Honeycrisp and Gouda Grilled Cheese #AppleWeek

This post is sponsored by Rainier Fruit. As always, all opinions are my own. 

Thinly sliced honeycrisp apples add a sweet twist to classic grilled cheese. They are paired here with gouda, but cheddar would be delicious, too. 

I love honeycrisp apples. I love eating them raw, dipped in peanut butter, in applesauce, in pie, in sangria. But with all of the sweet options there are for preparing honeycrisp apples, the savory options can get overlooked.

Apples are often included on cheese boards because they pair so well with semi-hard cheeses. They also are delicious in one of my favorite fall meals: grilled cheese sandwiches. What is it about grilled cheese that makes it such a comforting food?

I used whole wheat bread in this sandwich because that's what we keep in the house, but most varieties of sandwich bread will do. Make sure they're not sliced too thick, or else the heat won't get through to melt the cheese.

A package of pre-sliced Gouda (or cheddar) cheese will work best for melting. Aging and smoking both harden the cheese, which makes it take longer to melt, by which time your bread may burn.

I received a box full of organic honeycrisp apples from Rainier Fruit. I sliced them thinly, about a quarter of an inch thick, with my new Chicago Cutlery knife and layered them with the slices of cheese, so that the cheese would melt around the slices and hold them in the sandwich.

Finally, cook your grilled cheese low and slow. I know it's hard to be patient when there's gooey, melty cheese involved, but if you try to rush the process, you'll end up with warm bread and cold, unmelted cheese.

This is delicious for lunch, or serve with a small salad or cup of soup for a comforting dinner on a chilly evening.

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Check out more AppleWeek recipes

• Appelflappen from Palatable Pastime
• Apple Butter Cream Cheese Spread from Tip Garden
• Apple Cinnamon Roll Pie from Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids
• Apple Cranberry Galettes with Caramel Drizzle from Family Around the Table
• Apple Oat Quick Bread with Caramel Sauce from The Chef Next Door
• Apple Yeast Coffee Cake from Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Easiest Ever Applesauce from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Grilled Apple Butter Pork Tenderloin from Books n' Cooks
• Grilled Veggie Tacos with Apple Pico de Gallo from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Honeycrisp and Gouda Grilled Cheese from The Redhead Baker (recipe above)
• Italian Apple and Fig Polenta Torta from All That's Jas
• Molasses-Mustard Glazed Pork Chops with Apple Butter from Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Apples from House of Nash Eats
• Roasted Pork with Apple Puree from Simple and Savory
• Savory Apple Bacon Pizza from Cooking With Carlee
• Slow Cooker Honey Apple Pork Roast From Amy's Cooking Adventures