Brussels Sprout, Apple and Brie Grilled Cheese with Whipped Goat Cheese
Ryan and I celebrated our 4 year (first date) anniversary last Wednesday. We went to my favorite Italian restaurant in town (MN people – go to Al Vento. Don’t ask questions, just go), where he ordered house made bucatini with meaty red sauce, and I had the best autumn-inspired veggie pizza ever (arugula! goat cheese! brussels sprout! apples!), and then we split a melt-in-your-mouth tiramisu.
Of course my first instinct is to write about the food, but the company was top notch. Four years earlier we had a date that was exciting and scary. Wednesday we had a date that was comfortable and fun. I’ll choose the latter every time.
Seriously though, that pizza. Putting apples on pizza is A THING. Who knew?
As soon as we left the restaurant I started dreaming about recreating my pizza experience at home. However, I’ve been SUPER into grilled cheese lately, so the flavors of that pizza merged into what you see here today, which is…I kid you not…the BEST GRILLED CHEESE EVER.
I am 100% obsessed with this sandwich. I texted my brussels sprout-loving friend when I was eating it on Saturday (pre-dinner at 5pm…oops), and then brought her a leftover sandwich when we met for coffee on Sunday. Our text conversation after she reheated it for lunch was chock-full of emojis and enthusiasm. My favorite comment was, “This is so much better than I thought a sandwich could be.”
The combination of the tangy whipped goat cheese, sweet and lightly-crisp apples, nutty brussels sprouts, and creamy brie, all sandwiched between hearty, seeded bread…hubbada hubbada hubbada.
As I’ve mentioned before, brussels sprouts are the one food Ryan WILL NOT eat. No way no how. Nope. I tried once to convince him otherwise, and the effort failed miserably. More sprouts for me, sucker!
If you’re not one of those anti-sprout people, and love the mini cabbages, you absolutely MUST make this sandwich. It’s a game changer.
Brussels Sprout, Apple and Brie Grilled Cheese with Whipped Goat Cheese
Cold-weather comfort food at it's finest! Creamy, lightly sweet, and nutty grilled cheese made with whipped goat cheese, brussels sprouts, apples, and brie!
Yield: 4 sandwiches
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
Brussels Sprout, Apple, and Brie Grilled Cheese
- 8 slices hearty whole grain bread
- 1/2 macintosh apple, sliced to 1/8" thickness ([u]very[/u] thin)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 brussels sprouts, shredded (about 2 cups)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 4 ounces brie, sliced (rind removed)
- 4 tablespoons butter, for the bread (optional - see note)
Whipped Goat Cheese
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
Directions:
- For the whipped goat cheese: Combine the goat cheese and cream cheese in a food processor.
- Process until smooth, then drizzle in the olive oil until smooth. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the brussels sprouts and salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened (about 6 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in the balsamic.
- Butter one side of each piece of bread (optional, but makes for a crispier outside). Flip the bread over, so it's buttered-side down, and spread the whipped goat cheese on each piece of bread. Top with apple slices, cooked brussels sprouts, and sliced brie.
- Cook the sandwiches in a panini press until golden and melty, or cook in a fry pan until golden (3-5 minutes), flip and cook on the other side until golden.