Give Grilled Cheese A Restaurant-Worthy Upgrade With One Tart Addition

Even someone who hadn't already happened upon a whole internet's worth of grilled cheese upgrades could probably tell that the toasty sandwich would be a good candidate for them. The basic bread and cheese aren't too bulky, to start, saving room for plenty more fillings. Said carb and dairy also go well with so many other ingredients, it's almost harder to not start piling them on. And a few thin, tart apple slices are one such obvious inclusion that you might already have on your kitchen counter.

Apples and grilled cheese are so canonically tasty when paired together that the match might already be familiar from a favorite restaurant. One of mine, Henry Public — which also serves the best turkey sandwich in New York City — has been adding apples to its grilled cheese for as long as I can remember. And you can easily recreate the same combination at home by slicing the apple thin enough to retain its crisp texture, arranging the fruit between a couple of cheese slices for the optimal melt, and cooking the sandwich how you normally would. The texture contrast is tops, and the tartness of all but the sweetest apple varieties will mingle terrifically with most of the cheese options that you'd want to use.

American cheese and white bread are the unofficial, undisputed champions of this sandwich, and probably what most people will envision when they think of a grilled cheese. An equally common apple like a Granny Smith is also great in this equation, as its perky sourness can cut through some of the cheese's fatty saltiness. There are plenty of other excellent pairings, too

When it comes to other cheese and apple combos, there are many ripe for the tasting. Cheddar, American's anecdotal runner-up in the grilled cheese category, can be mildly buttery or famously sharp, depending on the kind you buy — and all are appealing with apples. This is why so many people even put this versatile cheese on their apple pie. That Granny Smiths are among the most popular apples for pie gives this grilled cheese adaptation's flavor profile even more credence. The similarly ubiquitous and likewise tart McIntosh apples are also delicious in either of these configurations.

Besides American or cheddar, the brie that you might be more used to baking with apples is also wonderful when sandwiched with those same fruits. A fairly plain white bread would best let those elements sing without competition. The aforementioned Granny Smith, McIntosh, or even narrowly sweeter Pink Lady would be lovely here, too. Brie, of course, does not typically come pre-portioned, but a fridge-temp wheel will slice nicely enough width-wise with a sharp knife. You'll just want to avoid the rind in this case, as it won't melt. The newly sliced interior will, though, and you'll want to place those slices on both sides of the apples, connecting the cheese with the bread so it best meets the heat. The fat of your choice, whether you're a butter lover or a mayo grilled cheese devotee will also work for sizzling over medium-low until your apple grilled cheese is golden outside, gooey inside, and all the better with the botanical addition.