Pear & Brie Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Pear Grilled Cheese Sandwich (with brie cheese, nuts, arugula, and dried cranberries) - on a white plate.

Pear & Brie Grilled Cheese Sandwich

This is the ultimate sweet-and-savory grilled cheese—perfect for lunch, a cozy dinner, or even a brunch spread. Sautéed pears with honey and lemon, melty brie, crunchy nuts, tangy cranberries, and peppery arugula all come together between perfectly toasted slices of bread. The Pear & Brie Grilled Cheese Sandwich is my go-to comfort food for summer and fall.

Course lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword pear and brie sandwich, pear grilled cheese sandwich

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 485kcal

Author Julia

Ingredients

For the pears:

2 medium pears
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the sandwich:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 slices bread ½-inch thick bread slices (or if you prefer thinner - about ¼-inch)
6 oz brie cheese sliced
2 tablespoons mixed nuts chopped (walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews)
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
1 cup fresh arugula

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cook pears:

Prepare the pears: wash the pears thoroughly. You do not have to peel them if they are organic.
Cut the pears in half, remove the core, and cut them into thin slices, but not too thin.
Add the pears into a saucepot or a skillet.
Add olive oil and cook the pears for 3 minutes over medium heat.
Add honey and lemon juice. Cook the pears for 2-3 minutes and remove from the heat. Reserve the cooking juices.

Prepare the sandwich:

Melt half the butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Add two bread slices into the hot skillet. Top the bread with half the brie cheese, chopped nuts, and cranberries.
Add cooked pears and arugula. Top with the remaining brie cheese and drizzle the pears and bread with some reserved cooking pear juices. Top the pears with the remaining bread slices.
Cook the sandwich for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden and toasty. If the skillet appears dry when it is time to flip the sandwiches, add the remaining butter and continue to cook the sandwiches.
Serve the sandwiches while still warm.

Notes

Use firm pears: If you go with soft ones, they may fall apart during the cooking process. My favorite varieties are Bosc pears, Anjou, or Bartlett aka. Williams (I used these in the recipe).
Rind on or off? The Brie cheese comes with a rind, and it is always a debate whether we should leave it on or remove it. The rind gives a bit of extra flavor to the brie cheese, but if you do not like it, you can remove it or just scrape it well with a sharp knife. Do not go overboard while you do it, because you may remove some of the cheese.
The cooking juices from the pears are packed with flavor, so don’t let them go to waste. After the pears are cooked, reserve some of the cooking liquid and drizzle it over the sandwiches—it adds extra sweetness and a tangy kick from the lemon juice. You can also simmer the juices a bit longer to make a pear-honey reduction and spread it right onto the bread slices.
Grilled sandwiches are very hot, so watch your fingers!
This recipe is very filling, and it can be easily served to four portions.
Best pan to use? My favorite way to make grilled cheese sandwiches is in the cast-iron skillet. I find it helps that bread toasts evenly, unlike in non-stick skillets.

Nutrition