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 and butter and 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
Grilled Cheese with Heidi, Pear and Caramelized Onions
Ingredients
Caramelized Onions
- 3 cups onions -thinly sliced (about 2 onions)
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper
- ½ 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
- ¾ 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
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ 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!
This looks good and pretty interesting. I haven’t tried it with pear and caramelized onions. Will definitely try this soon.
Thank you Sheila! It’s really good! Hope you like it 🙂
Definitely keeping this on my list of recipes to make with that Heidi cheese! 🙂
Thanks so much Dee 🙂 !!
Mmmmm, I’m with you on cheese…I LOVE it. And Grilled Cheese Month is the best…I love your flavour combination. I definitely need to add pear to my next one!
Totally! I think I have cheese almost every day! Thanks so much, Jo-Anna 🙂
I confess that I did a double-take when I read Grilled Cheese Heidi…but now it all makes sense. I’m a lover of all kinds of cheese and Heidi sounds amazing!!
Haha! Thanks Marissa! Me too 🙂
tastes like gruyere?! ? yes, please! this sandwich sounds like it has the flavors of french onion soup, but made even better with some juicy (or firm; both sound good!!) pear (:
Thanks Heather! I’m wishing I had another right now 🙂 Have a fantastic week and enjoy your birthday!!
Yum! That sandwich looks incredible. I am such a sucker for pears and cheese. I think i might like your veins!!! Ha. Im down with a whole month!
Haha!! Thanks very much, Cindy 🙂
Grilled cheese and pears? You had me at hello! What a perfect sweet and savory combo – I’m all in on this one, Dawn! 🙂
Thanks so much, Kate 🙂
There’s nothing better than a great grilled cheese sandwich. It just makes me feel good! Your grown up version looks spectacular! When I was a kid it was nothing but cheese on a grilled cheese. But now…I can add pears and onions and love it! 🙂
I agree, Kathy! Definitely one of my favourite things to eat 🙂 Thanks so much!
Sweet Heavens this looks so good! This could possibly be the best grilled cheese sandwich EVER!!
Awww, gee, thanks so very much, Katie 🙂 !!!
Gosh Dawn, this looks super good. I feel the same about cheese. It is in it’s own food group for me. Love cheese and all the various bacteria that make it a reality. And to have never tasted Heidi! Have a new goal now:) Great job spreading awareness of this delicious looking baby. That touch of fresh pear is totally awesome. Pear is to always be had with wine, I am positive. And cheese.
Thanks so much, Milena!! I agree- cheese in it’s own food group! Perfect to me 😉 I certainly eat enough of it, that’s for sure! Cheers to a great weekend, my friend!
I only found out about grilled cheese month last week and I was very sad about not being able to eat as much grilled cheese as is acceptable! LOL! I go all Homer Simpson on cheese too. Love your grilled cheese version! Caramelized onions? Yes please. (There’s this cheese store near us which always gives out samples while you’re shopping. Do we sometimes just go there to sample great cheese? MAYBE.)
Well, you know what you have to do now? Eat lots to make up for it 😉 Samples of cheese? Um, yes! That’s brilliant! What a way to get people to shop there 🙂 Thanks so much, Jolina!!
How did I not know it was National Grilled Cheese month?! Here it is, almost over, and I haven’t eaten A SINGLE GRILLED CHEESE!!! (Or maybe in America it’s next month. Bwahaha)
I have no idea if I can find Heidi cheese here, but I love the name, and will look for it! And wow- caramelized onions on your grilled cheese!?! BRILLIANT!!!
