Skillet Suppers
Blueberry Havarti Grilled Cheese (Sweet & Savory)
This is the grilled cheese I make when I want something a little different — creamy, mild Havarti melted up against a quick blueberry jam I cook down right in the same skillet session. The cheese and the sweet-tart berries play off each other perfectly, and with only a handful of ingredients there's really no reason not to make the jam fresh. It feels fancy but it comes together fast.
Blueberry Grilled CheeseIngredients
- fresh blueberries
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/4 cup sugar
- Havarti cheese, about 1 slice per sandwich
- room temperature butter, for spreading
- bread, your choice
How to Make It
- Add the fresh blueberries to a pan over medium heat.
- Add the lemon juice to the blueberries.
- Add 1/4 cup sugar and mix to combine.
- Cook on medium heat for about 10 to 15 minutes, reducing the heat if it boils too fast, until it comes to a low boil and thickens into a jam (the blueberries will start to break down).
- Remove the jam from the heat and let it cool for about 5 to 6 minutes until cool and thickened.
- Meanwhile, assemble the sandwiches: butter one side only of each slice of bread.
- Lay the Havarti cheese on the non-buttered side of the bread.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and place a slice butter-side down.
- Spread the cooled blueberry jam on top, as much as you like.
- Top with the second slice, butter-side down, and close the sandwich.
- Cook about 3 to 4 minutes per side on medium heat until the bread is crispy and golden and the cheese melts, flipping as needed. Don't press the sandwich flat.
- Remove from the pan, let cool for a moment, then cut and serve.
Curtis's Tips
- Havarti is a creamy, mild cheese and it pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the blueberries.
- I like to make the jam fresh — with only six ingredients in this, there's no reason not to. You can use store-bought blueberry jam in a pinch, but fresh is the way to go here.
- The jam takes about 10 to 15 minutes; turn the heat down if it starts bubbling too fast, since you don't want it cooking too quickly.
- Let the jam cool fully before adding it to the sandwich — it thickens up nicely once it's cooled.
- Keep the skillet at medium, not too hot, so the bread doesn't burn before the cheese melts. Flip a couple of times if you need to in order to fully melt the cheese.
- Don't press the sandwich down hard — just a little, enough to make sure it sits even on the skillet. You don't want to flatten it.
- This batch of jam makes enough for two sandwiches; scale the ingredients to your preference.
