Gooey Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese Sandwich

top view of garlic bread grilled cheese on a wooden cutting board

5 from 14 votes

Gooey Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Crispy garlic bread, melty cheddar cheese, and sweet caramelized onions turn this garlic bread grilled cheese into one seriously unforgettable sandwich. I toast buttery baguette slices until golden, then sandwich them around gooey cheese for the ultimate comfort food. It takes me just 30 minutes to have crunchy slices, stretchy cheese, and a rich, slightly sweet flavor that tastes as if it came from a gourmet kitchen.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, French

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: sandwiches

Calories: 406.4kcal

Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

French Onions

For the Grilled Cheese

For the Garlic Butter

Instructions

Prepare the onions. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until transparent and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Add stock and let it simmer until it completely disappears. Pour wine and let it reduce. Remove from heat.
Prepare garlic butter. Combine 5 tsp of room temperature butter with one clove of minced garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble the garlic bread grilled cheese sandwich. Top a slice of whole grain bread with around ¼ cup french onion and ¼ cup cheddar cheese. Cover with another slice of bread. Spread ½ tsp of garlic butter on the outer layer of both slices of bread (you'll use 1 tsp per sandwich). Repeat the process to create 4 sandwiches.
In a large skillet over medium heat melt the remaining 1 tsp of butter. Add the thyme sprigs and cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
Place the sandwiches in the skillet and cook for 3 minutes per side or until golden brown.

Notes

My #1 Secret Tip for this garlic bread grilled cheese recipe is to cook the sandwiches over medium-low heat instead of rushing them over high heat. I learned years ago that lower heat gives the cheese enough time to melt completely before the bread darkens too quickly. That slow cooking process creates the perfect balance between the inside and outside of the sandwich.
Shred your cheese: Freshly shredded cheese melted much more smoothly than pre-shredded package cheese.
Slice onions thinly: Thin slices cook faster and turn sweeter while caramelizing. I also like slicing with the grain to help the onions retain their shape as they cook.
Press lightly: I gently press the sandwiches with a spatula while cooking to sear the bread evenly without flattening everything.
Use sturdy bread: Crusty bread works best since softer sandwich bread can become soggy from the onions, cheese, and garlic butter.
Rest briefly: I let the grilled cheeses sit for one minute after cooking, to prevent the cheese from spilling out when I slice them.

Nutrition