I know, right?? A whole month for grilled cheese – woot woot!! Thanks so much, Sarah. Cheers to a fabulous weekend 🙂
WAIT! WAIT! WAIT! You posted today?! I LOVE this! My daughter made grilled cheese last night that I didn’t have because I already had a bowl of ice cream ;), but I’ve been craving one for the past 20 hours and now you present us with this! Oh mannn – this looks wonderful! I swear I could eat caramelized onions on everything! And look at that perfectly grilled bread… Pinned, my dear!! Have a great weekend! XOXO
Haha! Yes, I did! Surprise 😉 ! Ice cream is pretty darn good too! What flavour was it? My fave is mint chocolate chip 🙂 Thank you for the lovely comment and Pin, my friend! Have a wonderful weekend too (maybe you’ll get to fulfill your grilled cheese craving 😉 ) XOXO
Our yearbook facts sound pretty similar, haha! There is nothing quite like a love for cheese. This grilled cheese, um yes HI! This is everything – love the pear and caramelized onions addition – such a great combo. I’ve never tried heidi cheese, but oh I think it’s safe to guess I will absolutely love it.
Oh, I’m pretty sure you would definitely love Heidi cheese! I’ve been eating it over the past few days and can’t stop, lol 😀 Thanks so much, Michelle!
Ooey & gooey – that is my kind of cheese 😉 I had no idea about National Grilled Cheese Month – what a lovely concept! Gruyere is one of my favourite cheeses and I am now intrigued about Heidi – love the fact that they use organic cow’s milk and that it is matured for 8 month – I bet it tastes great in combination with the sweet pear! Have a great weekend, Dawn!
Isn’t it though? A whole month of grilled cheese 🙂 ? So good! Heidi is a pretty delicious cheese and I’m sad the block is almost gone! Thanks so much, Miriam 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend too!
What?? I didn’t know it was National Grilled Cheese month???? I need to get started ASAP!! I also need me some of that Heidi cheese. Good lord woman! Stop eating it, wrap up whatever’s left and ship it to me 😉
Congrats to your first sponsored post too! Recipe is fantastic and your pics are beautiful. Can’t wait to see the next one 🙂
Well, you’ll have to eat extra grilled cheese in May to make up for…..not a bad deal, is it?? I would totally ship it to ya! Awwww, thank you so much, Karrie! You’re too sweet and seriously the BEST! XOXO
Haha I LOVE that that was your yearbook quote. I am also a huge cheese fan (DO NOT understand people who aren’t. We just can’t be friends), but had never heard of Heidi before. Must try it and imagine it’s especially awesome all melty and paired with pear, caramelized onions, and bread!! And those fries… definitely those fries. Can we also make a Heidi cheese sauce to dip the fries in?? HEAVEN.
Right? I almost live on cheese, lol 😀 Heidi cheese sauce? Um, YES!! That’s freakin’ brilliant, Sues!!
I make grilled cheese for my kiddos a lot but that’s just the boring plain kind and it doesn’t get me very excited. This, though – this is the grown-up flavor town version of grilled cheese and I am loving all the parts of it! I can’t wait to see if I can get my hands on some of that Heidi cheese too – sounds divine! Thanks for inspiring me to make ME a grilled cheese! Pinned! XO
Yay! Happy to hear that, Kathryn!! Thanks for the sweet comment and Pin! Really appreciate it 🙂 XO
Yay! So happy to hear that, Kathryn! Thanks so much for the sweet comment and Pin! Really appreciate it 🙂 XO
This grilled cheese looks so good! mmmmm cheese!! I cracked me up today! in the catholic school I graduated from they didn’t believe in yearbooks, so I can’t go back to mine to laugh but I do have some pretty pics of my senior year! thanks for sharing Dawn! have a great weekend!
Hahaha! Glad you had a chuckle, Gaila 😀 Thanks so much, my friend! Have a great weekend too 🙂 P.S. How is Zelda going 😉 ?
Yaaaahhhss to grilled cheese month! Seriously, any month that supports the consumption of grilled cheese is a month that is a-okay with me! I love your high school quote about your favorite food, Dawn… even though they left out your quirky ”mmmmmm” in print. 🙂 I’ve never heard of Heidi cheese before, so I’m wondering if it’s a Canadian thing? I’m going to have to go on a cheese-hunt for a hunk of that stuff!! This sammie looks delicious, girlfriend! I have a severe obsession with caramelized onions, and I just adore pears and cheese(duh), so I feel like you made this ooey-gooey sando just for me! Gimme gimmmmmeee! Cheers, doll! xoxo
Right?! Me too! I was debating on putting a pic of myself from my high school yearbook in this post and said, nay, I think I’ll pass, lol 😀 Thanks so much, Cheyanne! xoxo
I’m dyyyyying Dawn! This looks sooo good. Gruyere is one of my favorite cheeses so if Heidi is like that then I can just imagine how incredibly good this sandwich is. The hit of sweet from the pears must make this the most addictive grilled cheese ever. And caramelized onions. . .I have to make extra because I eat half of them right out of the pan! Just yummmm!
