Crispy Gruyere Grilled Cheese hot off the griddle…
Perfectly browned sourdough bread slices, stuffed with crunchy pickles, caramelized onions, oozing melted Swiss cheese. A sublime snack!
Looking to learn how to make the best quick & easy Gruyere Grilled Cheese?
Our recipe for the ultimate crispy grilled cheese is inspired by our travels to Germany and Switzerland. With our helpful cooking tips you’ll perfect that drool-worthy crispy grilled cheese crust in no time!
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Travel to Switzerland by Eating Gruyere Grilled Cheese at Home
I love traveling to Europe! I’ve had the opportunity to visit Switzerland four times to sample the best Swiss dishes, which are served everywhere from cute local restaurants to luxurious Michelin starred dining rooms. I’ve explored the best Swiss Chocolate Shops and learned to make traditional Tartiflette Reblochon at home.
Over the years I’ve written numerous stories on popular Swiss travel destinations such as Geneva, Lugano, Gruyere, Montreux, Lausanne, Bern, Andermatt, Zermatt, Basel, Burgenstock, Lucerne, Zurich, Interlaken and St. Gallen.
What I find most fascinating is Switzerland’s distinct regional food cultures. Much like the regional cuisines found in France, Germany, Italy or Spain, each region has its own local speciality.
My favourite trip was a French themed adventure that took me from Geneva to Gruyere. The itinerary ended in the small town of Gruyere, famous for producing Gruyere cheese. There’s also the haunting HR Giger Museum, which is dedicated to the creative genius behind Aliens. It’s one of the most magical holiday destinations for lovers of film and cheese!
If you’re a Gruyere cheese fan I highly recommend planning a weekend getaway to Gruyere in Switzerland. You can stay at an agriturismo on a family-run cheese farm. Guests also have an opportunity to visit a fun Gruyere Cheese Museum and dine at famous Swiss Fondue restaurants.
Once back home you’ll have a newfound appreciation for Gruyere and can impress friends and family by making the best crispy grilled cheese!
Best Pickles For Crispy Grilled Cheese
This Gruyere Grilled Cheese recipe is stuffed with crunchy pickle slices. Our favourite pickle brands are Bick’s, Vlasik and Strub’s.
We suggest adding juicy sliced dill pickles to your crispy grilled cheese. If you prefer a sweet sandwich feel free to substitute with Bread & Butter pickles or add some heat with Spicy pickles.
Once you’ve prepared our Gruyere Grilled Cheese we suggest getting creative in the kitchen by taste testing other fermented vegetables. You may enjoy the crunchy texture of fermented garlic, onions, carrots, hot peppers or even kimchi.
Visit Germany’s Pickle Capital
Are you the world’s biggest pickle fan? Obsessed even?
I highly suggest you add a trip to the German region of Spreewald, an easy day trip from Berlin, to your travel bucket list.
Berg, the tourist hub of Spreedwald, is the “pickle capital of Germany.” Local restaurants offer tasting platters of pickles, many of which are available for sale on popular canal cruise tours.
The scenic holiday destination plays home to one of Germany’s most famous thermal spas and an inspiring open-air folk museum Freilandmuseum Lehde.
My Family Loves Gruyere Grilled Cheese
My father is obsessed with pickles and 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, Bread & Butter Pickles and Spicy Cucumber Pickles.
Over the years our family recipe has evolved. I think we’ve now perfected the perfect Gruyere Grilled Cheese recipe.
Crispy Grilled Cheese Tips
The best crispy grilled cheese sandwiches are prepared using high quality ingredients. It’s that simple!
We suggest using homemade sourdough bread slices, cave aged Gruyere, local pickles and your favourite mustard.
Our recipe requires you to make a cheese filling, an easy spreadable paste. It is much easier to schmear cheese on bread when the mustard and cream cheese are combined into a uniform mixture. We prefer this method instead of stuffing the sandwich with shredded cheese of cheese slices.
We’ve used a mixture of Gruyere, Cheddar and Cream Cheese in the sandwich filling but you could substitute with other aged cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano, Manchego, Beemster or Mimolette.
You can cook Gruyere 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 in our crispy grilled cheese recipe 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
We suggest serving crispy grilled cheese with fresh salads or a healthy bowl of soup.
Gruyere Grilled Cheese has a high fat and carb content so it’s nice to contrast the flavours with fresh, juicy and acidic ingredients.
Some of our favourite soup and salad recipes include Spicy Tikka Masala Turkey Barley Soup, Piri Piri Carrot and Sweet Pepper Soup with Bulgar, Kale, Leek, Bean, Orzo and Pumpkin Soup with Pecan Pesto, Vegan Chinese Cucumber Salad, Cajun Spicy Chorizo Corn Salad, Cherry Pecan Kale Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette, Carrot and Tahini Salad with Crispy Cumin Chickpeas and Pistachios and Fennel, Apple, Celery and Roasted Hazelnut Salad.
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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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