Grilled Cheese with Turkey, Manchego, and Tart Apples
The contrast of sweet and crispy apples with savory turkey and cheese, especially with a dash of spicy Dijon, is what makes these sandwiches truly special. By the way, if someone in your family doesn’t eat meat, we find that Tofurky is a good substitute for sliced turkey.
Ingredients
- 8 slices whole wheat bread (use wheat/gluten-free, if needed)
- 8 tsp. butter softened
- 6 oz. Manchego cheese or use Cheddar or Brie, sliced (about 1/8-inch thick)
- 4 oz. reduced-sodium sliced turkey or smoked Tofurky or other meatless deli slices
- 1 Granny Smith or other tart apple thinly sliced (no need to peel)
- 4 tsp. Dijon mustard (use wheat/gluten-free if needed) or use cranberry sauce, honey mustard, or fig, onion, or apricot jam
Instructions
- On one side of each piece of bread, spread a thin layer of butter, about 1 tsp. per slice.
- On the non-buttered side of 4 slices of the bread, layer 1/4 of the cheese, 2 slices of turkey, and a few slices of apple.
- On the non-buttered side of the other 4 pieces of bread, thinly spread 1 tsp. of mustard.
- Press the top half of each sandwich on top so the buttered sides of both pieces of bread are on the outside.
- Heat a large heavy skillet (cast-iron works great) or grill pan (or a panini press, if you have one) over medium heat.
- When the pan is hot, cook the sandwiches for about 2 minutes per side, pressing them down with a spatula, foil-wrapped brick, or heavy pot, until the outsides are deep golden brown, reducing the heat if the outsides of the sandwiches are becoming too dark. (Keep the grilled sandwiches warm in a 300-degree oven if you need to cook them in two batches.) Slice the sandwiches on the diagonal to serve while they’re still warm.
Notes
Do Ahead or Delegate: Slice the bread if necessary, remove the butter from the refrigerator to allow it to soften, slice the cheese if necessary and refrigerate, slice the apple and store tossed with a little lemon juice to prevent browning, assemble and refrigerate the sandwiches until you are ready to cook them.
Scramble Flavor Booster: Use spicy mustard and/or use mustard on one slice of bread and add another one of the spreads on the other slice.
Tip: While many lean proteins you can get at your store’s deli are easy to incorporate into meals, they can pack a significant sodium punch. If that is a concern for you, opt for low-sodium deli meats when they are available.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (% based upon daily values): Calories 474, Total Fat: 19g, 29%; Saturated Fat: 12g, 58.5%; Cholesterol: 86mg, 28.5%; Sodium: 1205mg, 50%; Total Carbohydrate: 79g, 26%; Dietary Fiber: 6g, 21.5%; Sugar: 35g; Protein: 25g
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