Ooey-Gooey Apple Ham & Brie Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

This decadent Brie grilled cheese is packed with flavor! Sponsored by delicious Sara Lee® Artesano™ Golden Wheat Bread, thick slices of bread are slathered in fresh thyme butter and filled with green apples, smoked ham, and Brie cheese, all drizzled with a touch of honey…

Grilled cheese sandwiches are one of my FAVORITE fall comfort foods. They’re easy (thanks to my grilled cheese in the oven method), budget-friendly, and filling. We have them about once a week, paired with our family fave homemade tomato soup. It’s one of my go-to cool weather meals for busy weeknights!

But sometimes we like to make the grilled cheese sandwich itself the star of the show… So when I recently received several loaves of Sara Lee® Artesano™ Golden Wheat Bread, grilled cheese just seemed like the logical choice. This thick and delicious bread was practically crying out to be made into an awesome fall grilled cheese sandwich. But what to put on it?

A trip to the grocery store was all the inspiration I needed. As I walked in the door, a display of glossy green Granny Smith apples caught my eye, so I snagged a couple pounds of them. Then I thought I’d peruse the upscale cheeses near the deli and stumbled on one of the large wheels of Brie cheese marked down 40% off. Um, yes, please — GET IN MY CART! A little fresh thyme and some smoked ham later, and I was headed home, drooling just thinking about the incredible Brie grilled cheese sandwich I was going to create.

First things first — a really good grilled cheese always starts with really good bread. Am I right?

Sara Lee® Artesano™ Golden Wheat Bread is the perfect canvas for an amazing grilled cheese sandwich! The thick, flour-dusted slices are strong enough to stand up to weighty ingredients like apples, ham, and Brie. It crisps up perfectly on the outside but stays soft and fluffy on the inside for every tasty bite.

Apple Ham & Brie Grilled Cheese

Start by mixing fresh thyme into some room temperature butter. Take two slices of Sara Lee® Artesano™ Golden Wheat Bread and lay them on a cutting board. Drizzle each with honey, then top one slice with thinly sliced Brie, sliced green apples, and smoked ham, followed by a second layer of Brie. Cover with the second slice of bread, honey side in.

Smear the outside of both slices of bread with the thyme butter, and grill until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown, about 5-10 minutes. Let it sit for a minute, slice in half, and serve! Since there’s a lot going on in this sandwich, I like to keep my side super simple. A salad of fresh greens topped with the remaining green apple is a great option.

Whether you make this decadent Brie grilled cheese for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, you can count on it keeping you full until your next meal. It’s very filling!

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Apple, Ham & Brie Grilled Cheese

Yield: 2 sandwiches

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 18 minutes

This decadent Brie grilled cheese is packed with flavor! Thick bread is slathered in fresh thyme butter and filled with green apples, smoked ham, and Brie cheese, all drizzled with a touch of honey...

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Ingredients

• 4 slices Sara Lee® Artesano™ Golden Wheat Bread
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 4 tablespoons salted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 12 thin slices Brie cheese
• 1/2 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
• 6 slices smoked ham

Instructions

1. Mix the fresh thyme leaves with the softened butter and set aside.
2. Lay out four slices of bread on a cutting board and drizzle each with honey. Add 3 slices of Brie to two pieces of bread, then top with smoked ham and sliced apples. Layer 3 more slices of Brie cheese on top of the apples. Cover with the remaining slices of bread, honey side in.
3. Smear the exterior sides of the bread on each sandwich with the thyme-infused butter. Grill over medium-low heat until the bread is golden brown and the Brie has melted. Remove from the heat and let sit for 1 minute before slicing in half.

Notes

Recipe inspired by the Sara Lee Apple Picker's Harvest Grilled Cheese.

Have you tried this recipe?

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If you love Brie cheese, too, I think you’ll also adore this gooey and delicious Brie appetizer that features warm, melty Brie, tender apples, and sweet brown sugar, all wrapped up in buttery, delicious crescent dinner roll dough!