Blackberry Grilled Cheese With Prosciutto And Sage Recipe

Considering that both bread and cheese have been food staples around the world for many centuries, there has certainly been a lot of time with which to invent new combinations. Although it is thought that grilled cheese as we know it now was first devised in the 1920s, sandwiches have been enjoyed for nearly 2 millennia – there's a good chance some of our ancestors also decided to add a little heat to their sandwiches to enjoy that oozy, cheesy filling that makes a grilled cheese so divine.

Created by Tasting Table recipe developer Jennine Rye, this blackberry grilled cheese with prosciutto and sage adds a gourmet twist to the standard grilled cheese. Fresh, sweet blackberries, herby sage, and salty prosciutto are paired with Brie and Gouda to make this a grilled cheese of your dreams. The sweet, nutty flavor of the Gouda and the stronger, creamy Brie both melt wonderfully to give that classic, cheesy ooze that every good grilled cheese needs, and the saltiness of the cheeses and prosciutto perfectly balances out the sweetness of the berries. Fried in buttered slices of sourdough bread for that crispy, golden finish, this grilled cheese makes for a great lunch option any day of the week.

To begin this blackberry grilled cheese with prosciutto and sage, you will first need to gather the ingredients. You will want butter, sourdough bread, Gouda, fresh sage leaves, blackberries, prosciutto, and Brie.

Butter the outside of each slice of bread.

Place two slices of bread, butter side down, into a cold frying pan.

Place the sliced Gouda on top of both slices of bread.

Top the Gouda with the sage leaves, placing 2 on each slice of bread.

Divide the blackberries between the two bread slices.

Top the blackberries with the slices of prosciutto, one for each bread slice.

Add the sliced Brie on top of the prosciutto.

Top each slice with the remaining two slices of bread, butter facing outward.

Heat up the frying pan to a medium heat.

Allow the sandwich to fry gently for around 4–5 minutes, until the bread is golden and crisp and the cheese is melting.

Using a spatula, carefully flip each sandwich and fry on the other side for 2–3 minutes, until the base is similarly golden and crisp and the cheese has melted.

Remove from the pan and serve immediately.

The star ingredient of any grilled cheese is obviously the cheese, so you need to pick your type of cheese carefully to make sure you get the most out of this delicious and comforting meal option. The cheese's flavor and melting ability are the two fundamental properties of any good grilled cheese-worthy cheese; essentially, it needs to be both gooey and tasty. This recipe uses Gouda and Brie, and both pair well with fruit. The Gouda has a milder, nuttier taste, and the Brie adds a little more punchiness to the palette. Cheddar and Gruyère are also great choices for grilled cheese, adding more sharpness and richness that pairs particularly well with the blackberries in this recipe. Cheeses such as mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and Swiss cheese are also classic grilled cheese options, adding lots of oozy texture with slightly milder and sweeter flavor profiles — you'll want to pair these with a stronger cheese to get the most out of your meal.

Although Parmesan is not known for its oozy, melty texture, it does pan fry particularly well. So, if you want to raise your grilled cheese game, why not press the buttered sides of toast into grated Parmesan before frying them? This will create a delicious, golden crust on the outside of your grilled cheese, adding even more flavor and texture.

Grilled cheese is a super-comforting and easily adaptable meal, and there are plenty of ways that you can switch up this blackberry grilled cheese to suit your tastes. One simple but highly effective way to change up a grilled cheese is to use different bread, as this will give your finished meal completely different flavors and textures. If you like your grilled cheese super soft with a focus on the fillings, switch out the sourdough for soft white sandwich bread. On the other end of the spectrum, multigrain and rye bread offer more substance and texture of their own.

As well as adapting the kind of cheese you use for this recipe, you can look at switching up the other ingredients for a different flavor finish. If you aren't a fan of the deep, earthy flavor of sage, basil also makes a great option for this grilled cheese, adding a lighter, more peppery, and herbal taste. If you enjoy the sweetness of the blackberries in this recipe, why not try adding some pan-fried apple alongside the tart berries? The combination will give you a fruity grilled cheese, and the combination of apple and blackberry is reminiscent of fall, making it a perfect option for the chillier months of the year.