In honor of National Grilled Cheese Day, we asked plantbased RDN, Jaime Bachtell-Shelbert, the creator behind Wholly Nourished, for an interesting twist on the classic grilled cheese. She headed out to Getaway Wild Rose to craft this delicious Apple Cheddar Grilled Cheese with Thyme while she reconnected to nature and her family. Read on for her recipe.
Ingredients:
- 2 thick slices of sourdough, or bread of choice
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ of a medium apple such as honeycrisp, sliced into ⅛ “ half moons
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ½ tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- Optional: honey for drizzling
Instructions:
- Heat a medium cast iron skillet atop a grill rack over the campfire.
- Spread butter on one side of each of the 2 slices of bread and lay them on a surface butter side down.
- Top one slice of the bread with ½ cup shredded cheese.
- Place the apple slices atop the cheddar, about 5 slices across.
- Add another ½ cup layer of cheddar cheese atop the apples.
- Close the sandwich with the remaining slice of bread, butter side facing out.
- Sprinkle the sea salt and fresh thyme leaves in the center of the skillet.
- Place the sandwich atop the salt and thyme, pressing the sandwich down to achieve a salt and thyme crust. (see note)
- Let the sandwich cook on each side until the crust is golden crisp and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes each side depending on the heat of the fire.
- Remove from the pan. Drizzle with honey if desired for a sweet and salty sandwich. Enjoy!
Notes:
- To achieve a nice crisp crust place a weight on top of the grilled cheese while it cooks. Campfire cooking can require some improvisation, so I made a makeshift weight filling a pan with the rocks from around the campfire and placing it atop the grilled cheese. It worked perfectly!
What makes the perfect comfort food?
To me the perfect comfort food is tied to feelings of nostalgia. Grilled cheese is one of those foods for me, and each time I make one it transports me to my childhood and happy memories of grilled cheese and tomato soup with my mom. Comfort foods give you all the feels!
How will you be slowing down this Spring and making the most of this season?
With my oldest about to head off to college in the fall, I plan to slow down and be present in every moment this spring. It will be more about living in the moment and taking every opportunity to play and have fun and laugh. For my family, in the spring, we love to play outdoor games and dine on the patio making sweet memories.
How did you recharge on your escape to nature?
Booking and staying at a Getaway house was a breath of fresh air! Time in nature is always time well spent, particularly during my stay when I felt the transition of spring in the air. I hiked the recommended trails and spent time cooking and connecting with my family around the campfire. The early mornings are my favorite time to recharge and spending them reading and having coffee in the adirondacks by the cabin was next level! I can’t wait to go back!