Grilled Cheese With Apples and Apple Butter

By Susan Spungen

Grilled Cheese With Apples and Apple Butter
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(1,539)
Comments
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If Cheddar on a slice of apple pie sounds good to you, you will love this twist on a grilled cheese sandwich, which marries salty and sweet elements between two caramelized pieces of buttery bread. Look for dark apple butter, with no added sugar, since it will have the richest flavor. Unlike most grilled cheese recipes, which call for building the sandwiches, cooking them on one side, then flipping, this one calls for cooking the sandwiches open-faced, then assembling them.The cheese melts more quickly and reliably if cooked this way. Depending on the size of your bread slices and your skillet, you may be able to cook two sandwiches at a time. You could also have two pans going, or just serve them as they are finished. To serve all four at once, just transfer the cooked sandwiches to a baking sheet in a 200-degree oven while you crisp up the remaining sandwiches on the stovetop.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 5tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more as needed
  • 1large Granny Smith apple, cored and thinly sliced
  • 1small shallot, halved and thinly sliced
  • 1teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • Kosher salt
  • ½cup apple butter
  • 8slices country bread, cut ½-inch thick
  • 4ounces sharp Cheddar, sliced ¼-inch thick
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

501 calories; 27 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 52 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 22 grams sugars; 14 grams protein; 467 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat a large, 12-inch skillet over medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon butter, then add apples, shallots, rosemary and a pinch of salt. Cook, tossing occasionally, until apples are golden and softened, 8 to 10 minutes, reducing the heat if shallots threaten to burn. Transfer mixture to a plate; set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Rinse and dry the pan, and set over medium heat. Melt 1 tablespoon butter (2 tablespoons if you're cooking two sandwiches at a time). Spread one side of each bread slice with 1 tablespoon apple butter (this will be the inside of the sandwich). With the apple butter-side facing up, top four of the bread slices with 1 ounce Cheddar each; divide the apple mixture among the remaining four slices of bread. (Don’t assemble the sandwiches yet: The topped slices are first cooked, then combined.)

  3. Step 3

    Add one Cheddar-topped piece and one apple-topped piece to the pan (two of each if your pan can accommodate it), drizzle 2 teaspoons of water in the pan, and cover. Cook until cheese is melted and bread is golden and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat if bread is browning too fast. Sandwich the two pieces together, cut in half, and serve immediately. Repeat with remaining ingredients, adding more butter to then pan if necessary.

Ratings

4 out of 5
1,539 user ratings
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Comments

Dave

This need bacon.

Rich

I love this sandwich, and I play with variations: Havarti or Swiss cheese instead of cheddar. peanut butter or almond butter instead of apple butter (especially if you're looking for a little more protein), orange marmalade or fig preserves, cinnamon for rosemary, raisin bread or whole grain (or gluten free) bread...

Diane Kay

It's a perfect sandwich for this time of year -- disagree about the bacon as the cheddar provides melty fatty salty goodness on its own.

SyntaxHack

Delicious as written!

Bill

I live in France and tried it with Comté- a hard cheese from the Jura mountain range. Close to the taste of a strong Emmental Delicious.

Jennifer Rowe

Tasty, but the apple butter makes the bread soggy.

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