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Shauna Havey of Roy took home third place and $3,000 in the 2017 Grilled Cheese Academy Recipe Showdown.

Havey's sandwich, called The Mardi Gras, is reminiscent of a muffuletta and includes homemade spread made with mascarpone and mozzarella cheeses blended with olive salad, mortadella, ham, salami and provolone on ciabatta.

Presented by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, the recipe showdown asked cooks from around the country to create an original grilled cheese sandwich recipe. More than 1,600 entries were submitted this year and judged on creativity, taste, presentation and use of Wisconsin cheese.

First place went to the The Mississippi Comeback, created by Lorie Roach of Buckatunna, Miss. For her sandwich, sourdough bread is coated in tangy Comeback sauce – a Mississippi classic made with mayonnaise, chile sauce, lemon juice, mustard and spices. It's filled with fontina and cheddar cheese and is accented by bacon and corn confetti, roasted tomatoes and crispy fried okra.

Second place was awarded to the Seoul Food sandwich by Susan and Monica Greene of Redondo Beach, Calif. It combines butterkäse, muenster and aged cheddar cheeses with coffee-spiked bacon jam and kimchi on a telera roll.

For all of the winning recipes, visit GrilledCheeseAcademy.com.

Here's Havey's winning recipe:

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The Mardi Gras Grilled Cheese

Cheese spread:

8 ounces mascarpone cheese

3 1/2 cups (14 ounces) mozzarella, shredded, divided

2 tablespoons fresh oregano

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 1/4 teaspoons of salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon of pepper

2 teaspoons hot chile sauce

Olive salad:

1 (4-ounce) can sliced black olives, drained

1/2 cup sliced green olives with pimento, drained

1 cup bottled giardiniera salad, drained and chopped

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1/2 cup of olive oil, divided

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Assembly:

4 ciabatta rolls

16 slices (1 ounce each) provolone

8 slices mortadella

16 slices deli ham, thinly cut

16 slices salami

1 bunch fresh oregano

For cheese spread: Place mascarpone, 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella, oregano, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and pepper, and chile sauce into a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine, but do not puree. Set aside.

For olive salad: In medium bowl, place black olives, green olives, giardiniera salad, red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup of the olive oil, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Stir gently to combine and set aside.

For sandwich assembly: Heat grill pan to medium-high. Spread 1 tablespoon of cheese spread onto the bottom of each ciabatta roll and top with 2 slices of provolone. Place bottom buns on grill pan for 1-2 minutes to melt the cheese. Remove bottom buns from grill and place on a sheet pan. Top with 2 slices of mortadella, 4 slices of ham and 2 more slices of provolone. Place sandwiches under the broiler for 2 minutes until cheese melts. Remove from oven.

Place 1/4 of the olive salad onto each sandwich, top with salami and the remaining 1/4 cup of mozzarella. Return sandwiches to broiler for 2 minutes.

In small sauce pan, heat remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Drop oregano leaves into oil and fry for 30-45 seconds. Remove oregano with tongs and drain on paper towels. Immediately sprinkle with sea salt.

Spread remaining cheese spread onto the insides of the top ciabatta buns. Sprinkle fried oregano on top of the sandwiches before setting the top bun in place. Grill sandwiches on medium-high heat for 2-4 minutes per side until cheese is melted. Remove from grill and serve hot.

Servings • 4

Source: Shauna Havey, Roy, and the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and Wisconsin Cheese