Monday, July 18, 2011

Secret Recipe Club: Apple & Brie Grilled Cheese

It's that time again!  Secret Recipe Club time!  Last month was my first time and I had so much fun so I knew I had to join again for another round!

What is the Secret Recipe Club, you ask?  It's basically a secret Santa for food bloggers!  The brainchild of Amanda from Amanda's Cookin' - bloggers sign up to get a "secret" blogger from whom we choose to make a recipe from their blog and post on a designated day!  I think my favorite part is seeing what others do with my own recipe!  Last month, Dana from Food For Thought made an awesome rendition of my Coffee Ice Cream Pie by turning it into a Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Pie!  So I can't wait to see what whoever has me this month does with something else of mine!

So let's get to it!  My secret blogger this month was Sara from Cupcake Muffin.  I'd never checked out her blog before, and my first thought was - Cupcake Muffin - Andy's going to reap the benefits of this one!  Although there are tons of sweet treats on Cupcake Muffin, there are also many delicious savory dishes as well!  It's pretty much an all-around blog with tons of great stuff!

Something that really caught my eye was the recipe for Pear and Goat Cheese Sandwiches.  It has been extremely hot here, so the last thing I've wanted to do was actually cook something or turn on the oven/stove.  Sara says it best in this post when she says that these are so simple, but so gourmet!

But during my shopping trip, I couldn't find good looking pears anywhere!  So I opted for apples and switched out the goat cheese for Brie.  I mean, I love me some goat cheese, but Andy's a little picky about that one for some reason.  So I got some Brie - which is also creamy and crowd pleasing.  And everyone knows that Brie is best melted - so I had to turn this sandwich into a grilled cheese!

Ingredients:
Adapted from Cupcake Muffin's Pear & Goat Cheese Sandwiches


1 Granny Smith Apple, sliced thinly
Dash of Apple Cider Vinegar
Lettuce Leaves
Brie Cheese
Sliced Sourdough Bread
Pumpkin Seeds
Dash of ground cinnamon
1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Sprinkle the lettuce leaves with a little bit of apple cider vinegar and toss.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium skillet under medium high heat.  Add one piece of sourdough bread (kind of swirling the bottom of the slice in the melted butter to coat) and top with one or two lettuce leaves.  Then add 3-4 slices of apples.  Layer on desired amount of Brie and sprinkle top with pumpkin seeds and cinnamon.  Top with slice of sourdough.

Once bottom is golden brown, carefully flip sandwich over (adding more butter to the pan if needed - and swirling again to get butter on 2nd slice).  Cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown on other side.

Simple as that!  Not much cooking at all, just basically some quick melting of the cheese and toasting of the bread.  This was probably one of the best sandwiches I've ever had, and could have never happened if I wasn't inspired by Cupcake Muffin's sandwich (which I will definitely be trying once I find some decent pears!).



Want to join the Secret Recipe Club?!  You should!  Click here to find out more and don't forget to check out what all the other SRC participants did this month!



43 comments:

  1. Love the flavor combo, great looking sandwich.

    I'd love for you to check out my SRC recipe this month: Holy Guacamole.

    Lisa~~
    Cook Lisa Cook

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  2. That sandwich is lovely! Cheese and fruit and bread? Sign me up!

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  3. This is really unique Peggy and new to me. You know for us at home, its always spicy, chilly, rice or noodles. Never knew such recipes existed.

    Looks so wonderful.

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  4. Wish I had one of those here right now. Melted brie...

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  5. That looks pretty fantastic! I love brie in grilled cheese sandwiches

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  6. Green apples & brie is one of my favorite combinations! So good with crusty bread, and a slather of spicy mustard. I also like to put smoked trout or sardines on a brie-and-apple sandwich; gives it a nice little salty edge.

    In the meantime, Secret Recipe Club sounds so fun! I can't wait to poke around and see what folks have come up with.

