Looking to make the ultimate gourmet grilled cheese sandwich at home?
Our recipe for the best crispy grilled cheese is inspired by our travels to Switzerland. With our helpful cooking tips you’ll perfect that drool-worthy grilled cheese crust in no time!
Imagine: perfectly browned sourdough bread slices, stuffed with crunchy pickles, caramelized onions, oozing melted cheese. A sublime snack!
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What Is Gruyere Grilled Cheese?
The grilled cheese sandwich, now a beloved comfort food worldwide, has surprisingly modern origins.
While bread and cheese have been combined for centuries, the concept of a melted, toasted cheese sandwich became popular in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s, when inexpensive processed cheese (like American cheese) and sliced bread became widely available.
During the Great Depression, grilled cheese sandwiches were an economical, filling meal for families, requiring only bread, cheese, and butter. The invention of the electric sandwich toaster, panini press and the popularity of pan-frying helped elevate the dish further.
By the mid-20th century, the grilled cheese had become a staple of American cuisine, often paired with tomato soup, creating the classic comfort food combo we know today. While the original version was simple—just bread and melted cheese—modern interpretations, like Gruyère Grilled Cheese with caramelized onions and pickles, have turned it into a gourmet treat enjoyed around the world.
Whether you’re serving it for lunch, dinner, or as a decadent snack, this grilled cheese pairs beautifully with a bag of chips, side salad, or a warm bowl of soup. It’s elevated comfort food that’s both sophisticated and indulgent.
My Family Loves Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
My father is obsessed with grilled cheese.
My grandparents always used to joke that my father as a little boy was the pickiest eater. They could only visit restaurants that served crispy grilled cheese, hamburgers or pizza.
To this day, one of my dads favourite lunches or last minute dinners is homemade Gruyere Grilled Cheese. He usually serves it with a bowl of tomato soup alongside a squirt of ketchup and pile of pickles.
When I was growing up, every Sunday at lunch my family would enjoy homemade grilled cheese with a bowl of soup and plate topped with charcuterie, crunchy apple slices and an assortment of Dill Pickles and Bread & Butter Pickles.
Over the years our family recipe has evolved. I think we’ve now perfected the perfect Gruyere Grilled Cheese recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Cheese overload: Gruyère, cheddar, and cream cheese combine for ultimate melty goodness
- Sweet and tangy: Caramelized onions and dill pickles add flavour contrast
- Crispy perfection: Toasted sourdough makes the perfect crunch
- Perfect for pairing: Ideal with soup, chips, or a crisp side salad
How To Make The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Caramelize the onions: In a large non-stick pan, melt butter in olive oil. Add sliced onions, cover, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until softened. Uncover, add sherry, and cook over medium-low heat for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender and caramelized. Season with salt and pepper.
- Prepare the cheese mixture: In a small bowl, combine Gruyère, cheddar, cream cheese, and Dijon mustard. Mix until fully combined.
- Assemble the sandwiches: Spread mayonnaise on the sourdough slices. Arrange slices mayo side down. Spread cheese mixture on each slice, then top one slice with caramelized onions and pickles. Close the sandwiches.
- Grill the sandwiches: Preheat a panini press. Grill sandwiches over low heat until the bread is toasted and cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.
- Serve: Cut each sandwich in half and serve hot with crunchy pickles, chips, or a bowl of your favourite soup.
Tips For The Perfect Grilled Cheese
The best crispy grilled cheese sandwiches are prepared using high quality ingredients. It’s that simple!
- Low and slow: Grill over low heat to allow the cheese to melt without burning the bread
- Cheese mix: Gruyère gives nutty richness, cheddar adds sharpness, and cream cheese adds creaminess. You could substitute with other aged cheeses like Parmigiano Reggiano, Manchego, Beemster or Mimolette.
- Caramelized onions: Take your time, they bring sweetness and depth to the sandwich
- Pickle placement: Use thin slices for a subtle tang without overwhelming the cheese
- Optional upgrades: Add fresh herbs, like thyme or chives, to the cheese mixture for extra flavour
- You can cook Grilled Cheese on a panini grill or over the stove using a large non-stick pan. Most people spread margarine or butter on each bread slice but we recommend using mayonnaise. The egg in the mayo when exposed to high heat ensures the bread perfectly browns and gets crispy.
What to Serve with Grilled Cheese
- A warm bowl of tomato, squash, or French onion soup for dipping
- Crunchy potato chips or sweet potato fries
- A simple green salad with vinaigrette to balance the richness
- Pickles or marinated vegetables for an extra layer of flavour
You May Also Enjoy These Sandwich Recipes…
- Easy Egg Salad Sandwich
- Smorgastarta Traditional Swedish Sandwich Cake
- Crispy Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich
- Prime Rib French Dip Sandwich
- Fresh Fig Prosciutto Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Thanksgiving Turkey Cranberry Sandwich
- White BBQ Turkey Sandwiches with Jalapeno and Pickles
Crispy Gruyere Grilled Cheese
Equipment
- Panini Grill
- cheese grater
- spatula
- mixing bowl
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- French knife
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large cooking onion thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp Sherry
- 4 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 6 oz Gruyere cheese shredded
- 2 oz Cheddar cheese shredded
- 3 oz Cream cheese
- 2 tbsp Mayonnaise
- 8 Sourdough Bread Slices
- 4 Large dill pickles thinly sliced lengthwise
Instructions
- In a large non-stick pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the oil. Add the sliced onion, cover and cook over medium heat, until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Uncover, add sherry and cook onions over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and caramelized, about 25 more minutes. Season the caramelized onions with salt and pepper.
- In a small mixing bowl add mustard, Gruyere, cheddar and cream cheese. Mix with a spatula until fully combined.
- Spread the sourdough bread slices with mayonnaise and arrange, mayo side down on your kitchen counter.
- Spread cheese mixture on each slice of sourdough bread. Top one slice with the fried onion and pickles. Close the two bread slices onto each other to make sandwiches.
- Preheat a panini press. Grill the Gruyere Grilled Cheese sandwiches over low heat until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted, 10 minutes.
- Cut Crispy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches in half and serve with crunchy pickles, chips and a bowl of your favourite soup.
Nutrition
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