The Classic Sandwich That's Better On Pumpkin Bread

Once the weather gets cozier and the leaves take on tinges of orange and brown, our bread recipes follow suit. Pumpkin bread has a warm ochre color thanks to the main ingredient, as well as a nutty, slightly sweet taste. Though we enjoy it with a swipe of buttercream frosting or a spiced glaze, the bread also makes the most delicious grilled cheese sandwich.

Pumpkin bread is often regarded as a dessert, like banana bread or coffee cake. However, the earthy taste allows it to seamlessly be paired with savory ingredients, such as cheese. The soft, nutty flavor of pumpkin makes for a delicious base on which to build a grilled cheese sandwich. To make the bread more suitable for a sandwich, you can reduce the amount of sugar in a recipe or forgo it completely, choosing instead to use yeast for a lighter, airier taste and texture. Either way, the earthy pumpkin taste brings out the depth of cheese.

To upgrade your pumpkin bread for the best grilled cheese, opt for homemade pumpkin puree. If you're going to be keeping the recipe simple, using fresh ingredients makes a big impact on flavor. A blend of baking spices, like Frontier's Pumpkin Pie Spice, gives the bread that classic, warm taste and aroma. However, you can spring for herbs like sage, thyme, and rosemary to make the bread a little more savory for your grilled cheese sandwich.

Embrace the mild, nuttiness of the pumpkin bread with creamy, buttery cheeses. Goat cheese and mozzarella's soft tastes complement pumpkin bread's own, with each flavor allowing the other to shine. You can stick with a simple cheese and bread combo, or bulk things up with a few extra ingredients. Some roasted red peppers or tomatoes bring an umami flavor to the sandwich with a dash of sweetness that complements the pumpkin perfectly.

If you want to lean more into the sweetness of pumpkin bread, use it to make blackberry grilled cheese with prosciutto and sage. The earthy bread pairs well with the tangy, juicy blackberries, salty prosciutto, and woodsy sage. However, it's the Gouda that ties everything together. Creamy and dense with a nutty aftertaste, the cheese enhances the deep flavor of pumpkin bread.

To really lean into the earthiness of the bread, use it for a mixed mushroom grilled cheese. The mix of oyster, white, and baby portobello mushrooms brings a savory, rich taste to the pumpkin bread. For the cheeses, creamy Boursin and smoky, sweet Comté finish off the delicious sandwich, giving the pumpkin bread a heady, cozy taste. Swipe some onion jam onto the bread to give it a complex sweetness that complements both the mushrooms and bread.