Brie and Apple Grilled Cheese Melt is a wildly popular fall dish that's nothing short of amazing. Packed with fresh flavors and comforting textures, you won’t be able to get enough! It's an excellent lunch, appetizer or anytime snack. 
I think I can speak for most of us when I say that grilled cheese sandwiches are an exceptional comfort food.
It's easy to turn the concept of a typical grilled cheese into more sophisticated fare.
Take this Brie and Apple Grilled Cheese for instance -- it's not just two pieces of bread with melted cheese between them. Brie cheese is special -- it's rich, buttery and creamy, and it lends itself to this preparation.
Imagine this melting deliciousness with sweet caramelized onion, soft apples and fresh herbs.
I serve this as an open-faced grilled cheese because I think it's especially pretty.
Ingredients for Brie and Apple Grilled Cheese
(I often suggest brands I love and use — these are only suggestions -- this is not a sponsored post.)
- sourdough bread
- garlic - Look for firm heads of garlic without any soft spots or green shoots, which is an indication of old garlic. (Raw garlic cloves should be firm without any dark spots.)
- extra virgin olive oil - I like this one.
- yellow onion - Try to choose onions that are firm, heavy for their size and without bruises.
- fresh thyme - Look for perky bunches and avoid any brown, bruised or yellow leaves.
- apples - I use Fuji apples for this recipe. Choose firm apples without bruising.
- brie cheese - Select a firm brie for this recipe. (Here are some brie purchasing tips.)
- honey
- salt - I bake and cook with Kosher salt. (It’s coarse and salts foods in a subtle way that enhances their flavor without making them taste salty.)
- pepper - Freshly ground is best.
- Brie and apple grilled cheese melt makes for a great appetizer dish during the holiday season, or any time during the fall and winter months. It would be lovely for Thanksgiving.
- You can also use a thin baguette and slice it into small rounds, instead of the large slices of Sourdough.
- How about dinner? Just add a delicious salad and you're set.
- I don't peel the apples for this recipe because they are sliced thinly and it makes for a pretty presentation. Feel free to peel them if you prefer the texture that way.
- If you want to substitute the apple with another fruit. Go for it. Pears would also be fantastic. And in the summer, it would delightful with peaches or strawberries.
- You can of course add another piece of garlicky bread of top if don't want it to be an open-faced sandwich.
- I suggest sourdough bread in this brie melt recipe. You can use any bread you like as long as it's not too soft, so it can easily hold all of the added ingredients.
- 2 large slices Sourdough bread
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled
- extra virgin olive oil for the pan
- 1 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 cup thinly sliced firm apples, washed and dried (Fuji, Honey Crisp, Pink Lady)
- 8 ounces firm brie cheese
- 1 tablespoon honey
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Set the oven and prep the bread. Preheat the oven to 375°F, adjust a rack to the center, line a baking sheet with foil, and place the slices of bread on top.When the oven is preheated, toast the bread. This should just take a few minutes -- you want it to be golden.
- Add garlic to the bread. With a good amount of pressure, rub each toasted slice of bread with the garlic clove — the toasted bread should “grate” it a bit, flavoring the surface. Set aside.
- Caramelize the onion with thyme and apples. Coat the bottom of a medium-sized sauté pan with the oil, and place it over medium heat. Add the onion, and stirring often, cook until golden, about 7 minutes. Then add the thyme and apples. Again, stirring often, cook until the apples become soft and golden, about 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Here’s How to Season to Taste.)
- Add brie and apple mixture to the bread. Cut the brie into slices thin enough to cover each piece of toasted bread on the baking sheet. Add them to the bread, and then top each one with an equal portion of the onion-apple mixture.
- Bake and serve. Place in the preheated 375°F oven and bake just to melt the brie, about 4 minutes. Crack a little more pepper on top if desired, and then drizzle each one with a bit of the honey. Serve immediately.
How to Make it
- Place the bread on the foil-lined baking sheet and when the oven is hot toast the bread just until it's slightly golden.
- Rub each piece of bread with a garlic clove. (A peeled clove rubbed along its surface will become softer as it moves, leaving its delicious juices behind to flavor the bread.)
- Sauté the onion until golden and then add fresh thyme and apples. Cook until the apples become soft and golden. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Cut the brie into slices and top each slice of bread with them, followed by an equal portion of the onion-apple mixture.
- Bake just to melt the brie. Remove from the oven and drizzle each one with a bit of the honey.
(More detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Serving Suggestions
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
Enjoy every last bite!
More scrumptious recipes with apples:
Brie and Apple Grilled Cheese Melt Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
NOTES
NUTRITION
More Fall & Winter Favorites
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Christina | Christina's Cucina
YUM!! I would love this combo!! I've been meaning to make a copycat version of something very similar from one of my favorite restaurants and still haven't done it. You're right though, such comfort food!
valentina
Thank you, Christina! I hope you try it -- it's SO yummy! XO
David
I’m afraid that when I make this one, I will definitely be leaving out the garlic! I still think will be wonderful. Don’t you?
valentina
Yes! For sure! Hard not to think melted brie is wonderful, any which way, right? 😉
Tilesbay
Wow, this is so yummy and tasty.
Thanks for such a lovely recipe!
valentina
Thank you for trying it! It really is so delicious! 🙂
Chef Mimi
I think I’ll do this, but put chopped apples on top of a brie. It’s a great recipe - I just don’t eat that much bread! Can’t wait. Happy Fall!
valentina
Happy fall to you, Mimi!Thanks and hope you love it! 🙂 ~Valentina
Marissa
I'm always game for meals with rich, sweet, savory flavors and this is a perfect example! What a mouthwatering way to kick off my favorite season of the year!
valentina
Hi Marissa. Thank you and enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina
Jeff the Chef @ Make It Like a Man!
My favorite movie theater closed permanently during the pandemic. They used to have a bar and a kitchen, and my husband and I would occasionally for a double-feature, and have drinks and dinner in between. They made a sandwich kind of like this, and I used to L-O-V-E. I always though I should make a version of it at home, and I guess now if I ever want one, I'll have to! But I'll model it after this one!
valentina
Hi Jeff. What a bummer the theater closed. Sounds like such a great time to see a double feature and have dinner. I love that! I hope you try this and that it brings you and your husband good memories of those times. Thanks for checking it out. 🙂 ~Valentina