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.
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…
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.
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.
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:
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:
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.
Apple Bacon Gouda Grilled Cheese
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
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
Originally posted on Will Cook For Smiles on October 3rd, 2013.
Julie @ Julie's Eats & Treats says
Thanks for including my cookies Lyuba!!! Love this time of year for the apple and pumpkin 🙂
lyuba says
Oh me too!
You’re most welcome! Thank you, Julie!
Carole @ The Sweet Chick says
Great round up! Thanks for including me.And your Apple Bacon Gouda Grilled Cheese sounds fabulous. I love apples and cheese, I guess I was missing out on the baco.
lyuba says
Of course, Carole! Thank you so much!
Julianne @ Beyond Frosting says
The Food Fights are awesome, but I am not sure if there will be a clear winner here.
lyuba says
Thanks so much, Julianne!
Heather @ French Press says
pumpkin vs apple is a tough one 🙂 but I LOVE that grilled cheese
lyuba says
Thank you so much, Heather!
Emily says
Lyuba that grilled cheese is what dreams are made of! I’m going to say apple just because I love apple cider so much 🙂
lyuba says
Oh, thank you, Emily!!
Lindsay @ Life, Love and Sugar says
Thanks for featuring my cupcakes Lyuba! Mmm pumpkin vs apple – hard to decide!
lyuba says
Of course, Lindsay! Thank you!
Tahnycooks says
ahhhh….the grill cheese of my dreams. Look so good!
lyuba says
Thanks so much, Tahny!
Nat D. says
I might cry. This looks sooooo good. Cheese and fruit and BACON!? With the weather cooling down I want to make this “stat!”
lyuba says
I hope you will, Nat!! Thank you!
Deb@CookingOnTheFrontBurner says
Nice post Lyuba! Thanks for using my recipe – pinning!
lyuba says
Thank you, Deb!!
shamene@sayitwithcake says
Wow your Apple Bacon Gouda Grilled cheese looks so delicious! Thank you for including me in your roundup Lyuba!
lyuba says
Thank you so much, Shamene!
Barbara B says
I did everything I could to resist copying your apple bacon gouda grilled cheese and I lost the fight. It just looks so scrumptious and Honey Crisp are my very favorite apples. and I love Gouda cheese, and bacon…please. It’s a trifecta and I have 2 of the ingredients already. My kitchen is calling me.
lyuba says
I hope you made it and devoured it! Thank you, Barbara!
Stephanie says
Apple! I love them both, but I get tired of pumpkin a lot faster than apple.
lyuba says
That is true, Stephanie! Thank you!
Samantha @ Five Heart Home says
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!) 🙂
lyuba says
Pumpkin is the best this time of year! Thank you, Samantha!
Carrie @ Frugal Foodie Mama says
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!
lyuba says
Thank you so much, Carrie!
Holly Lefevre says
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!
lyuba says
I would never!! Thank you so much, Holly 🙂
Kiki says
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
lyuba says
Thanks so much, Kiki!
Dawn from I Think We Could Be Friends says
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
lyuba says
It was awesome… really, really awesome! Thank you!
Crystal says
I want this for lunch! I bet the apples taste great with the cheese. Thank you so much for including my muddy buddies! 🙂
lyuba says
It totally rocks in the grilled cheese! Thank you, Crystal!
Tiffany says
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..
lyuba says
Tell me about it! Apples have been outrageous lately!
Thank you Tiffany!
Kristen Duke says
I love grilled cheese and especially trying new, tasty variations! I will be trying this one SOON!
lyuba says
Thank you, Kristen!