A delicious pear grilled cheese sandwich, with pear, Gouda cheese and balsamic onion. It is a delicious Fall comfort food indulgence and a delicious way to enjoy Fall pears.

Pear, Gouda and Balsamic Onion Grilled Cheese

This pear grilled cheese starts with a lovely seedy bread. It’s spread with mayonnaise, then grilled in butter, then cooked low and slow to allow the cheese to melt. The sandwich is also weighted down as it cooks, to achieve a perfect and consistent grill. It may seem like a lot or work, but when it comes to sandwiches like this, if you’re in, make it perfect!

And when you sit down to this one, you will be richly rewarded – with the nutty, creamy gouda and the sweet pears and the lovely onions that are just the perfect savoury foil. Certainly not everyday food, but a worthy splurge this time of year.

Pear, Gouda and Balsamic Onion Grilled Cheese

Ingredients and Substitutions

Pears – you can use can use any ripe, but still firm pear. No need to peel unless you want to.

Gouda Cheese – Gouda cheese pairs beautifully with pears, but Brie, Camembert or Goat Cheese would also be nice here.

Bread – I love this grilled cheese with a seedy or multigrain bread, but you can use any bread you have or enjoy.

Recipe Tips

As mentioned above, if you’re aiming for the perfect grilled cheese, it will require patience. Low and slow is the way to go, so resist the urge to crank the heat up.

Pear, Gouda and Balsamic Onion Grilled Cheese

Pear, Gouda and Balsamic Onion Grilled Cheese

Get the Recipe: Gouda and Pear Grilled Cheese

Nutty, creamy gouda cheese meets sweet pears and savoury balsamic onions in this delicious grilled cheese sandwich.
5 stars from 7 ratings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 1 sandwich

Ingredients

For 1 Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Double as necessary.

    Balsamic Onions:

    • 1/2 small onion, sliced in to rings
    • 1 Tablespoon butter
    • 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
    • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
    • Pinch salt

    For the Sandwich:

    • 2 slices multigrain bread, or bread of your choice
    • 1 Tablespoon butter, cut in half
    • 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
    • 1/2 cup Gouda cheese, shredded or Brie, Camembert or Goat Cheese
    • 1/2 pear, ripe but still firm, unpeeled, halved cored and thinly sliced
    • Freshly ground pepper
    • Balsamic Onions, from above

    Instructions
     

    • Make the balsamic onions: Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a skillet. Add onions and cook, stirring, until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until syrupy, about 2 minutes more. Set aside.
    • Prepare cheese and pears and set aside.
    • In a skillet, melt 1/2 Tbsp of the butter over medium heat. Spread one slice of the bread with 1/2 of the mayonnaise. Place mayonnaise side down on top of the butter. Quickly top bread with 1/2 the cheese, a single layer of the pear slices (you may not need all), a grind of pepper, the balsamic onions, then the rest of the cheese. Top with second bread slice. Reduce heat to medium-low. Place a plate on top of the sandwich, concave side down, to act as a weight (a dinner plate works well here). Allow to cook a few minutes, checking the underside of the sandwich regularly. When golden, remove plate from top. Spread the top of the sandwich with the remaining mayonnaise. Lift sandwich with a spatula. Add the remaining 1/2 Tbsp butter to the pan and allow to melt. Return sandwich to skillet, mayonnaise spread side down and cook as before with a plate over-top, until golden on the underside. Remove to a cutting board. Cut in half and enjoy!

    Notes

    Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card, for more tips on making this recipe.
    Cuisine: American, Canadian
    Course: Main Course
    Serving: 1sandwich, Calories: 775kcal, Carbohydrates: 47g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 62g, Saturated Fat: 34g, Cholesterol: 179mg, Sodium: 1331mg, Potassium: 413mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 1270IU, Vitamin C: 6.4mg, Calcium: 753mg, Iron: 1.6mg
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