Your Favorite Berry Belongs In Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Grilled cheese is one of the most adaptable foods you can make quickly and cheaply. From bacon to chili crisp, it seems like the right cheese and bread can pair well with just about any ingredient. And that includes your favorite berries.

Cheese and fruit sandwiches are nothing new, but grilled cheese bumps this concept up a notch. The heat from the pan tenderizes the flesh of berries and brings out all those delightful juices and sugars that made you love them in the first place. You can slice berries and sprinkle them between cheese slices for sudden bursts of flavor; or render them into jams, marmalades, or preserves and smear it on the bread to evenly distribute their flavors through the melted cheese. If you're feeling particularly adventurous, you can even pickle fruit for the perfect balance between an acidic and sweet ingredient.

Any berry belongs in grilled cheese, but it's important to pair the fruits and dairies correctly to maximize their flavors. Why settle for a mediocre combination when the right one can result in something truly magnificent?

When creating your pairing, consider the sweetness of your fruit and the additional flavors of your cheese such as saltiness, smokiness, and added ingredients like peppers, fruit, or seasonings. Before you toast your sandwich, try a berry with a bite of cheese and see how their flavors react. Whatever, you choose, stop making the mistake of using only a single cheese in your sandwich and instead mix it up. For example, the meltiness of Colby Jack and the flavor of gouda are the perfect match.

Generally speaking, sweet berries love salty or creamy cheeses. Sliced strawberries, feta, and a bit of ricotta on a fluffy bread take your grilled cheese sandwich to a new level, turning it into something similar to a savory shortcake. Blackberries and raspberries combine well with cheeses that have deep flavors, like aged cheddar, blue cheese, and gouda; subtler cheeses, like havarti or provolone, pair exceptionally well with the soft flavor of blueberries. Mild cheddar and goat cheese are solid bets for any berry. Cheddar has great meltability and won't overwhelm your fruit, and goat cheese has a creamy tartness that pairs well with most fruity flavors.