This one’s for the grown-ups! Drunken Onion Grilled Cheese celebrates the bites of your past and takes them to the next level. When you load up some fresh, crusty bread and toast it with your favorite kind of grown-up cheeses and some perfectly caramelized, bourbon-and-brown-sugar-infused onions, big-you will be thanking little-you for developing a fondness for such an amazing classic. Crispy, gooey, and better than anything you’ve tasted before, Drunken Onion Grilled Cheese will make you happy you grew up!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced lengthwise
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon bourbon
- 4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
- 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 1/2 cups Gruyère cheese, grated
- 8 slices crusty bread, such as sourdough or Italian
Directions
Step 1 -In a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil.
Step 2 -Add the onions to the heated oil and cook, stirring frequently, until they are caramelized and very tender, about 20 minutes.
Step 3 -Stir the brown sugar, the salt, and the pepper into the onions.
Step 4 -Add the bourbon to the onion mixture and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any of the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
Step 5 -Add 1/2 tablespoon of the butter into the onion mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until it has melted.
Step 6 -Transfer the skillet from the heat and keep the onion mixture warm.
Step 7 -In a medium bowl, add the cheddar cheese and the Gruyère cheese and mix until they are well-combined.
Step 8 -Divide the cheese mixture into 4 equal portions, then press them into disk-like patties about the size of the bread slices.
Step 9 -Divide the onion mixture into 4 equal portions, then spread 1 portion over each of the 4 bread slices.
Step 10 -Top the onion mixture on each of the bread slices with 1 of the cheese patties and 1 of the remaining bread slices.
Step 11 -Evenly divide 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter across the top-side of 2 of the sandwiches.
Step 12 -Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat.
Step 13 -Place both sandwiches, buttered-side down, in the skillet and cook until they are golden-brown on the bottom, 3-4 minutes.
Step 14 -Spread 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter across the top of both sandwiches, then flip and cook until the reverse side is golden-brown and crispy, about 3-4 minutes.
Step 15 -Repeat the cooking process with the remaining sandwiches and the remaining 2 tablespoons of the butter.
Step 16 -Slice and serve.
