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This gourmet grilled cheese recipe is an easy way to elevate your favorite sandwich! Easy and simple to make, these grilled cheeses are loaded with caramelized onions and green apple for a deliciously indulgent treat.
Quick to make, a grilled sandwich never looked so good!

I’ll admit, I love to eat like a kid! Often for lunch, I make a peanut butter and jelly on toast, a Grilled Ham and Cheese (with Gruyere) because it’s fast, easy and so delicious.
This grilled cheese is unashamedly grown up though, and packed full of flavor. It pairs beautifully with soups to warm you through and through – the ultimate comfort food!
If you’re looking for something equally delicious to pair this with, try it with my Tomato Soup Recipe!
Don’t you just love taking a simple, old school comfort food and turning it into something a little more gourmet? (Psst… speaking of gourmet, don’t miss this incredible gourmet burger topping combination for a way to seriously wow your guests!)
Table of Contents
Gourmet Grilled Cheese Ingredients

- Artisan Bread – The right kind of bread is key to the best grilled cheese. My artisan bread is perfect for these sandwiches and sourdough bread also works well. Read more about the Best Bread for Grilled Cheese here.
- Butter – I prefer to use salted butter for this recipe, but you can use unsalted if you prefer.
- Cheese – Gruyere is my favorite cheese to use for this gourmet recipe. It’s a little sweet and salty and has a great nutty flavor to it. I use that in combination with white cheddar here.
- Caramelized Onions – Always a great addition to burgers and sandwiches! They’re so easy and you can make a large batch and enjoy them in an array of recipes throughout the week.
- Granny Smith Apple – These crisp apples cut through the creamy cheese and rich onions and really amp up the flavor of this sandwich, as well as adding a crunch. The added apple slices in this grilled cheese really take the sandwich to another level! I recommend you use a Granny Smith apple, which is wonderfully tart and cuts through the creaminess of the melted cheese. It’s also a firm apple so it holds up well to the heat.

One of my favorite things about making these incredible sandwiches is that they are so easy to customize! Feeding a crowd? Everybody can choose their favorite cheeses and additions!
How To Make A Gourmet Grilled Cheese
- Spread butter on bread or add to a warm skillet and add bread slices.
- Add cheese and allow to melt. You can cover to encourage melting.
- Just before removing, add caramelized onions and apple slices and sandwich.
- Slice and enjoy!

What’s The Best Cheese To Use?
The only thing that’s a little out of the ordinary for my grilled cheese is the type of cheese I use. I prefer to use Gruyere as it melts really well and it has a wonderfully nutty flavor.
Gouda or all kinds of cheddar also work well and give the grilled cheese a good flavor, but I implore you to try Gruyere if you haven’t had it before! For this particular version of gourmet grilled cheese, I used a combo of Gruyere and white cheddar for an extra dash of sharpness.
The most important factor in choosing your cheese is that it is fresh sliced from your local deli – or buy a fresh block and grate it yourself! It gives the grilled cheese that gooey melting factor we all crave!

For example, the shot above includes Gruyere and herbed goat cheese. More great cheese options to consider:
- Herbed Feta
- Muenster
- Gouda
- White Cheddar
- Swiss
- Blue Cheese
- Provolone
- Monterey Jack
- Spinach Dip with Cream Cheese – yes, you read that right! A spinach dip grilled cheese is good!
More Grilled Cheese Toppings
- Bacon Jam
- Tomato Jam
- Arugula
- Pesto Aioli
- Truffle Aioli
- Chipotle Aioli

Tips To Make A Gourmet Grilled Cheese
- Use quality bread – an artisan loaf, sourdough or olive oil loaf are all delicious choices.
- Use a good melting cheese. See above for options.
- Grill low and slow on medium. This will prevent the bread from burning while allowing the cheese to melt to a nice gooey consistency.

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Gourmet Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 slices artisan bread
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 slice gruyere
- 1 slice white cheddar
- 1 tablespoon caramelized onions
- 2 slices granny smith apple sliced
Instructions
- Add butter to warm skillet over medium heat. Add bread.
- Add your cheese to the top of each piece of bread. Grill until melted.
- Add caramelized onion and apple just before removing from heat.
- Sandwich together. Slice and enjoy!
Tips
- Use quality bread like an artisan loaf
- aioli – add just before sandwiching
- arugula
- bacon jam
- herbs
- Muenster cheese
- herbed feta
- pimento cheese
Nutrition Information
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
Aimee Shugarman says
The only addition I made was homemade pepper jelly. PERFECTION.
Kimberly says
Gourmet indeed, this grilled cheese sandwich is AMAZING!
Melissa says
Yum – my husband and I made these for lunch they were so delicious!