Glamorous Gourmet Grilled Cheese. Taking a childhood favorite and kicking it up just a few notches into a lovely, cheesy, oooey gooey, crispy, oh so delicious above all posh meal!
Glamorous Gourmet Grilled Cheese, this sandwich has come a long way from cheese slices and soft sliced bread.
Imagine a rustic French traditional bread, buttery Brie, creamy Gorgonzola, fresh figs, and beautiful prosciutto all fried up in a cast pan to get melted and golden. Consequently, only one word to describe it. INSANE!
When I was young
Grilled cheese, who doesn't smile when we hear this! As a kid, I loved the buttery bread with not one, not two, but three slices of cheese. The goo in that sandwich was most noteworthy and award-winning, however today we are going glamorous and gourmet, taking my favorite and decking it all out!
I am all grown up now!
These days processed cheese slices just don't cut it. My palate is much more developed and the motto of great ingredients resonates too strongly to let a grilled cheese sandwich slide into the realm of preserved and processed.
I am using an amazing brie I bought from a fantastic cute boulangerie we have here in Edmonton "Bonjour Bakery" located in Old Strathcona. A place to get great bread and incredible cheeses and so much more!
Oh, by the way, I also picked up a traditional loaf that has such a wonderful crust. Just what I need to take this grilled cheese sandwich to heaven and back!
Let's add some Italian
So, from Bonjour to Buongiorno and we are at The Italian Centre Shop to get prosciutto di Parma, and some Gorgonzola, plus have a little taste of some deli samples, lol. Time to get home, Nicoletta is waiting to help me with this Glamorous Gourmet Grilled Cheese!
Cooking Time!
Organization is key to executing a dish well.
- First, get all the ingredients ready.
- Secondly, start melting butter in olive oil in a cast-iron pan.
- Thirdly, compose the sandwich.
- Fourthly, place the sandwich in the pan getting it all golden, gooey and crispy.
- Lastly, EAT!
The cast and crew of this Grilled Cheese
Look at the cast for this sandwich. On one side you have that crusty bread with brie, prosciutto, and figs. On the other side, we have another slice of bread and gorgonzola. In comes the famous slap together and squish. Can't wait to get these into the pan.
Secret ingredient
One may say I am a person to fly by the seat of my pants, and my intuition was buzzing as the butter was melting in the warmth of the olive oil. I kept getting sage in my mind and it just so happened that there was some fresh in the fridge.
Have to go with that light bulb moment and tossed some sage into the hot butter. It is going to just flavor that fat so well and infuse itself in the pours of this rustic bread. Oh, that aroma of the butter, olive oil and sage is heavenly!
Nothing like cast-iron!
Oh if you could hear that sizzle, that tells me this is going to be really good. I love the color that is happening on the surface of the bread, and I am beginning to see the cheese oozing from the sides. My mouth is just watering...........
A few minutes per side and a little cover time because we want to make sure all that cheese is melted inside and that, my friends, is it. Time to really dive in.
Does this grilled cheese not make you want to dive right into the picture and grab one?! Look at that brie and gorgonzola just falling to the board. I want to just scoop that up and eat it, lol.
Let's eat!
Nicoletta beat me to the punch as I am busy photographing. Look at how that fig is nestled in the soft folds of the cheeses. I hear this hollow depth of sound as Nicoletta bites in. The crunch on the crust is amazing. I can't stand it anymore I have to have one!
OMG!
This Glamorous Gourmet Grilled Cheese is spectacular. The bread is rich and rustic with a nice nuttiness to it. I love how that sage has infused in the butter consequently burying itself in the airy pockets of this incredible bread.
That brie is so rich and buttery and the gorgonzola adding a nice zing to the mix, however not too strong as the sweet earthiness of the fig holds the balance of this amazing food symphony in check!
A little salt to balance the sweet
Let's talk prosciutto, it is such a welcome hit of saltiness which just exemplifies how ingredients can work so well and balanced as a whole! Nice how the edges of this Italian cured meat crisps making it fun to the palate.
Inspiration is a beautiful thing!