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  7. This looks and sounds so delicious. I think this would make a great lunch option and one I will need to try. Yummy! I have really been enjoying the Secret Recipe Club as well.

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  8. Great submission to the Secret Recipe Club! Apples and brie make a great grilled sandwich!

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  9. Oh...this is such an easy and delicious recipe, Peggy! Love the cheesy look.

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  10. Gosh - melted cheese on a sandwich is the ultimate comfort food. But bubbling brie with crunchy apple takes it on to another dimension!

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  11. I say if there is Brie, it gotta be good Peggy and this sandwich is right up my alley.
    Rita

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  12. So glad you liked the sandwich! Fruit and cheese is always a winner in my book...I love your version! :)

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  13. Hi Peggy. I just wanted to let you know that the person who was supposed to make something from your blog backed out at the very last minute (as in THIS MORNING!) so I didn't have any time to get a replacement. However, once I posted that to the yahoo group, someone came forward eager to make something from your blog :) The post should be up in the morning. Sorry!

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  14. Apple & Brie... Yummy! I love fruit in my sandwiches :) Looks great too, Peggy! Thanks for sharing...

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  15. YUM! This is my kind of grilled cheese. Please make me one ASAP. :P

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  16. What a great idea! Your sandwich looks fantastic!

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  17. Love this combo! Sometimes I add thinly sliced ham or proscuitto, too :)

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  18. I love, love, love apples in my grilled cheese! I never thought to add pumpkin seeds, and it just so happens I have some in the pantry right now. This may go on the list for dinner this week!

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  19. What an awesome recipe. Brie and apples go great together.

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  20. Lovely and simple. Brie is such a good cheese to grill.

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  21. I love this sandwich- and I really like the pumpkin seeds!

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  22. I love this recipe. (It is a no-brainer thought b/c I love goat cheese!!!!) I will have to try this. You got a great pick for SRC!

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  23. Yummy selection...and I think I like brie and apple even better than goat cheese and pear. YUM!

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  24. Oh my gosh, my jaw dropped on my keyboard when I saw your gorgeous pics and now my stomach is rumbling - these look so delicious! Nicely done. I want one!

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  25. This sandwich looks delicious. love to have a bite.

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  26. I haven't had sandwiches like this with apples interesting looks wonderful
    lovely linked dishes

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  27. Beautiful! I love that you got Amanda's blog! Believe it or not, this is my first exposure to Secret Recipe Club. I checked it out and you were one of the reasons I joined - because I enjoy your blog so much...so I knew it must be good...SO I threw my hat in the ring!

    What you made is absolutely divine! (as always!)

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  28. I am amongst the melted brie lovers. This looks so good! Great swaps in the recipe and SRC post!

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  29. Looks delicious! It would be great with pears and bleu cheese as well.

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  30. Fruit and cheese, is one of my favorites. Then you added another to it- BREAD!! This looks delicious, and I love your secret recipe club! I may have to go check it out!! =]

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  31. Apples and brie are a classic combo for a reason. SO. GOOD.

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  32. Yum I love this sandwich. It is sooooo good on a panini press. Thanks for the panini inspiration :)

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  33. Great choice for SRC, this sandwich looks delicious!

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  34. Love the combo of apples and brie, creamy-savory-sweet. Great to be in the SRC with you.

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  35. Hi Peggy,
    I'm so happy you decided to join the SCR, otherwise I may not have seen this amazing sandwich. I love a good grilled cheese sandwich but yours is taken to a new level. So elegant!

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  36. Oh, snap! Love what you did with the sandwich (forgive me, but I detest goat cheese!). Great SRC entry!

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  37. Mmmm that sounds completely divine! Great choice :)

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  38. OH my goodness, this sounds fantastic. Thanks!

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  39. Oh my gosh, these sound heavenly!

    Glad to be part of SRC with you!

    Amy @ A Little Nosh

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  40. Wow, that sounds like the most amazing grilled cheese ever. Definitely going to have to try that one!

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