Apple and Brie Grilled Cheese

This unconventional and delicious grilled cheese features sweet and crisp apples with nutty and creamy brie cheese on sourdough bread.

It's fall and the apples are in season and there is no better combo than melty brie grilled cheese stuffed with apples.

Ingredients:

• Brie cheese: This mild and soft cheese with a slightly nutty flavor is easy to find at any grocery store in their specialty cheese selection (deli). I usually buy my brie cheese at ALDI because it's great quality for the price.
• Apples: In this grilled cheese I used honey crisp apples. They are perfectly tart and sweet which makes them a great choice to pair with brie cheese.
• Sourdough bread: I make my own sourdough and love using it to make grilled cheese. It is sturdy yet soft and holds every topping very well. If you make your own sourdough, this bread slicer is an amazing tool to have.
• Fig jam: Fig jam and brie go so well together. The jam is sweet and lets the nutty brie flavor shine through.
• Olive oil: I used a drizzle of olive oil to grill the sourdough in a pan. It creates a nice golden crust on the bread.

How to make an apple and brie grilled cheese

I like to start by thinly slicing the apples. You can use a mandolin for this or a serrated knife.

Add a thin layer of fig jam to one side of the sourdough bread and place the apple slices on top.

Slice the wheel of brie (the rind is edible but you can remove it if you want) into ¼ inch slices. Place enough of them to cover the apples.

Place the other slice of sourdough bread on top and drizzle with olive oil.

Place on a non-stick pan or a cast iron grill pan (I love using mine) and cook until golden brown and the cheese has melted.

Variations and Substitutions

• Bread: You can use ciabatta bread as a great substitute for sourdough.
• Apples: Choose your favorite variety of apple that has a crisp bite. Granny Smith, Jazz or Tango apples would be great in this sandwich.
• Cheese: If you find regular brie too nutty, you could try a variety called "petite brie" or "breakfast brie" they are milder and still ultra creamy.
• Fig jam: You could leave it out but I absolutely love the sweet and savory duo that fig jam and brie make, so I highly recommend using it.

Grilled Cheese Pairings

Since this grilled cheese is loaded with apples and nutty brie cheese, it pairs perfectly with a butternut squash soup.