I have to thank Nicoletta who told me about this grilled cheese. She saw Nigella Lawson create a grilled cheese with brie, prosciutto, and figs. We added our own creativity to it and that is the story of how Glamorous Gourmet Grilled Cheese came to be.
Make tonight grilled cheese night. Give this recipe a try, it is really and truly most noteworthy and delicious!
Enjoy!
PrintGlamorous Gourmet Grilled Cheese
Glamorous Gourmet Grilled Cheese, this sandwich has come a long way from cheese slices and soft sliced bread.
Imagine a rustic French traditional bread, buttery Brie, creamy Gorgonzola, fresh figs, and beautiful prosciutto all fried up in a cast pan to get melted and golden. Consequently, only one word to describe it. INSANE!
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: serves 2
Ingredients
- 4 ¼ inch-thick slices of a good crunchy crust rustic bread
- 50 g prosciutto di Parma
- A couple of pats of salted organic butter
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin cold pressed olive oil
- Some fresh sage leaves
- 275 g brie cheese
- 200 g Gorgonzola cheese
- 4 fresh figs washed and sliced in half
Instructions
- Drizzle in olive oil and place butter into cast iron pan on low heat. Toss in sage leaves and let slowly warm.
- Slice the brie into nice slices and take half and layer on one slice of bread.
- Place some prosciutto on top of the brie, then nestle 4 halves of the fresh figs into the prosciutto.
- Next, break up the Gorgonzola and place it on another slice of bread and press it in.
- This is the fun step, slap the two halves together and press firmly.
- Into the cast iron pan they go and turn heat to about a low to medium. You want these to golden slowly and get that heat into the cheese.
- These take about 10 minutes a side turning the sandwiches frequently and then at the end covering the pan with a lid and turn the heat off. After about 2 minutes, these are ready to eat.
Enjoy!
Notes
- You can use any cheese or fruit you want. Apples, pineapple, use your own creativity to make something fun and delicious.
- In the grilling process make sure to turn frequently so that they don't burn, but also to get the heat into the middle quicker ensuring that cheese will melt.
- The cheese quantity is purely indicative. Just add on the bread as much cheese you want.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Category: Lunch/Main
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: Fusion
Keywords: Gorgonzola, rustic bread, Brie, olive oil, butter, organic, prosciutto, sage, grilled cheese
When I am not cooking, I enjoy playing musical instruments, singing, writing. I have learned over the years to live in gratitude and enjoy the moment.
Colleen says
I agree with you about ditching the processed cheese slices for any good cheese, but the brie plus gorgonzola sound delightful with the salty prosciutto and sweet figs. This really is a glamorous sandwich (glamwich?) Delicious!
★★★★★
Hi Colleen love that "Glamwich" lol. Well done! As for this grilled cheese, so so delicious and scrumptious!
Thank you for you wonderful comment!
Cheers
Loreto
Cynthia says
Wow! I want to eat my screen. You are making me hungry. I have never tried putting fruits (let alone figs) in grilled cheese sandwiches. Love the sweet and savoury idea for grilled cheese. I will try it with apples or pears.
★★★★★
Hi Cynthia, oh yes fruit especially apples or pears work wonderfully. Like a really aged cheddar and apple a match made in heaven. Thanks for checking this out and have a most wonderful day!
Loreto
Shams says
Oh man! This look so delicious. Saving and pinning this post. I can’t wait to try this. Thank so much for sharing.
★★★★★
Terri says
Oh how I adore grown up grilled cheese 🙂 Fig is sooo amazing on sandwiches too-yummy! This looks fabulous, guys!
★★★★★
Thank you, love that grown up grilled cheese, lol. Yes love figs and in combination with the saltiness of the prosciutto and the pungent cheeses a match made in heaven!
Cheers!
Loreto
mimi rippee says
wow wow wow! I don't eat sandwiches often, but when I do, i will eat Nicoletta's and Loreto's gourmet grilled cheese sandwich.
Thank you, it is something to be remembered great flavor and texture pairing!
Cheers!
loreto