Chipotle Apple Grilled Cheese

Perfectly balanced between sweet, spicy, smokey and savory, this chipotle apple grilled cheese sandwich is my new favorite fall lunch.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Fall is my absolute favorite season. I love the crisp weather with its chilly mornings and nights, and the gorgeous foliage here in the northeast. And I’m obsessed with all things spooky and Halloween. But my favorite part of fall might just be the food. Nothing beats the feeling of a hot hearty meal, flavored with all those warm fall spices, on a chill day. And if I were to sum up the fall season in one sandwich, this chipotle apple grilled cheese would be it.  There’s nothing cozier than a gooey grilled cheese sandwich (preferably served with tomato soup) on a crisp afternoon. The addition of chipotle sauce, made from dried jalapeno peppers, gives you all those warm spicy and smoky flavors, bringing about thoughts of crackling fireplaces. And thinly sliced apples round out the spice with a hint of sweetness. And what’s more fall than apples?

CHEESE, APPLES + CHIPOTLE

One of the reasons why I love this sandwich so much is because of its flavor combinations. While weird to some, I adore the combination of apples and a sharp cheddar cheese, which falls right into that sweet-and-savory sweet spot. And of course it wouldn’t be a chipotle apple grilled cheese without a kick of chipotle, rounding out the sweet apple with a kick of spice. For that, I simply throw a can of chipotles in adobo (one of my all-time favorite ingredients) in the blender and blend until smooth. It makes a lot more than you’ll need, but there are so many uses for the leftovers. As an alternative, you can also use any store-bought chipotle sauce (like this one).

There’s two schools of thought when it comes to making grilled cheese. One claims that softened butter is best to spread on the outside of your bread, while the other is loyal to mayonnaise. I chose mayo for this grilled cheese, but whichever you choose, the key to infusing chipotle flavor into the sandwich is to mix the chipotle sauce with the mayonnaise or butter. This will ensure you get a good, even spread of chipotle throughout the sandwich, and it also gives it a gorgeous caramelized orange color on the outside. Since you’re mixing the chipotle with mayo anyway, you could even try using a pre-made store bought chipotle mayo. But I like to be able to control the amount of spice by mixing it myself. If you like things really spicy, try adding a spread of chipotle sauce to the inside of the bread as well.