This is probably the most fattening, nutrient-devoid grilled cheese sandwich you’ll ever try. It’s irresponsible. It’s indulgent. It’s a renegade in a world saturated with health-focused food blogs. Really, it’s just plain wrong.
Which is exactly why I wanted to share it with you guys. How does it earn such a bad (read: awesomely delicious) reputation? Let me count the ways…
Offense #1: BREAD. No, not the fancy-ass prepackaged bread that’s fortified with vitamins and fiber and “whole grains.” And no, not Wonder Bread, either– we have a little more class than that. What you’re going to want for this recipe is a good, crusty, carb-filled sourdough artisan bread from a local bakery.
Offense #2: MAYONNAISE.ย The ultimate tried-and-true secret to making a perfect grilled cheese is to slather the outsides (pan-facing sides) of the bread in mayonnaise. It sounds gross–especially for those of you unfortunate souls who turn your noses up at mayo in the first place– but it soaks into the bread during the panfrying process and lends a tangy flavor to the sandwich that’ll make you wish you’d tried this trick years ago.
Offense #3: BUTTER. You didn’t actually think I was replacing butter with mayonnaise, did you? Keep the mayo on the outsides of the bread slice, and butter up the insides with herbaceous (!) thyme-infused butter. Don’t get too excited; any “healthiness” the thyme may have imparted is immediately negated by all that glorious butter.
Offense #4: CHEESE. Dear Brie: voulez-vous coucher avec mon sandwich? Of course you do.
Offense #5: APPLES. When you peel the skin off an apple and roast said apple in butter and sugar, it loses 99% of its would-be nutritional value. But the slightly crisp texture and sweetly spiced flavor more than make up for the deficiencies.
A bit of honey and peppery arugula make for a meek balancing act, but the resulting sandwich–in all its fat-filled glory– is tipped so far in the direction of “guilty pleasure” that you’ll have no choice but to eat it to destroy all the evidence.
Roasted Apple and Brie Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 apple, peeled and sliced (I used Pink Lady apples because they have a crisp texture and sweet/tart flavor)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon corn starch
- Pinch of salt
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, chopped into small cubes
- 4 thick slices of artisan sour dough bread
- 1 heaping Tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 4 ounces brie, sliced
- 1/2 cup arugula
- Several slices prepared roasted apples (see above)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Placed peeled apple slices in a small mixing bowl
- Sprinkle with lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, corn starch, and salt
- Toss until slices are coated
- Spread coated apple slices across the lined baking sheet
- Top apple slices with tiny cubes of butter
- Bake for 15-20 minutes
- Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly
- While roasted apples are cooling, spread a judicious layer of mayonnaise on the outside of the bread slices
- Combine butter, thyme, and sea salt in a small bowl and mix together
- Slather the inside of the bread slices with infused butter
- Layer brie, apples, arugula, and a drizzle of honey on two slices of bread and top with the remaining two slices of bread
- Heat a skillet or griddle over medium-low heat
- Place sandwiches in skillet one and a time and cook until the cheese melts slightly
- Flip sandwich over and cook the rest of the way through (it should only take a couple minutes on each side)
Pete says
I’m a big fan of adding fruit to my Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, and this one looks great!!!
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thanks, Pete! Me too! Roasted pears actually work great for this, too ๐
Nancy P.@thebittersideofsweet says
This is definitely my kind of grilled cheese sandwich! Looks wonderful!
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thanks so much, Nancy!
Christie - Food Done Light says
Now this is a grilled cheese sandwich. It is perfect in every way from the cheese to the mayo and the flavored butter. What a flavor explosion packed into a sandwich.
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thanks, Christie! ๐
Susan says
In what world is grilled cheese good for you? We are melting cheese between butter soaked bread? If you are going to do it, go all out like you do! Plus I love your photos!
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Amen to that! Thanks so much, Susan!
Ginny McMeans says
What a wonderful combination.
MB says
How is it possible you are so thin eating amazing stuff like this?! Oh my word, this looks completely divine. Now THIS is a sandwich. Can’t wait to try it ๐
Ginnie says
This looks so delicious! I love the addition of roasted apples. Sounds like the perfect thing for a chilly day:)
Julianne @ Beyond Frosting says
I just low how thick this bread looks! Yum!
Heather says
This looks so good! Thanks for sharing!
GrilledShane says
I must say, I am a big fan of the writing style in this post. It definitely brought me in and kept me reading. And then I was treated to a most delicious grilled cheese sandwich with oh so many delicious ingredients. Nicely done!
Peter @Feed Your Soul Too says
I am a new member of Windy City Bloggers and came by to check out your site. Really love this sandwich and like how you presented it.