This grilled cheese with brie is a favorite family 15 minute meal that tastes fabulous! It’s no ordinary sandwich because it also adds pear for sweetness, bacon for a salty crunch, & caramelized onions for the perfect finish. You won’t believe how mind-blowing these are!
These simple sandwiches are a new twist on the classic grilled cheese and yes, they are kid-friendly. The distinctive combination of sweet, savory, salty, and tangy come together between two gorgeous slices of grilled bread. You can use any type of bread, just be sure it is a heart loaf because it needs some density to stand up to all the yummy ingredients!
Can I use different cheeses in the sandwich?
Absolutely! If you decide to play around with the cheeses, stick to keeping one mild and melty, and let the other be more pungent and stronger. You need the balance of both in this special sandwich.
This recipe uses brie and Swiss cheese as it’s base but feel free to try out your favorite cheeses instead. There aren’t many cheeses that don’t go well with pears and bacon so be adventurous.
There is one caveat and I know I will offend some of you by saying this, but for this grilled cheese sandwich, stay away from American cheese. I’m not an American cheese hater in any way, but for the pairing of the pear and bacon, it really wouldn’t be a great match.
Feel free to try any of these personal favorites on your version of this sandwich, again remembering one more mild and melty, and the other more pungent:
- Pepper jack
- Sharp cheddar
- Provolone
- Munster
- Havarti
- Blue
- Gruyere
- Fontina
- Gouda
- Goat
What is brie cheese?
Brie cheese is honestly one of the most versatile cheeses on the market. Some call it “the little black dress of cheeses.” It is a French cheese and is best known for how soft and creamy it is. Generally, it is made from cow’s milk and has a white rind around it. And yes, you should eat the rind.
Fruit and cheese boards often feature brie because it pairs so well with them but don’t be limited to only using it in that setting. Give it a go in this grilled cheese with brie and your eyes will begin to be opened to how versatile of a cheese it can become.
What to serve with grilled cheese with brie?
Just because this sandwich might sound like you need extra special sides to pair with it, you don’t. Just simply throw on some salty potato chips, fruit salad, or a slaw onto the plate as well. Perfection!
Looking for more great sandwiches?
Try out one of my other great sandwiches that have been fan favorites for years!
Grilled Italian Vegetarian Panini 
Southwest Monte Cristo Sandwiches
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Print Grilled Cheese with Brie, Pear, Bacon & Caramelized Onions
Take your boring grilled cheese to a whole new level with this amazing sandwich that is so packed with flavor you will never go back!
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 sandwiches 1x
Ingredients
8 slices of bacon
2 cups chopped onions
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 (1 ounce) slices Swiss Cheese
4 ounces Brie cheese, thinly sliced
2 firm but ripe pears, sliced
4 tablespoons softened butter
8 slices hearty bread
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over high heat. When hot, add the bacon and cook until brown and crispy. Remove bacon from pan and place on paper towels to drain.
- Remove all but 2-3 tablespoons of bacon fat from the pan and add the onions. Sauté on high for two minutes, then reduce to medium-high heat and cook until onions are dark brown in color, about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Assemble each sandwich by spreading 1/4 of the onion mixture on a piece of bread, add the Swiss cheese, pear, 2 slices of bacon, 1 ounce of Brie, and another slice of bread. Butter outsides of the sandwich and grill on medium heat until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main dish
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich
- Calories: 678
- Sugar: 16 g
- Sodium: 1037 mg
- Fat: 39 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 18 mg
Keywords: grilled cheese sandwiches, 15 minute meals
Donald says
These surprised me with how good they were. I didn’t think I would like them but they were REALLY good.
Always a skeptic 🙂 It helps that there is bacon in there as well because I know how much you love bacon!