Beer Sautéed Apple, Caramelized Onion, Brie, Crispy Prosciutto and Arugula Sandwiches
I know, I know, grilled cheese sandwiches are supposed to be a quick and easy way to throw a meal together. It’s kid food, sometimes hangover food, and an easy thing to make when you haven’t grocery shopped or just don’t want to make dinner. I get it. Grilled cheese isn’t exactly food column type content but stay with me.
We’ve arrived at the glorious transition of summer to fall. School is back in session. The brutal heat of August is waning but the days are deliciously warm and sunny. The nights are just cool enough to warrant a sweatshirt here and there and the mornings have a lovely crispness to them.
We are in peak produce harvest In the Valley, with everything from blackberries to peaches, tomatoes, corn, salad greens and beans ready to harvest. Onions, potatoes and every kind of pepper you can think of are readily available.
Which brings me back to the grilled cheese. These early fall days don’t exactly scream hearty warm dishes and recipes that require a hot oven to run for a few hours. But at the same time, football season has arrived and the idea of a little comfort food seems like a pretty good idea.
So to bridge the gap of summer and fall, I bring you an elevated grilled cheese. Apples and onions are sautéed in beer (and a little brown sugar and butter) until they are tender and caramelized. Layered with crispy prosciutto, melty brie cheese and peppery arugula, this is not your kid’s grilled cheese sandwich.
You know what else happens in the fall? Hop harvest. Hops mean beer for another year and if you ask me, an ice cold beer and an epic sandwich is just about the best combination you can come up with.
Of course, as always, feel free to interpret this recipe to your own preferences. The beer used to infuse the onions and apples with flavor can be switched out for a favorite no-alcohol beer or skipped altogether. Simply sauté the onion in the brown sugar and a few tablespoons balsamic vinegar as a swap. For the apples, simply skip the beer.
As for toppings, arugula is my favorite green for a grilled sandwich but baby spinach leaves are a great option as well. Peaches or pears could be swapped in for apples and I love the salty thin pieces of prosciutto but cooked bacon or grilled chicken breast would be lovely too.
If you have a panini press at home, this recipe makes a killer panini but a large sauté pan or griddle will work just fine.
I chose a Hefeweizen beer for its drinkability and sweet flavor. Typically a wheat beer (which Hefeweizen falls into this category) has a strong yeast flavor which brings about notes of fruit, citrus, sometimes even clove or banana and bread. Brewers often pair this style of beer with fruit such as oranges, lemon or grapefruit.The Hefeweizen is the perfect beer for cooking onions and apples with because its mild sweetness pairs well with the savory and tart flavors of the sandwich.
Make a batch of these delicious sandwiches for your favorite people. Throw on a sweatshirt and eat them on a picnic blanket one more time before the cool weather sets in. Enjoy your favorite locally sourced craft beer from somewhere right here in the Valley and if you’re really lucky and the timing is just right, hopefully you get to enjoy all of it with one of our out-of-this-world sunsets. Enjoy.
Beer Sautéed Apple, Caramelized Onion, Brie, Crispy Prosciutto and Arugula Sandwiches
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large Walla Walla sweet onion, sliced
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups hefeweizen beer, divided
4 tablespoons butter, plus more for griddle/pan
1 large Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into thin 1/8-inch slices
16 pieces prosciutto, cooked
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 loaf brioche bread
8 ounces brie cheese, thinly sliced
4 ounces arugula
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the prosciutto slices in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake until the slices start to shrivel and turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the oven though, because prosciutto can burn because it is so thin. Cooking time will vary slightly so start checking it about 7 minutes in. Remove the prosciutto from the oven and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Allow the slices to cool. Leave the oven on, as you’ll be using it for the sandwiches.
In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar and continue cooking the onion until it has darkened and is starting to caramelize, about 20 more minutes. Add 1 cup of the beer, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze it. Cook until the beer is mostly gone and the onion is dark brown, another 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside.
Return the pan to the burner and melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the apple slices and salt. Cook, stirring until the apples start to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of beer and cook until the apples are soft and the beer is gone.
Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium-high heat. Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet.
Slice the brioche bread into 12 slices. Use the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to spread on one side of each slice of bread. Place the buttered side down on the hot pan and top it with brie cheese, slices of crispy prosciutto, caramelized onions and apples, a few arugula leaves and a final layer of brie cheese. Top it with the other piece of brioche bread, buttered side up.
Cook until the bottom has browned. Carefully flip the sandwich and cook the other side until both sides of the sandwich are golden brown and toasted. Transfer the sandwich to the wire rack. Repeat this process with the remaining ingredients.
Transfer the baking sheet, with the wire rack and all the sandwiches to the oven and bake for 4 to 6 minutes until the brie cheese is melted and spilling out of the sandwich. Remove from the oven, slice in half and serve immediately. Serves 6 sandwiches.