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    Home » Recipes » Sandwiches and Burgers

    Bacon, Brie, and Apple Grilled Cheese

    Published: Sep 28, 2021 · Modified: Feb 26, 2023 by Jessie · This post may contain affiliate links; if you buy something we'll earn a commission at no cost to you.

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    ""

    This easy brie and apple grilled cheese sandwich is perfect for fall! Creamy brie, crispy bacon, and fresh apple slices make this simple sandwich feel fancy and gourmet. Perfect with tomato soup!

    Three grilled cheese sandwiches on small white plates, next to small bowls of green salad.

    These bacon grilled cheese sandwiches are the perfect fall-into-fall food.

    Fresh apple slices give this sandwich juuuuust the right amount of crunch and sweetness, and the smoky, salty, buttery blend of crispy bacon and brie cheese takes the whole thing right over the top.

    Overhead view of grilled cheese ingredients in separate small bowls.

    Riffs & Substitutions

    This brie grilled cheese is an amazing blank canvas - mix it up with whatever you have on hand!

    • Add veggies for a heartier sandwich. Add fresh spinach, arugula, or kale for a pop of color. Add sliced or mashed avocado for extra creaminess. If you have the time, this bacon brie sandwich is also excellent with a spoonful of caramelized onions.
    • Mix up the cheese. We love the flavorful punch of white cheddar with the creamy, buttery texture of the brie here, but this recipe is pretty flexible! Goat cheese and mozzarella are both good substitutes for some or all of the cheeses in this recipe. You can also use a bit of whipped goat cheese or whipped feta!
    • Use seasonal fruit. We love fresh apple slices, but these sandwiches are great with pear slices, fresh blackberries or blackberry jam (à la our blackberry grilled cheese), or peaches. This grilled cheese is also excellent with a bit of leftover cranberry sauce.
    • Swap the protein. Use prosciutto, grilled or shredded slow cooker chicken, a slice of ham, leftover Thanksgiving turkey, or a fried egg instead of (or in addition to!) the bacon here.
    Assembling grilled cheese sandwiches in a large black skillet.

    Pair it with a creamy fall soup

    This brie grilled cheese was maaaaaade to be dunked into a warm, cozy soup. A few of our favorites:

    • Vegan Roasted Tomato Soup (vegan)
    • Apple & Beer Cheese Soup
    • Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
    • Creamy Apple Tomato Soup (vegan)
    • Roasted Red Pepper Soup (vegan)
    Hands pulling two halves of a grilled cheese sandwich apart.

    A few grilled cheese FAQs

    Can I make grilled cheese sandwiches in the oven?

    Yes! Grilled cheese is SO easy to make in the oven (perfect for a crowd!) Butter your bread slices, assemble each sandwich as directed, then lay sandwiches on a large sheet pan and bake at 400° F for 5-7 minutes (or until the tops are lightly toasted), then flip the sandwiches over and bake another 5-7 minutes or so until toasty.

    Can I make these without the butter?

    Yes! If you have a few extra minutes, you can use leftover bacon fat to fry these sandwiches. Fry the bacon in a skillet until crispy, pour off all but a Tablespoon or so of bacon grease (save the rest for later!) and fry the grilled cheeses in the hot grease instead of spreading butter over each piece of bread. You may need to add more bacon fat as you go (and just make sure it's nice and hot so it doesn't soak into the bread before the sandwich starts to crisp up!)

    A stack of sandwiches on a wooden cutting board in front of a white surface. this recipe
    Print
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    Hands pulling two halves of a grilled cheese sandwich apart.

    Bacon, Brie, and Apple Grilled Cheese

    ★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
    • Author: Jessie
    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Cook Time: 15 minutes
    • Total Time: 25 minutes
    • Yield: Makes 4 Sandwiches 1x
    • Category: Main Dish
    • Cuisine: American
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    This easy grilled cheese recipe is perfect for fall!


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • ½ lb. bacon, cooked until crispy
    • 8 slices crusty bread (we like using our crusty artisan bread or a nice sourdough!)
    • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
    • 4 slices sharp white cheddar cheese
    • 4 thick slices brie
    • 1 apple, sliced (we like a tart variety like Granny Smith, but use whatever you like to eat!)

