A timeless classic, grilled cheese is a very easy way to throw a meal together without many ingredients or much time on hand. But your grilled cheese definitely doesn’t have to be boring. The easy addition of spices, jams, and herbs might have you thinking about using these meals to impress your next date.

Grilled Cheese With Cranberry Sauce

Festive Grilled Cheese

Prep Time2 minutes
Total Time12 minutes
Course: Sandwich
Cuisine: Canadian
Keyword: Brie, cheese, cranberries, grilled cheese
Servings: 1 Sandwich

Equipment

  • frying pan

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp Butter
  • 1 pinch Rosemary fresh and finely chopped
  • 1 pinch Thyme fresh and chopped
  • 2 slices Bread I used Swiss Boule (country loaf)
  • 3 slices Brie
  • 1.5 tbsp Cream Cheese
  • 1 tbsp Cranberry Sauce

Instructions

  • In a pan on medium-low heat, warm the spices in half the butter
  • Assemble your sandwich by spreading cream cheese, then cranberry sauce, place Brie slices on top and put in pan Brie side down.
  • Toast until golden brown, and do not be tempted to turn the heat up, the cheese needs time to melt and you want that to happen before the outside burns.
  • Flip, adding the other half of the butter to the pan. Toast for a minute or two less than the first side, the pan will be hotter.
  • Enjoy with extra cranberry sauce if you love it as much as I do.

One of my favourite parts of the holidays is always having cranberry sauce around. The tartness pairs great with spices and brie to create a delicious and simple meal.

cranberry brie grilled cheese

Sweet Onion Grilled Cheese

This jam was one of those farmer market finds where you just want to slather it on anything. The sweet caramelized onions and a balsamic glaze would work as a great substitute if you can’t be blessed with a jar of this stuff.

elevated grilled cheese with sweet onion jam

Sweet Onion Grilled Cheese

Prep Time2 minutes
Total Time12 minutes
Course: Sandwich
Cuisine: Canadian
Keyword: cheese, feta, grilled cheese, onion
Servings: 1 Sandwich

Equipment

  • frying pan

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp Butter
  • 2 slices Bread I used an 9 grain stone-ground loaf, rye is also recommended
  • 1 slice Feta
  • 1.5 tbsp Sweet + Tangy Onion Jam Made by Glasshouse Greens
  • 1 slice Jarlsburg Cheese

Instructions

  • In a pan on medium-low heat, melt half the butter
  • Assemble the sandwich with the cheeses grouped and the jam slathered on a slice of bread for the most sandwich structural integrity.
  • Heat in a pan until golden brown. The second side will take slightly less time. I find it easiest to flip by placing it on a cutting board.
  • Enjoy with champagne mustard

Pesto Grilled Cheese

Pesto Grilled Cheese

Prep Time2 minutes
Total Time12 minutes
Course: Sandwich
Cuisine: Canadian
Keyword: grilled cheese, Mozzarella, Pesto
Servings: 1 Sandwich

Equipment

  • frying pan

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp Butter
  • 2 slices Bread
  • 1.5 tbsp Pesto
  • 1 slice Mozzarella
  • 1 slice Provolone

Instructions

  • In a pan on medium-low heat, melt half the butter
  • Assemble your sandwich, and fry until golden
  • Flip the sandwich and add the other half of the butter, this side will take slightly less time.
  • Enjoy alongside tomato soup.

Two stringy kinds of cheese make this gooey sandwich very satisfying to pull apart. This also may be the ultimate side to tomato soup. If you’re not a tomato soup fan, consider adding some sun-dried tomatoes to the sandwich for an acidic kick that will balance out these rich flavours.

pesto grilled cheese

Fruit and Wine Inspired Sandwich

If you haven’t tried Merlot cheddar yet, you should get yourself to a Costco. I also find its cheese in small grocery stores by Balderson’s. Thinly slice your pears so they cook inside the sandwich, releasing sweet juices that really elevate this sandwich.

If you have not yet read of all the wonderful flavours smoked honey can bring to your vegetarian cooking, I highly recommend you check out some of my other recipes featuring this ingredient!

smoked honey and pear grilled cheese

Pear and Smoked Honey Grilled Cheese

Prep Time2 minutes
Total Time12 minutes
Course: Sandwich
Cuisine: Canadian
Keyword: grilled cheese, honey, pear
Servings: 1 Sandwich

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp Butter
  • 2 slices Bread I used a simple country loaf, but the tangy-ness of rye would add a lot to this sandwich
  • 1 pinch Rosemary fresh and chopped
  • 0.25 whole Pear Slice into ¼ cm or smaller
  • 0.25 tbsp Smoked Honey
  • 1 slice Merlot Rind Cheddar

Instructions

  • Heat half the butter in a pan on medium-low heat.
  • Assemble sandwich with rosemary on one side of the cheese and pear on the other.
  • Cook low and slow to allow the pear to warm up. On the flip, add the other half of the butter.
  • Enjoy as a perfect low hassle appetizer.

Grilled Mac and Cheese

Grilled Cheese stuffed with Black Truffle Maccaroni

Prep Time2 minutes
Total Time12 minutes
Course: Sandwich
Cuisine: Canadian
Keyword: avocado, grilled cheese, Truffles
Servings: 1 Sandwich

Equipment

  • frying pan

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp Butter
  • 2 slices Bread
  • 0.25 cup Truffle Mac and Cheese
  • 0.25 whole Avocado Thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp Peri-Peri Sauce

Instructions

  • heat half the butter in a pan over medium-low heat
  • Assemble your sandwich by smearing your Mack and cheese onto the bread, topping with the avocado and Peri-Peri. It's fine to use the Mac at room temperature or out of the fridge.
  • Cook low and slow, adding the other half of the butter at the flip
  • Enjoy with garlic aoili

The sandwich of your stoner university dreams. Really the perfect use for when there’s less than one full serving of mac and cheese left in the pot. have you ever seen anything more Canadian?

Recipe for my truffle Mac and Cheese coming next week.

mac and grilled cheese with avocado and peri-peri sauce