This is a sponsored post with Dairy Farmers of Canada, but, as always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that make Girl Heart Food possible and for helping me to continue to do what I love – cook, eat and share delicious recipes! #CanadianCheese
Looking for an easy, satisfying dinner? This Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Heidi, Pear and Caramelized Onions will hit the spot! Ooey, gooey Heidi cheese, slow cooked caramelized onions and sweet pear is sandwiched between buttery, grilled bread. Grilled cheese is such an iconic childhood favourite for many and for good reason – you’re going to love this one!
Did you know that April is National Grilled Cheese Month? Say whaaaaa? A whole month dedicated to grilled cheese? Now, that’s my kinda month. Though it’s month end, better late than never I say to share this delicious recipe with you guys. Who doesn’t love a good grilled cheese sandwich? Certainly, not me. I don’t know about you, but cheese + butter + bread runs through my veins (oh, and maybe wine). When I told my sister in law that I was approached to do a sponsored post where I would be talking about and creating delicious recipes with cheese, she thought it was the absolute perfect fit for me. So………
True story (as always) – you know next to the pic of yourself in your high school year book where they have little factoids about yourself? Well there was a question about favourite food; I said ‘Almost anything, especially food with cheese….mmmmm cheese.’ Think of Homer Simpson saying that, with mouth open, drooling. Anyway, when they printed it they left out the ‘mmmmm’ part. Good, but took away from the quirky, funny intention that I was going for – ya know, basically me! Still, 17 year old me loved cheese even back then…..way too many years ago.
If you know me, or follow this blog, you know that I’m no stranger to cheese, butter and all that good stuff. Nothing like it and I honestly haven’t met a cheese that I haven’t liked yet. Stinky? Sure, bring it on. Mild and gooey. Come to momma. Yeap, that’s me.
I’ve tried so many cheeses and my fridge is always loaded with a bunch. I’m pretty sure I have about 6 varieties in there now. One cheese that I hadn’t tried before is Heidi. Of course, I was super intrigued when I was presented this cheese and wanted to try it right away.
Canadian Cheese
Heidi is a cheese made in British Columbia and aged for a minimum of 8 months. It’s similar to gruyère and wickedly melty, which means it’s a perfect fit for grilled cheese sandwiches, mac-n-cheese or the super cheesy top (my favourite part) of French onion soup. It’s a firm cheese and you know what I love about it (besides the taste)? The first ingredient is organic cow’s milk. Good stuff.
Simple Ingredients for a Delicious Grilled Cheese Sandwich
The ingredients for this sandwich are pretty simple and I’m all about that! The caramelized onions take a little bit of time, but so worth it. The rest of this grilled cheese is easy peasy and you know that the star of the show is, of course, the cheese. To assemble this goodness, make sure you liberally butter a good quality bread (twist my arm on that one, lol). Top with the prepared onions, thinly sliced pear (for that sweet and fresh touch), and copious amounts of Heidi cheese. You gotta know by now that I’m all about sweet and savoury combos and this one delivers.
To get those gorgeous grill marks (we eat with our eyes first, don’t we?), I heated a griddle cast iron pan on medium low and grilled the sandwiches for about 3 minutes per side until golden brown and the cheese was melty and screaming to be eaten.
To make this a substantial dinner, I added oven baked fries to the mix (totally optional, of course). The potatoes are par-boiled, drained and then tossed in butter and a touch of olive oil and sprinkled with some salt, pepper, cayenne and thyme. Then, they’re baked until brown and crispy. What goes well with fries? Ketchup, of course!
I paired this meal with a Merlot and it hit the spot. It’s easy enough for a week night dinner, but special enough to have a little date night with your sweetie. Oh, I also served this with a big Kosher pickle (you’re welcome hubby)<—he has to have one of these babies with his sandwich – not complete without it!
Other Easy Sandwich Recipes you May Enjoy
- Mortadella Sandwich Recipe
- Ham & Brie Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Turkey and Cranberry Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich.
Hope you love this Grilled Cheese with Heidi, Pear and Caramelized Onions made with yummy Canadian cheese!
Until next time, take care and chit chat again soon.
Dawn
Grilled Cheese with Heidi, Pear and Caramelized Onions
Ingredients
Caramelized Onions
- 3 cups onions -thinly sliced (about 2 onions)
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper
- 1/2 cup veggie stock -or unsalted chicken stock
- 1 tsp fresh thyme -chopped
Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Heidi
- 4 slices good quality bread
- 3-4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup Heidi cheese -shredded or sliced into strips
- 1 pear -thinly sliced
Oven Roasted Fries (optional)
- 2-3 red potatoes -cut into fries
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp fresh thyme -chopped
- pinch cayenne pepper
Instructions
Caramelized Onions
- In a cast iron pan over low heat add butter and olive oil. Once butter is melted add onions, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring every couple minutes ensuring that are turning golden brown and tender and not crisping. After 20 minutes, add stock and stir. Cook an additional 10 minutes and finish with thyme, stirring to incorporate.
Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Butter both sides of bread. Distribute Heidi cheese over two slices of bread. Top with prepared caramelized onions and pear and then top with other bread slices.
- Cook in a griddle cast iron pan (or regular cast iron pan) for about 2-3 minutes per side on medium low heat until golden and cheese is melted. Enjoy!
Oven Baked Fries (optional)
- Place cut potatoes in pot of cold water. Bring to boil and salt to taste. Boil for only 1-2 minutes. Drain and pat dry with brown paper to remove excess moisture. Touch potatoes with butter, olive oil, salt, pepper, cayenne and thyme.
- Preheat oven to 375F and place a baking sheet in there to warm up.
- Carefully remove baking sheet from preheated oven and spread potatoes onto sheet. Bake for 40-50 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and crispy. Enjoy!
