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Home » Lunch » Apple Bacon Gouda Grilled Cheese

Apple Bacon Gouda Grilled Cheese

Created: November 18, 2022 Updated: November 18, 2022 by Lyuba Brooke 44 Comments *This post may contain affiliate links. Read More...

56.6K shares
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Sink your teeth into something truly satisfying when you enjoy this Apple Bacon Gouda Grilled Cheese! Applewood smoked bacon, smoked gouda cheese, and sweet honeycrisp apples are sandwiched between two pieces of sourdough bread and cooked to gooey perfection.

side view of three apple bacon grilled cheese halves stacked.

Apple Bacon Gouda Grilled Cheese

I love a good grilled cheese. I mean really, who can resist gooey, warm cheese sandwiched between two pieces of buttery bread?! With that being said, I like to take grilled cheese to the next level with recipes like this one. Applewood smoked gouda cheese is made even more delicious with Applewood smoked bacon, fresh honeycrisp apple slices, and crispy, buttery sourdough bread straight from the bakery.

The combination of flavors in this grilled cheese sandwich is what makes it so incredible. It’s a little salty, sweet, and savory in every single bite! It’s got a whole lot to love. Oh, and there’s another “s” adjective to add to that list as well – smokey! The applewood smoked bacon and applewood smoked gouda lend the most incredible smokey flavor to this sandwich that’s definitely noticeable, but not so overwhelming that you can’t enjoy the salty sweetness of it too.

As it goes with any good grilled cheese recipe, this unforgettably good sandwich is so simple and quick! You’ll be done making this easy lunch in about twenty minutes or less. Feel free to plate it with some potato chips, fresh fruit, or any other side dish you want to get a little creative with. If you want to make it super decadent, you can even dunk it in some leftover gravy from Thanksgiving…

ingredients to make bacon apple gouda grilled cheese on the board.

Ingredient Notes:

Bread, bacon, cheese, apples, and a little butter – that’s all it takes to make the BEST grilled cheese sandwich! This is a budget-friendly lunch idea you’ll love making over and over again.

  • Bread – I highly recommend getting your bread from the deli/bakery section of your grocery store. This is because you get the signature crusty outside and super soft inside. We like to use Italian loaf, sourdough, or just deli white bread. You can even request that they slice it for you! Many grocery stores have that option available.
  • Bacon – You can always feel free to use your favorite bacon. However, we love applewood smoked bacon for this grilled cheese because of how well it compliments the gouda.
  • Cheese – Apple smoked gouda is our go-to cheese for this sandwich recipe. It gives a lot of bold and smoky flavor that pairs so well with apple and bacon. If you wish, you can substitute sharp cheddar cheese or Gruyere. (Go for younger, softer Gruyere so it melts better.)
  • Apple – Go with a sweet and juicy apple like honeycrisp! Tart or sour apples like granny smith will not give you the sweet balance to the cheese and bacon.
  • Butter – Feel free to opt for unsalted butter instead if you’re looking for a low-sodium option.

Step by Step Instructions

You’ll love how quick and easy it is to make these grilled cheese sandwiches! Plus, you essentially do everything in one skillet, which means it’s an easy clean up as well.

two slices of bread topped with Gouda cheese in the pan.
two slices of bread in the pan with cheese and one with bacon.
two slices of bread in a pan with cheese and one with bacon and apple.
grilled cheese with bacon and apple cooking in the pan.

Prepare.

Before you start assembling your sandwiches, go ahead and get your skillet ready!

Toss some salted butter in your skillet and let it melt over medium heat.

Assemble the layers.

Divide the cheese between two slices of bread. Layer with cooked bacon and fresh apple slices.

Cook the sandwich.

Cook each half of the sandwich in the buttered skillet until the cheese has just started to melt. Then, go ahead and put the two slices together to form the sandwich. This will help prevent the sandwich from falling apart.

Continue to flip and cook on each side until the cheese is fully melted and the outside is browned to your liking.

closeup of two stacked bacon and apple grilled cheeses.

Serving Suggestions

You can pair this simple sandwich with just about anything! If you’d like to keep things on the lighter side, do so with some fresh fruit or veggies. Feeling too hungry for that? Go for something heartier with one of these options:

  • Fries
  • Oven Roasted Potatoes
  • Mashed Potatoes

And if you’re serving this sandwich on a warmer day but still want some more filling sides, here are a few great ideas to consider! They’re chilled but still oh so satisfying:

  • Our Favorite Macaroni Salad
  • Southern Potato Salad
three stacked grilled cheese halves with one piece bitten.

Can I make this sandwich ahead of time?

Due to the warm, gooey, and buttery nature of these grilled cheese sandwiches, I don’t recommend making them ahead of time. They do not hold up well if stored and reheated. They’re best enjoyed as soon as they’re flipped from the skillet and onto a plate! Well, you may want to give it a moment or two to cool off a little bit… But you get the idea.

What you can do is prep it ahead of time. Combine all of the ingredients between the slices of bread and then wrap it air-tight. Refrigerate if for a day or two, no longer, and cook it as needed. With cold ingredients though, it will take a few minutes longer to heat through and the bacon won’t be as crisp as freshly baked.

three bacon apple grilled cheese halves stacked.

PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER

squared centered image of stacked apple bacon grilled cheese

Apple Bacon Gouda Grilled Cheese

Perfect sweet, salty, and cheesy combination in a grilled cheese sandwich. Made with sour dough bread, applewood smoked bacon, applewood smoked Gouda, and sweet Honeycrisp apples. 
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
Servings: 1
Calories: 959kcal
Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

  • 2 slices deli sourdough bread or Italian bread, or deli white bread
  • 3-4 slices Applewood smoked bacon
  • 3 oz smoked Gouda
  • 1/2 Honeycrisp apple sliced thin
  • 1 tbsp butter
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Note: feel free to double or triple recipe as needed to make as many sandwiches as you wish.
  • Prepare all of the ingredients first.
  • Preheat a cooking pan over medium to medium-low heat and melt butter.
  • Place two slices of bread into the pan side by side and divide the cheese among the bread slices, covering it evenly.
  • Add bacon slices and the apple slices to one bread slice.
  • Cook for a couple of minutes to let cheese start to melt, then cover the bread slice that had the bacon and apple with the other bread slice. Press gently.
  • Cook on each side until all cheese is completely melted and bread is golden brown.

Nutrition

Calories: 959kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 70g | Saturated Fat: 34g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 25g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 183mg | Sodium: 1692mg | Potassium: 438mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 909IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 638mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles and tag #willcookforsmiles
collage of two images of grilled cheese with bacon and apple up close.

Originally posted on Will Cook For Smiles on October 3rd, 2013.

LYUBA

ABOUT LYUBA

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read more...

56.6K shares

Filed Under: Apple, Fall Recipes, Lunch, Sandwich

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

Comments

  1. Janette says

    February 3, 2015 at 10:05 pm

    This was so delicious! I actually used canadian ham instead of bacon just because that’s what I had in the fridge! So good!

    Reply
  2. ami@naivecookcooks says

    October 5, 2014 at 11:45 am

    These look so so delicious!

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      October 5, 2014 at 11:14 pm

      Thank you so much, Ami!

      Reply
  3. Jodee Weiland says

    March 3, 2014 at 11:46 am

    This looks so delicious! Just looking at it makes me hungry. I love the combination…thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  4. Kristen Duke says

    October 13, 2013 at 11:10 pm

    I love grilled cheese and especially trying new, tasty variations! I will be trying this one SOON!

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      October 18, 2013 at 1:10 pm

      Thank you, Kristen!

      Reply
  5. Tiffany says

    October 11, 2013 at 11:33 pm

    That sandwich looks amazing!!! Sourdough bread and cheese are two of my most fave. food, I just recently discovered Honeycrips but they are $3.49 a lb here currently..

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      October 18, 2013 at 1:09 pm

      Tell me about it! Apples have been outrageous lately!
      Thank you Tiffany!

      Reply
  6. Crystal says

    October 10, 2013 at 11:49 am

    I want this for lunch! I bet the apples taste great with the cheese. Thank you so much for including my muddy buddies! 🙂

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      October 10, 2013 at 10:52 pm

      It totally rocks in the grilled cheese! Thank you, Crystal!

      Reply
  7. Dawn from I Think We Could Be Friends says

    October 10, 2013 at 11:38 am

    Oh my does this look incredible! I would have never thought to put apple slices in a grilled cheese, but I bet it is phenomenal! Can’t wait to try 🙂

    Stopping by from All Things Thursday, Dawn from http://www.ithinkwecouldbefriends.com

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      October 10, 2013 at 10:51 pm

      It was awesome… really, really awesome! Thank you!

      Reply
  8. Kiki says

    October 10, 2013 at 7:51 am

    Wow, your Apple Bacon Gouda Grilled cheese looks soooo good! I have to try your sandwich! I’m so happy in having found you in All Things Thursday Blog Hop {No. 14} so I found this yummy recipe! thanks

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      October 10, 2013 at 10:50 pm

      Thanks so much, Kiki!

      Reply
  9. Holly Lefevre says

    October 10, 2013 at 1:00 am

    I could not decide between apples and pumpkins…unless you force me….then I pick pumpkin…of course if it is a honey crisp apple that is different. This sandwich looks delicious!

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      October 10, 2013 at 10:49 pm

      I would never!! Thank you so much, Holly 🙂

      Reply
  10. Carrie @ Frugal Foodie Mama says

    October 8, 2013 at 8:03 pm

    I could totally go for one of these grilled cheeses right now, Lyuba! 🙂 This looks amazing!
    Thank you for sharing at Marvelous Mondays this week!

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      October 10, 2013 at 10:48 pm

      Thank you so much, Carrie!

      Reply
  11. Samantha @ Five Heart Home says

    October 7, 2013 at 8:30 pm

    This sandwich looks beyond amazing, Lyuba! And while I love both pumpkin and apple recipes, this time of year, my heart belongs to pumpkin. I feel like I can get away with apple recipes all year long, but pumpkin is limited to just a few months. (Thanks for including my pumpkin waffles in your list, by the way!) 🙂

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      October 10, 2013 at 10:47 pm

      Pumpkin is the best this time of year! Thank you, Samantha!

      Reply
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Well, hey there!

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read More.

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