Gourmet Apple and Cheese Sandwich with Pickled Apples Recipe
A sophisticated and flavorful Gourmet Apple and Cheese Sandwich featuring pickled apples, aged white cheddar, and fresh baby arugula layered between buttered multigrain bread. The sandwich is enhanced with a quick-pickled apple salad in a warm honey-mustard vinaigrette, delivering a perfect balance of tartness, sweetness, and savory notes for a delightful gourmet lunch or snack.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 sandwiches 1x
- Category: Sandwiches
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Pickled Apples and Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 4 tsp whole-grain mustard
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 small shallots, thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)
- 2 cloves small garlic, grated (about 1/2 tsp)
- 1 tart green apple (e.g., Granny Smith), very thinly sliced
- 1 tart-sweet apple (e.g., Honeycrisp), very thinly sliced
Sandwich Assembly
- salted butter, at room temperature (for spreading on bread)
- 8 slices soft multigrain sandwich bread
- 4–8 oz aged white cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
- 1 1/3 cups packed baby arugula
Instructions
- Make warm honey-mustard vinaigrette: In a medium saucepan, whisk together apple cider vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, honey, whole-grain mustard, black pepper, and kosher salt. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer while stirring continuously to dissolve the honey fully.
- Add aromatics: Stir in the thinly sliced shallots and grated garlic into the hot vinaigrette and promptly remove the saucepan from the heat source to prevent overcooking the aromatics.
- Quick-pickle the apples: Arrange the very thinly sliced tart green and tart-sweet apples in a heatproof shallow dish. Pour the hot vinaigrette over the apples, tossing gently to coat them evenly. Let the apples marinate at room temperature for 45 minutes, tossing occasionally to ensure even pickling.
- Drain excess liquid: After pickling, drain the apple slices thoroughly and discard the remaining vinaigrette liquid to avoid sogginess in the sandwich.
- Butter the bread: Spread a generous layer of room-temperature salted butter on one side of each slice of the multigrain sandwich bread. This butter layer helps achieve a flavorful and moist sandwich base.
- Assemble the sandwiches: Place four slices of the buttered bread on a work surface, buttered side up. Layer each with thinly sliced aged white cheddar cheese, a generous portion of the drained pickled apples, and a packed layer of fresh baby arugula. Top each with the remaining bread slices, buttered side down.
- Serve: Cut the sandwiches in half if desired and serve immediately to enjoy the contrast of textures and flavors at their freshest.
Notes
- Use very thin slices of apple for the best texture and even pickling.
- Drain pickled apples well to prevent the sandwich from becoming soggy.
- Adjust the amount of cheese between 4 to 8 oz depending on preference for cheesiness.
- The sandwich bread should be soft multigrain for complementary texture and flavor.
- Serve immediately after assembly for optimal freshness and crunch.
- This recipe is perfect for a gourmet casual lunch or light dinner.
Keywords: apple sandwich, pickled apples, cheese sandwich, gourmet sandwich, aged cheddar, honey mustard vinaigrette, multigrain bread, baby arugula
