have so much fun planning and working on the dishes we put out,” he says. He describes the incredible feeling of everyone working together as a team towards the collective goal of feeding their diners.
Growing up, his family were all wonderful cooks. “Being Italian, there was always fresh and delicious food in our home, but it wasn’t until I was older that I even thought about going to culinary school,” Yannuzzi says. “When I did attend, I fell in love with it.”
McCall’s always has grilled cheese on the menu, and the recipe that is being shared today is one of the past autumn specials that they originally served with pumpkin bisque. This delicious version has roasted butternut squash, crispy bacon, smoked Gouda cheese and cranberry sauce on it, all on their toasted garlic sourdough bread. “Who doesn’t love a creamy decadent grilled cheese?” Chef says with a laugh. This recipe is quick and easy for a busy evening, but its elevated flavors will keep it in your weekly meal rotation.
102 E. Susquehanna St., Allentown | 610.973.5403 | mccallcollectivebrewing.com
Butternut Squash Grilled Cheese
INGREDIENTS
1 medium butternut squash
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. fresh cranberries
1 ½ c. water
1 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. orange zest
5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tbsp. butter
2 slices sourdough bread
4 slices or 1 c. shredded smoked Gouda cheese
2 slices cooked bacon
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Peel butternut squash with a sharp knife and cut in half to remove the seeds. Dice into 1-inch cubes.
Add squash, oil, paprika, granulated garlic, dried thyme, salt and pepper to a mixing bowl and toss until evenly coated.
Place squash in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until slightly browned and fork tender.
Rinse cranberries and add them to a pot with the water, sugar and orange zest.
Heat on medium to high heat until it starts to simmer. At this point, the cranberries should start to burst and your sauce will start to thicken.
Lower heat to medium-low and add the fresh sprigs of thyme (keep whole to pick out easily at the end).
Let cook for 15 more minutes and then remove from heat. The sauce will thicken more as it cools down.
Heat your pan or griddle up to medium heat.
Add butter to melt and place sourdough on pan. Immediately add the smoked Gouda cheese.
Let the cheese start to melt and then add ½ c. butternut squash, the bacon and 2 tbsp. cranberry sauce on one slice of the bread and close the other on top.
Continue to cook until bread is to desired toastiness and cheese is fully melted.
Published as “Beyond the Menu” in the February 2025 edition of Lehigh Valley Style magazine.