Thank you Kelsie!! You’d love Heidi if you love gruyere! I know what you mean – those caramelized onions are so good! Amazing how something so simple can get so much flavour, right 😉 ? Have a great weekend!
Grilled cheese sandwiches are my guilty pleasure and this one is perfection! The cheese sounds so lovely combined with the pear and caramelized onions!
Awwww, thanks Jennifer! So happy you are liking this one 🙂 Can’t beat a grilled cheese sandwich!
Hahahaha! Oh Dawn – your love for cheese is akin to my daughter’s! Though she didn’t know it was grilled cheese month – if she had, I would have had grilled cheese coming out of her pores! When I look to nuts for a quick snack, that kid of mine whips up a grilled cheese sandwich! And – if she saw this she would go GAGA!!!! And, even though am not a grilled cheese aficionado, you have me licking my lips at the thought of pear and perfectly caramelized onion and that super melty Heidi cheese enveloped by crispy bread! This is like French onion soup – in sandwich form! I didn’t know about Heidi cheese till today – and am loving that its so melty – I need to google it more and see if it’s like cheddar and gouda – easy for us lactose intolerant peeps to handle.
I hope you are having a wonderful week and weekend! xoxo
Well, perhaps your daughter needs to eat extra grilled cheese in May to make up for April 😉 Yes! Indeed – French onion soup in sandwich form-good one! You’re on the ball today 🙂 Have a fab weekend, my friend! xoxo
Yes, YAY for grilled cheese month Dawn! Those caramelized onions and pears with that cheese! What an awesome combo. I haven’t heard of Heidi cheese, but I don’t discriminate! I love all cheeses! I’ll have to check my market. Thanks for sharing and have an awesome weekend! XO
Yes, totally agree – yay for grilled cheese month!! Love all cheese too from mild to strong and everything in between 🙂 Thanks so much, Mary Ann! Have an awesome weekend too! XO
Yay for National Grilled Cheese Month! Now I totally have the image of Homer Simpson in my head talking about cheese, drooling and all haha. You really can’t go wrong with any type of cheese, the more, the better, right? I’ve never head of Heidi cheese before, but now I must look for it. Sounds like the perfect addition to this grilled cheese, Dawn! I’m obsessed with onions on just about anything, but especially the caramelized kind. And I bet the pears really bring out the flavor, too! Wishing I had this beauty for breakfast this morning, as I’m now craving ALL the grilled cheese! 🙂 Pinned and can’t wait to try out! Hope you have a fantastic weekend!
I’m with ya, Gayle! Yes! The more cheese the better! I would totally eat this for breakfast too – why not, right 😉 ? Thanks so much for the lovely comment and Pin, my friend! Have a wonderful weekend too 🙂
Cheers to Grilled Cheese Month! It seriously is one of the best months out there. 🙂 So I’m not familiar with Heidi cheese, but like you I’ve never met a cheese I don’t like. This looks so creamy and delicious…perfect for melting in a grilled cheese sammich! Speaking of sammiches, I would be all over this one. The caramelized onions + pears would complement the cheese so well! In fact, this might have to be my dinner one night soon. I’ll have to hunt around and see if we can get Heidi cheese around here anywhere…I mean we’re only a couple of hours from Canada, so maybe? Hope you are having a great week so far, Dawn! Thanks for sharing this tasty creation!
Totally is! I love all cheese too and eat pretty much every single day 🙂 Thanks so much, David! Hope you get a chance to try this one out!