Did you know that April is National Grilled Cheese Month? In honor of this momentous occasion I decided to share my favorite, most unbelievably-good grilled cheese sandwich recipe ever.
A grilled cheese sandwich can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. I used to make a “normal” grilled cheese… two pieces of bread, some cheese in the middle. Sometimes, if I’m feeling fancy, I’d use goat cheese or brie in place of the american or cheddar jack cheese.
Then a few months ago I saw someone on a cooking show competition add shredded cheese to the outside of a grilled cheese sandwich to create a delicious, crunchy, cheesy crust.
Mind blown!
I immediately had to try it and OMG my life was changed forever. So amazing.
Once I perfected the inside out grilled cheese I started playing with the ingredients for the middle. I found several really yummy combinations. My kids’ favorite, is Gouda, Granny Smith apples, bacon, and turkey. So good we named it the Incredible Inside Out Grilled Cheese.
Incredible Inside Out
Grilled Cheese
Turkey, Gouda, & Granny Smith Apple Inside-Out Grilled Cheese
After tasting this delicious sandwich you will never make a "regular" grilled cheese again!
Ingredients
- 2 slices of your favorite bread, I like to use Italian bread
- 1/2 cup Chapel Hill Creamery Hickory Grove cheese, shredded (or several thin slices)
- 1/4 cup Chapel Hill Creamery Calvander cheese, shredded
- 1/4 Granny Smith apple, cored and very thinly sliced
- 2–3 slices of Butterball turkey (enough to cover the whole slice of bread
- The Butcher’s Market Thick Cut Jalapeno Bacon
- Butter
- Brown spicy mustard, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat skillet over medium heat, add butter to the pan.
- Butter one side of each slice of bread (add spicy mustard to the other side of the bread, if desired)
- Place the buttered side down in the preheated pan.
- Sprinkle some Hickory Grove cheese on the bread, then layer on the turkey, bacon, and sliced apples, adding plenty of Hickory Grove cheese between each layer to “glue” the sandwich together. Top with 2nd slice of bread, buttered side up.
- Cook the sandwich on first side for about a minute then flip and add a thin layer of the shredded Calvander to the outside of the bread, let it sit for a few seconds until the cheese starts to melt and sticks to the bread.
- Add more butter to the pan then flip the sandwich back over and cook for a couple of minutes until the cheese/bread is golden brown.
- Repeat with the other side.
- Enjoy.
Notes
Feel free to mix up the ingredients. I love adding avocado to the sandwich, or using ham and cheese in place of the turkey and apple.
If you have a large family like me, and don’t want to always be the last one to eat, here are instructions on how to make grilled cheese for eight using the oven and two baking sheets!
In a cold oven, place one baking sheet on the middle rack and one on the lower-middle rack, then heat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Assemble sandwiches as normal. Remove one preheated baking sheet from the oven and set it down on the cook top or a cooling rack. Carefully place sandwiches on the hot baking sheet, return it to the middle rack and place the second baking sheet place on top of the sandwiches, rim side up (so bottom of the baking sheet is on top of the sandwiches) and press down gently.
Bake until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. Carefully remove the top baking sheet and place the baking sheet with the sandwiches to the cook top or cooling rack.
Serve while hot and sit down and enjoy a meal with your family!
Sweet baby jebus – are you trying to kill me???
Wonder if you could do the same with goat cheese?
#lactoseintolerant #istillmisscheese
Mmmmm, I LOVE grilled goat cheese, especially the flavored kinds. I haven't tried using it on the outside, but I'm willing to test it out!!
Oooh – now I am thinking of the goat-gouda that I have from the health food store.
This looks like grilled cheese sandwich heaven! I love grilled cheese sandwiches. Can't wait to try out this recipe. I've experimented with few ingredients, but have never thought to incorporate apple or any other fruit.
It is sooo good. Like I said, the only thing that would make it better is to add some bacon!! I love the turkey and apple combination. And surprisingly, my kids love it, too.
This looks amazing!!
Thanks! It's delicious! The perfect comfort food!
I don't eat ham, but can see myself doing this with turkey. It looks aaaaaahhhhmazingly yum.
LOL It is made with Turkey!
Looks so yummy !! The boys will love this one 🙂
This sounds a-maz-ing!!! And how did I not know April was grilled cheese month?? Adding this to the lunch menu!
That is a fantastic idea! I love crunchy cheese bits on bread…. so this is getting saved for later!
I've pinned your post, thanks for sharing at #SmallVictoriesSundayLinkup …hope to see you again this week!
This looks AMAZING!
Can we make some for comfort food sometime soon? Like really really reallllly soon.