Growing up, I loved watching TV.

Before I started school, my schedule included watching “Maya the Bee,” “David the Gnome” and if we were visiting Baba’s, “The Young and the Restless.”

For a while when I was about 4, I wanted to be Michaelangelo from “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”

All of this doesn’t account for the millions of minutes spent watching “The Little Mermaid” on loop, a movie I can still recite to this day, 35 years later. Fun fact: that was my first movie in a theater.

We were allowed to watch MTV, too.

One of my favorites, still to this day though, was “Married … With Children.”

I was in sixth or seventh grade when I found out Ed O’Neill, who played shoe salesman and main character Al Bundy, hails from Youngstown. I rewatch the show often because O’Neill is brilliant and relatable.

Another fun fact: the week this column was named, I happened to have watched an episode of “Married …” which had a member of the band The Lovin’ Spoonful. A coworker came up with the name after a brainstorming session, and he had no idea I watched that episode the day before.

In my eyes, it was meant to be.

This episode stands out because of how hard I laugh every time I see it.

Al wins a trip to Hawaii, and when the family (wife Peg, daughter Kelly and son Bud) arrives at the airport, they run into a group of famous rockers including John Sebastian of The Lovin’ Spoonful.

It’s worth mentioning that Al is pretending to be “Axl Bundy” from the band Shoes N’ Socks.

The group of musicians goes along with Al, and before you know it, he has a pastrami sandwich in his hands.

He proceeds to “play” said pastrami sandwich, similar to a harmonica. It’s random, off-beat humor that I laughed at when I was 7 years old and will laugh at until my dying day.

Now that I’m older, I also understand more of the adult-themed jokes and cynicism that had a polarizing effect on viewers.

That humor is in just about everything, I’ve found.

One (thankfully) unrelatable trait of Al’s is that there was never food at home. I wonder what he’d think of aunt just outside Cincinnati and on a trip to Jungle Jim’s, I tried some pastrami and was hooked. I’m not sure what took me so long.

Maybe it’s because I ate a lot of grilled cheese over the years. As I’ve said before, growing up has allowed me to try different spins on food.

I truly enjoy taking bits of my childhood menu and making it grow up with me, sometimes watching the same shows (not so much the cartoons, except “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”).

Pairing pastrami with Swiss cheese is always a great idea, but it’s the bread that can make or break the sandwich. And in this case, make an awesome version of a reuben, which is a grown-up version of a grilled cheese, no? I like the strong flavor of pumpernickel, and for sandwiches it’s often a go-to option. Gluten-free bread is good when it’s grilled or toasted. Classic Italian bread is always a win, too.

This sandwich can be dressed up with sauteed or caramelized onions, and quickly crisping up the pastrami.

When I watch “Married … With Children” these days, of course, I’m probably feeling cantankerous and hungry, and need a good laugh.

I at least have one thing up on Al — (good) food.

Pastrami grilled cheese

Ingredients

Sliced pumpernickel bread (or bread of your choice)

Pastrami, shaved or sliced

Sliced Swiss cheese

Spreadable butter

Directions

Warm skillet or sandwich press.

Taking two slices of bread, generously apply butter to one side each.

Put one slice of bread butter-side down on the skillet or sandwich press.

Layer cheese slices, pastrami and more cheese.

Top with other piece of buttered bread, butter-side up.

Cook until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Share your favorite recipes and memories with Features Editor Ashley Fox at afox@tribtoday.com.