    Instructions

    1. Generously butter one side of each bread slice, then place half of the bread slices butter-side down in a large skillet (reserve the other half of your bread slices for the top of your sandwiches!) You may have to work in batches depending on the size of your skillet.
    2. Lay a piece of white cheddar cheese on each slice of bread, followed by 3-4 apple slices, a few pieces of crispy bacon and a slice of brie (note: it may help to tear the cheeses into small pieces so you can spread them across the surface of the entire sandwich). Top with the last four pieces of bread, buttered side up, to form your sandwiches.
    3. Turn the heat to medium.
    4. Keep an eye on the sandwiches as they cook. When the bottom piece of bread has browned up nicely (about 5-7 minutes, depending on how hot your pan is – I like to keep mine on medium-low so the cheese melts slowly and evenly) flip the sandwich to toast the other side of the bread.
    5. Remove grilled cheeses from the pan, slice in half, and serve immediately.

     


    Notes

    Additions and Substitutions. Add fresh spinach, arugula, kale, or sliced avocado for a pop of color. Add caramelized onions for extra flavor. Use sliced pears, blackberries, or peaches in place of the apples. Swap some or all of the cheese for mozzarella or goat cheese. Use prosciutto, chicken, turkey, or ham instead of bacon if you like.

    Serving Suggestions. These grilled cheese sandwiches are perfect for dunking into your favorite fall soup! Try our Roasted Tomato Soup, Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, or Apple Tomato Soup.

    What kind of apple should I use? We love the bright, tart flavor of something like a Granny Smith apple here, but you can use any variety you like! We've made these sandwiches with Honeycrisp, Red Delicious, Sansa, Fuji, Cortland, and Golden Delicious apples - they're all good! The sweeter the apple, the sweeter the sandwich will be.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size:
    • Calories: 717
    • Sugar: 7.2 g
    • Sodium: 1236.1 mg
    • Fat: 32.7 g
    • Carbohydrates: 77.8 g
    • Protein: 28.3 g
    • Cholesterol: 89 mg

    Keywords: fall, autumn, sandwich

    Tag @lifeasastrawberry on Instagram to show us what you're cooking! Nutrition information is calculated per serving; it is approximate and will vary based on many factors.

    The photos for this recipe were taken by Casey at The Mindful Hapa!

    More Easy Sandwich and Burger Recipes

    • Cranberry Brie Grilled Cheese
    • Blackberry Grilled Cheese
    • Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns
    • Roasted Mushroom Grilled Cheese

    I'm Jessie, and I like to talk about food. Tag your recipes #LifeAsAStrawberry on social media to share your creations! Learn about our team!

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    Reader Interactions

    Discussion

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    1. Casey Colodny

      October 19, 2021 at 1:53 pm

      Grilled cheese have never been better!! Skipped bacon and added some mushrooms to mine and WOW - delicious!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Team Life As A Strawberry

        October 19, 2021 at 7:45 pm

        We LOVE the addition of mushrooms!

        Reply
    2. Rachel Fields

      July 06, 2020 at 9:44 pm

      I would recommend using Granny Smith Apple. Fantastic sandwich

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    3. Elaine

      September 25, 2014 at 4:39 pm

      I love all the apple recipes for Fall!

      Reply
    4. Annette

      September 25, 2014 at 11:21 am

      My favorite fall recipe is roasted veggies (olive oil + salt + pepper + thyme). I especially like using root veggies for this.

      Reply
    5. Elaine

      September 23, 2014 at 3:40 pm

      These look so good!

      Reply
    6. Brian Joos

      September 23, 2014 at 1:30 pm

      Have you experimented with candying the bacon for this recipe? I'm curious whether that would take it over the top or make it too sweet...

      Reply
      • Jessie

        September 23, 2014 at 5:23 pm

        I haven't tried it, mainly because I'm really not a big fan of candied bacon. It might make it a little too sweet to just put candied bacon into this exact recipe, but you could counteract that by using tart apples (like Granny Smith) and adding some goat cheese in place of some or all of the brie.

        Reply
        • Brian Joos

          September 25, 2014 at 10:56 am

          Thanks for the reply. I think I'll try the goat cheese and granny smith idea. I'll let you know how it turns out!

          Reply
    7. Brittany Koelmel

      September 22, 2014 at 4:42 pm

      Pumpkin anything! Pumpkin pie for sure though.

      Reply
    8. Carla S

      September 22, 2014 at 5:43 am

      My favorite is apple crisp with a double crust.

      Reply
    9. Amy L

      September 21, 2014 at 8:10 am

      I love to make homemade chunky applesauce in the fall. I stir it into my oatmeal and bake it into breads and muffins. I love serving it warm with pork chops.

      Reply
    10. Dani Ellerton

      September 20, 2014 at 9:22 pm

      I don't have any one favorite fall recipe, but I love cooking in the fall because there's lots of roasting and braising going on! Give me a beef burgundy and a freshly baked loaf of bread!

      Reply
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