Pickle Grilled Cheese

It seems that as I get older, I just become more and more obsessed with grilled cheese. I think this is due largely in part to the fact that I used to really shy away from anything too cheesy, so I really missed out on grilled cheese for a large part of my life! Ever since discovering how savory and satisfying they can be, I'm on a mission to try as many different combos and variations as possible to fill my grilled cheese-void!

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The best option yet - the pickle grilled cheese!

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So I feel like a lot of us LOVE pickles. I also feel like obviously, most of us love grilled cheese. So this combo, while it may at first seem a bit odd, just needed to happen! It's really so simple, but is made extra special with an easy fresh herb and sriracha butter. To round it all out, you need to dip this grilled cheese in some ranch, either homemade or store-bought, then I promise this will be your new go-to grilled cheese.

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What ingredients do you need to start off this grilled cheese?

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The first part of this recipe is the simplest fresh herb and sriracha butter. This butter gets spread on the inside of the slices of bread, so ends up in the inside of the sandwich. Not only does this make the sandwich extra delicious, but the flavors also pair so well with the pickles, the true star here! For the herby butter you'll need:

1. softened butter - slightly softened butter makes it much easier to combine it with the below ingredients
2. chives - I think chives pair so well with pickles, and their strong flavor is perfect with the cheesiness
3. dill - essential with the pickles, and fresh dill is key!
4. sriracha - love a little kick in a grilled cheese, especially this one
5. kosher salt
6. black pepper

The butter is as easy as combining the above in a medium bowl, making sure to stir (or use a fork if the butter is on the harder side) until the ingredients are evenly combined, the sriracha is thoroughly mixed in, and the butter is creamy. This herby sriracha butter is SO delicious and makes this grilled cheese extra special.

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What else do you need to put this grilled cheese together?

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Once the sriracha butter is made it's as easy as grabbing the remaining grilled cheese ingredients. Other than the pickles (obviously) all you'll need to layer these grilled cheeses are the following ingredients:

• sliced sourdough bread - sourdough is my favorite for grilled cheese, and if you lean more into savory food, this crusty bread will be exactly what you need for a grilled cheese!
• fontina - such a great mild melting cheese
• cheddar - the flavor goes great with the herby sriracha butter and the pickles
• sliced dill pickles - of course!

I originally tried this recipe out with both sliced pickles and pickle chips and found that while both tasted good, I liked how the sliced pickles stayed in place better and also how they were a bit thinner than the chips. Pickles can obviously be overpowering when there are too many of them, so I found layering 4 sliced pickles resulted in an ideal grilled cheese to pickle ratio!

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Grilled cheese tips

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Once all the ingredients are ready, this grilled cheese comes together really easily. I used to have a hard time making a grilled cheese that looked as good as it tasted, so I have 2 tips that helped me nail this! 1) Make sure there is enough butter either in the pan (like in this recipe) or on the outside of each piece of bread. If it's in the pan like in this recipe, make sure it is melted and swirled to evenly coat the entire bottom of the pan. 2) You want the pan to be hot but not so hot that it burns the bottom of the bread. If your cheese isn't quite melted yet, you can always cover the pan once you flip the sandwiches to ensure the cheese melts but the bread doesn't burn!

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How do you make this one?

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Here are the steps to finish these up:

1. Evenly spread half of the chive butter onto two of the slices of sourdough.
2. Top one of the slices with a quarter of the cheeses.
3. Top with 4 slices of pickles, evenly spreading them out.
4. Top pickles with another quarter of the cheeses.
5. Repeat with remaining sandwich.
6. In a large skillet, melt remaining butter over medium heat.
7. Add grilled cheeses, pressing down lightly, and cook for 3-5 minutes until golden.
8. Flip and continue cooking until cheese is melted and bottom piece is golden.

It's as easy as that! This always results in the most toasty golden bread for me, which is always ideal. Then it's as easy as topping these with some extra fresh dill if you like, then dunking them in some ranch! This was extra delicious, and I think we can all agree ranch and pickles are a match made in heaven.

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What makes this grilled cheese extra special?

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There are so many amazing grilled cheese variations out there with some super unique combinations, and this pickle grilled cheese has definitely been added to my list of favorites, and here's why:

1. PICKLES! Okay not to state the obvious, but if you're a true pickle lover like me and my sister then you know how amazing it is when you find a recipe you love that incorporates pickles. We used to eat them out of the jar, and if that was you too, then toast this sandwich up!
2. 20 minute meal perfect for lunch or dinner! We love to have on our list easy and quick meals that are still super satisfying and delicious, and this is one of them.
3. The flavor combo. So obviously pickles, sourdough, and cheese are all great, but the sriracha herby butter makes this grilled cheese. It adds a little creaminess, some heat, and some fresh herbs that go perfectly with the pickles.

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Frequently asked questions

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Can I use a different type of bread or different types of cheeses?

Absolutely! Any relatively thin bread should work, and any shredded, good melting cheese could also definitely replace the fontina. If you don't have cheddar, you could also replace this with a different sharp shredded cheese such as gouda or gruyere.

What if I don't have fresh chives and dill?

If you don't have any fresh herbs on hand, you could either add dried herbs to the sriracha butter or leave them out.

What would go well on the side with this pickle grilled cheese?

I'd serve this pickle grilled cheese with some fries, baby potatoes, a side caesar, or some extra pickles if you want to keep the party going!

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This grilled cheese is fun, tastes equal parts fresh and satisfying, and is for all the pickle fanatics out there. Enjoy this crispy, cheesy, sandwich with some extra fresh herbs and some ranch on the side.