Name: Pear Grilled Cheese
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 slices of bread, of choice; 1 tablespoon butter; 1/2 pear, ripe, thinly sliced; 1 1/2 ounces brie cheese, thinly sliced; 1 teaspoon honey; 1/4 cup arugula (optional)

Take your grilled cheese game to the next level with this brie and pear grilled cheese! Layered with crisp pear slices, creamy brie cheese, sweet honey, and zesty arugula, this simple sandwich is the perfect combination of flavors.

Are grilled cheese good for you?

First things first, grilled cheese is good for you. While grilled cheese has a bad reputation for being an unhealthy dish, the reality is, that grilled cheese is a recipe and by adapting the ingredients you use you can easily create a healthy and well-balanced meal. Although a classic American-style grilled cheese is made with refined white bread and processed cheese slices, by opting for higher-quality bread, such as sourdough, sprouted grain bread, or whole grain bread, and including real cheese you can quickly increase the overall nutritional value of any grilled cheese sandwich. Not to mention, by including vegetables and additional protein sources you can create a more macronutrient-balanced meal.

How to Make a Healthy Grilled Cheese

Making a healthy grilled cheese doesn’t need to be complicated, it’s all about reading labels and using real ingredients. Here’s what you need to make a healthy grilled cheese:

Good-Quality Bread: Opting for a higher-quality bread, such as sourdough, sprouted grain bread, or whole grain bread, can help to increase the fiber content and micronutrient content of a grilled cheese sandwich.

Real Cheese: Including a source of real cheese, made simply of milk, enzymes, cultures, and salt, will help to ensure you’re using a higher quality product with fewer additives and higher nutrient content.

Healthy Fat: Be sure to use healthy fat such as real butter or olive oil for the best flavor, texture, and nutritional value.

Veggies or Fruit: Including vegetables or fruit in a grilled cheese can help to increase the fiber and micronutrient content of the meal.

Additional Protein: While cheese does contain moderate amounts of protein, as do certain styles of bread, including an additional source of protein, such as sliced turkey or chicken, can help to increase the protein content of a grilled cheese sandwich.

What You’ll Need for a Brie and Pear Grilled Cheese

This healthy pear grilled cheese is super easy to make, here’s what you’ll need:

Bread
Butter
Brie cheese slices
Ripe pear slices
Arugula
Honey

I opted to use a multigrain bread for this grilled cheese simply because it’s what I had on hand, however, sourdough, French bread, and brioche would all work particularly well. For the best results, ensure that you use a ripe pear to add a natural touch of sweetness while adding a source of fiber at the same time.

How to Make it

Making pear grilled cheese is as easy as making classic grilled cheese, you just add slightly different ingredients! Here’s what you’ll do:

Prep the bread. Spread each slice of bread with butter on one side.
Layer with cheese and fillings. Flip the slices of bread over, layer one slice of bread with brie cheese slices, pear slices, and arugula, spread the other slice with honey, and close to create a sandwich.
Grill it up! Place the sandwich in a pan or skillet on medium heat and cook to melt the cheese and until each side of the sandwich is golden brown.

What cheese goes best with pears?

Pears go well with many different kinds of cheese. While I opted to use brie cheese in this healthy grilled cheese sandwich, pears also pair well with camembert, gorgonzola, goat cheese, cheddar, and gouda.

What can I add to my grilled cheese to make it better?

Whether you’re looking to boost the flavor content or the nutritional content of your grilled cheese, there are plenty of different things that you can add to grilled cheese. Here are some of my favorites:

Mustard
Mayonnaise
Jam or chutney
Hot sauce
Pesto
Pickles
Caramelized onions
Olives
Fresh herbs
Fruits
Vegetables
Fried egg
Deli meat
Bacon
Smoked salmon

Whether you choose to amp up your grilled cheese sandwich or follow my exact recipe for this pear grilled cheese, when you choose your ingredients with intention, grilled cheese can be a delicious and nutritious addition to any healthy diet.

More Grilled Cheese Recipes:

Goat Cheese Grilled Cheese