Grilled Cheese with Apple Slices

Close up of an apple grilled cheese sandwich sliced in half on a serving plate.

5 from 2 votes

This apple grilled cheese sandwich is perfect for fall! Your favorite grilled cheese is elevated with crisp, sweet apple slices for fun flavor and texture.

Prep Time4

Cook Time6

Total Time10

Course: Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: Serving

Calories: 440kcal

Author: Meredith

Equipment

Chef's Knife or Pairing Knife
Cutting Board
Bread Knife (for spreading butter)
Skillet
Flipper

Ingredients

2 slices of bread (high-quality bread such as sourdough, artisan bread, or a hearty whole grain)
cheese of choice, thinly sliced* (about 8-10 slices from a block. 3-4 slices from a package)
⅓ medium apple, thinly sliced*
1 Tablespoon salted butter

Instructions

Prep ingredients. If using block cheese, slice into thin strips (about 8-10 slices per sandwich) and wash, core, and slice apple into thin strips (about ⅓ of a medium apple per sandwich).
Butter the bread. Spread butter on one side of each piece of bread, covering edge to edge for even browning.
Heat skillet and assemble the sandwich. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Place one slice of bread butter-side down in the pan. Then Add the first layer of cheese slices, then a layer of apple slices, then another layer of cheese slices. Top with the second piece of bread, butter-side facing up.
Cover and cook. Cover with a pan with lid to help the cheese melt evenly. Cook until the bottom slice is golden brown (about 2-4 minutes).
Flip and continue to cook. Using your flipper, carefully flip the sandwich and cover again to continue cooking the second side (about 2-4 minutes)..
Serve immediately. Remove when the second side is golden brown and the cheese is fully melted. Slice in half and enjoy while hot.

Video

Notes

*Best cheese selections are those that melt well and complement the apple. Try cheddar, gruyere, havarti, gouda, or high-quality American cheese. Feel free to mix-and match too!

*Best apple varieties for grilled cheese are crisp and hold their shape when heated. Try Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Gala, Pink Lady, Haralson, Braeburn, Fuji, Honey Gold, Pippin, Cortland, or Golden Delicious. Avoid soft apples like Red Delicious and McIntosh.

Amp up your Apple Grilled Cheese experience with one of these fun variations:

- Mayo instead of butter. If you're on team mayo vs. team butter for grilled cheese, replace the butter with a thin layer of mayonnaise instead. It creates an equally golden, crispy exterior with a slightly different flavor.

- Add bacon. Include 2-3 strips of crispy bacon for a little meat, crispy texture, and a nice salty pop to compliment the apples and cheese.

- Caramelized onions. Include a thin layer of caramelized onions for extra sweetness and depth of flavor. You could also add a smear of caramelized onion jam before your first cheese layer!

- Herb additions. Add a little fresh thyme or some finely chopped sage leaves between the cheese layers for an earthy fall flavor.

- Honey drizzle. Add a light drizzle of honey over the apple slices before adding the top cheese layer for a little more sweetness.

Nutrition information will vary widely based on the bread and cheese selection. Calculations were done with sourdough bread and 3 ounces of gouda cheese.

Nutrition