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    Home » Recipes » Sandwich Recipes

    Fig and Basil Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Honey and Sesame

    Published: Apr 11, 2021 · Modified: Jul 10, 2021 by Philip Lago and Mystique Mattai · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwich on a wooden board with figs and honey

    Sweet, subtle, and a little bit fancy, our Fig & Basil Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Honey and Sesame is finished with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

    Gourmet grilled cheese halves on a wooden board with figs and honey.
    Jump to:
    • Ingredient List
    • Recipe Steps: How to make a Fig and Basil Grilled Cheese Sandwich
    • Other Sandwich Recipes to Consider:
    • Recipe Card

    A simple and quick go-to dish, grilled cheese is a nostalgic childhood favorite, like Homemade Beefaroni or Homemade Big Mac Recipe, that only gets better as you age — it’s the fine wine of the sandwich world.

    For this gourmet grilled cheese sandwich, we use fresh figs which pair perfectly with semi-hard Swiss cheeses. The basil provides a fresh bright flavour then the honey enhances the sweetness of the figs and sesame seeds finish the dish adding a subtle nuttiness and elevating the aesthetic of the dish.

    Ingredient List

    Fig and Basil Grilled Cheese Sandwich Ingredients
    • Bread - we love the flavor sourdough bread provides, however, a brioche or Italian-style bread will also work great for this gourmet grilled cheese.
    • Butter - salted or non-salted both work, just make sure it's soft.
    • Semi-hard cheese - we used Gunn's Hill Dark Side of the Moo, which is a Swiss-style cheese. Gruyère or Havarti cheeses will give you similar melting qualities.
    • Toppings - fresh figs, fresh basil, honey, and sesame seeds.

    See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

    Recipe Steps: How to make a Fig and Basil Grilled Cheese Sandwich

    Assembly process of a fig and basil grilled cheese

    1. Assemble the sandwiches.

    Butter the outside of your bread with a generous slather of butter. On one of the slices, layer a handful of grated cheese. Next layer on slices of fresh figs, a few basil leaves, and another handful of cheese. Top it off with the other slice of bread. These can be assembled a couple of hours before cooking if necessary.

    Two grilled cheese sandwiches cooking in a cast-iron skillet

    2. Cook the grilled cheese sandwiches.

    Melt a knob of butter in a cast-iron skillet on medium heat. Once the butter is melted, lay the sandwich in the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the bread is golden brown and crispy. Flip the sandwich and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. If the cheese hasn't fully melted, give the sandwich a good squeeze with the spatula and flip for another minute or two until the cheese is melted.

    Gourmet grilled cheese sandwich with figs and honey

    3. Garnish and serve.

    Butter the outside of your bread with a generous slather of butter. On one of the slices, layer a handful of grated cheese. Next layer on slices of fresh figs, a few basil leaves, and another handful of cheese. Top it off with the other slice of bread. These can be assembled a couple of hours before cooking if necessary.

    Other Sandwich Recipes to Consider:

    • pizza burger topped with tomato sauce, melted mozzarella and tiny cup pepperoni.
      Pizza Burger with Pepperoni
    • Butter Chicken Grilled Cheese with knife and cilantro
      Grilled Cheese with Butter Chicken Sauce
    • Chopped cheese sandwich on table topped with tomato and lettuce.
      Chopped Cheese Sandwich
    • french onion grilled cheese on a green patterned plate
      French Onion Grilled Cheese

    If you tried this Fig and Basil Grilled Cheese or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!

    Recipe Card

    Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Figs and Honey on a wooden board

    Fig and Basil Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Honey and Sesame

    5 from 3 votes
    Philip Lago and Mystique Mattai
    Sweet, subtle, and a little bit fancy, we’ve dressed up the classic grilled cheese sandwich with fresh figs and basil, then topped it off with honey and sesame seeds for a gourmet taste the equally beautiful as it is delicious. 
    Servings: 2 Sandwiches
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 8 minutes mins

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 slices sourdough bread
    • 2 tablespoon butter softened, plus additional
    • 2 cups grated semi-hard cheese such as gruyère
    • 6 figs thinly sliced lengthwise
    • 6-8 fresh basil leaves
    • 4 teaspoon honey
    • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

    Instructions
     

    • Butter one side of each slice of bread. Top one slice with ½ cup of grated cheese. Arrange half the fig slices on top, then 3 to 4 basil leaves. Sprinkle with an additional ½ cup of cheese and top with another slice of bread, buttered side facing out. Repeat with the second sandwich.
    • Heat a cast-iron skillet on medium heat and add butter. Once melted, lay the sandwiches in the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Flip and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes. If the cheese hasn't completely melted, flip again for another minute or two until the cheese is melted. 
    • Once the grilled cheese sandwiches are cooked, remove them from the pan and slice them in half. Drizzle each sandwich with 2 teaspoons of honey and sprinkle with a pinch of sesame seeds. 

    Recipe Notes

    •  If you don't have/like sourdough bread, substitute with brioche or another artisanal style bread.
    • We used a Mutschli style cheese from a local dairy, but this can be substituted with a Gruyère, Havarti, or other melty cheese.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 1084kcal | Carbohydrates: 114g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 1118mg | Potassium: 655mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 1552IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 1473mg | Iron: 6mg

    Additional Information

    Course: Food + Drink, Main Course, Sandwiches
    Cuisine: Canadian, Comfort, north american
    Servings: 2 Sandwiches
    Calories: 1084
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and let us know!

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      Meatloaf Sandwich
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. jade m. says

      January 15, 2024 at 4:27 pm

      Such a fun twist on grilled cheese. Who knew figs and cheese went so well together!5 stars

      Reply
    2. Kate says

      January 15, 2024 at 3:46 pm

      I'm obsessed with figs and this grilled cheese is such a fun way to use them. I love the basil, it adds so much flavor. I've made them a few times now and even changed up the cheeses I used once using mozzarella and another provolone. Mmm!5 stars

      Reply
      • Philip Lago and Mystique Mattai says

        January 15, 2024 at 4:01 pm

        Genius with the mozzarella! Gotta try this combo.

        Reply
    5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

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