Grilled cheese is indisputably the best food ever. EVER. It’s a classic comfort food, and it’s endlessly customizable by changing up the cheese and/or bread you choose. But it can come off a little childish.  If you want to elevate your classic grilled cheese to something you could conceivably serve at any grown up occasion you can imagine, I have the answer. Apple grilled cheese.

Have you ever heard the saying “Apple pie without the cheese is like a kiss without the squeeze”? Me neither, but apparently it’s a thing. Cheese and apple are a classic pairing, so it makes sense that apple would make a grilled cheese sandwich so much better. The apple grilled cheese is the perfect blend of sweet and savoury, and the crisp texture of the apple plays well with the gooey cheese and crispy-soft bread. It’s also a pretty solid way to sneak some vitamins into what can otherwise be a pretty nutritionally lackluster meal. AND even though this is the height of grown up sophistication (#adulting), kids will also be down.

(Vegan? Lactose intolerant? Check out our resident vegan’s recipe for plant-based cheese, or see our non-dairy cheeses online,  and you can get in on the deliciousness too!

Apple Grilled Cheese

Ingredients

• Bread – I’m partial to a sourdough, but I don’t think there’s a wrong way to go here.
• Cheese – cheddar is the classic, but feel free to experiment!
• Apple – something fairly crisp and sweet-tart works best, like a honeycrisp, braeburn, ambrosia, or even Granny Smith if you like it more on the tart side.
• Softened Butter

Directions

1. Heat a pan over medium heat. Slice your cheese and apples thinly.
2. Butter outside of each slice of bread (the side that touches the pan).
3. Layer some cheese on the unbuttered side of the bread, and place some apple slices over top. Top that with another thin layer of cheese
4. Put the top of the sandwich on (butter side out) and place the sandwich in the heated pan.
5. Cook until the bottom is crisp and browned, about 3-5 minutes (depending on your stove). Flip and cook until the other side is also crisp and brown, and the cheese is melty.
6. Cut into halves and serve!

***Important grilled cheese hack: while you’re working, stack the 2 slices of bread butter side together.  This keeps the counter from getting all buttery, and gives you a clean bread surface to put your cheese on.