Mini Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Pepper Cheese and Apples are a quick crispy, chewy, melt-in-your-mouth cheesy appetizer that only looks fancy. Great for Game Day, Tailgating, holidays or anytime you need a quick appetizer!
Friends I am at it again. I just cannot stay away from these delicious little grilled cheese sandwiches! I love that they are cooked diner style…meaning mayonnaise on the outside of the bread instead of butter. Fried bread and gooey cheese on the inside is just too good to resist.
Either way you cook these grilled cheese sandwiches, whether mayo or butter on the outside, they are delish. The hot jack cheese is balanced by the sweet apple slice, and honey mustard sauce works to tie all the flavors together. As the finale, dip these little sandwiches into honey before biting in and you will understand why these little sandwiches are so addictive. Yum!
Tips to make the best Mini Grilled Cheese Sandwiches:
- Use a fresh baguette – these mini sandwiches taste and toast with fresh bread.
- Ask the person behind the counter to slice the baguette for you; makes life so much easier
- I always say this but the best results start with the best ingredients – buy organic if possible
- Use real mayonnaise. The oil and eggs give the bread its golden color and creamy taste.
- Heat your skillet or griddle to medium heat or lower to cook the appetizers; too high heat will burn the bread before the cheese as melted.
- Serve these little appetizers with a zingy dipping sauce to contrast with the mild cheese flavors.
Ingredients To Make Mini Grilled Cheese
- Baguette or French Bread Loaf
- Mayonnaise – we love this brand of mayonnaise and use it for all our recipes.
- Pepper Jack Cheese – or your favorite variety. The Pepper Jack cheese has just the right amount of heat for our mini sandwiches.
- Gruyere Cheese
- Apples
- Honey Mustard Sauce
- Honey
What is Diner Style Grilled Cheese?
Diner style for grilled cheese cooking refers to two main techniques –
- Using mayonnaise instead of butter to coat the outside of the bread. Mayonnaise spreads better than butter does and has a higher smoke point, so it doesn’t burn as easily. Plus, mayonnaise browns nicely because of the oil and egg it contains. This all makes a beautiful, richer tasting sandwich than butter. And
- Slow, flat cooking. Cooking at a low temperature on a flat grill allows the sandwich to develop a crisp, golden crust while melting the cheese inside. Cooking in a too small skillet allows the moisture to create steam and leaves a soggy, greasy crust.
Pepper Cheese Apple Mini Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French Baguette 1/4 inch thick slices (about 48 slices)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise divided
- 1 pound pepper jack cheese sliced and divided into 24
- 1 pound gruyere sliced and divided into 24
- 1/4 cup honey mustard sauce
- 2 large apples cored, cut into 12 wedges each
- 1/3 cup honey for serving optional
Instructions
- On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, lay out 24 slices of bread. Using a knife, divide 1/4 cup of mayonnaise. spreading in a thin layer, over one side of each bread and place bread mayonnaise side down on baking sheet.
- Add a slice of pepper jack and a slice of gruyere to each bread slice, then an apple wedge.
- Spread a thin layer of honey mustard on one side of each of the remaining 24 slices, then place each slice honey mustard side down on top of the apple wedges, making a little sandwich.
- Spread the remaining half of the mayonnaise in a thin layer on the top side of each sandwich. Both outer sides of each sandwich should be spread with mayonnaise.
- Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium heat. Working in batches, add the mini sandwiches and cook until lightly brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Using a spatula, turn the sandwiches over and continue cooking until both sides are golden and the cheese is melted, another 3 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.
- Serve with Honey for dipping.
Chef Tips
Equipment Used
Nutrition Facts
© Copyright Christine Mello for Must Love Home. We would love for you to share a link to this recipe but please do not copy/paste the recipe instructions to websites or social media. We are happy for you to share a photo with a link back to this website instead.
