Grilled cheese is a near-perfect food on its own, but adding bacon, kimchi or, in this case, heaps of caramelized onions really makes it special. Caramelizing onions takes a good half-hour, so save this recipe for when you have a little extra time and company (this recipe serves two). If time permits, you could even prep them ahead in a slow cooker. Rather than layer the grated Gruyère and the warm caramelized onions in the sandwich, you should stir them together before assembling, which guarantees that the cheese will melt evenly throughout and that each bite will contain the perfect ratio of fragrant cheese to jammy onions. A splash of sherry, red-wine or white-wine vinegar added to the onions balances out the buttery flavors, but a side salad dressed with a tangy mustard vinaigrette would do the trick, too.
Ingredients
- 8 (1 ounce) slices whole-wheat bread
- 1 cup caramelized onions
- 1 ½ ounces Gruyere, shaved with a Microplane, about 1 cup
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
Directions
- Spray a skillet with nonstick spray. Place four slices of bread in pan over medium-low heat.
- Top each bread slice with 1/4 cup caramelized onions and 1/4 cup cheese. Sprinkle each sandwich with 1/4 tsp fresh thyme.
- Heat on medium-low until the bread is toasted, onions are heated through, and cheese begins to melt. Top with additional bread slice.
- Flip each sandwich over and heat until cheese is melted and bread is toasted. Serve immediately.
