Grilled cheese with cheddar, fresh sweet figs, and spicy hot honey is an easy gourmet recipe. A perfect combo of sweet and spicy. One gooey melty bite of this Grilled Cheese with Figs & Hot Honey & you will fall in love.
I am sure we all grew up with the white bread and Kraft singles cheese version as a kid. However as we all start to mature, so does our palate. This recipe both evokes nostalgia & feed our craving for something sophisticated.
Ingredients for the Best Grilled Cheese
You will only need a few ingredients to make an outstanding grilled cheese sandwich. This 5-ingredient hot sandwich recipe has both unique & ordinary items.
- Sourdough Bread - this hearty bread with a tangy flavor is the best option.
- Cheddar Cheese - sliced medium or sharp pairs with the sweet figs.
- Fresh Figs - ripe juicy fruit that slices easily without being too mushy or overrripe (Mission, Kadota, Brown Turkey, or Adriatic are popular varieties)
- Salted Butter - for golden toasty bread.
- Hot Honey - homemade or store-bought for a sticky & spicy final kick.
See the recipe card for amounts & full instructions.
I recommend making my HOT HONEY RECIPE to spread or drizzle so make sure you have a batch of this ready. Homemade ensures you get it as mild or spicy as you want it.
How to Make Grilled Cheese with Figs
Here is how to assemble and griddle this hot sandwich. In just 4 easy steps, it's hot & ready to enjoy.
- Prep the Ingredients
- Assemble the Sandwich
- Grill the Sandwich
- Top & Serve with Hot Honey
1 - Prep the Ingredients
Wash and dry the fresh figs. Cut to remove any remaining stem and slice each in half, vertically.
2 - Assemble the Sandwich
For each sandwich use two slices of bread, 4 slices of cheddar, and 2-3 figs cut in half. Assemble so the figs are in the innermost layer between 2 slices of cheese on each side. See the image below.
EXTRA SPICY VARIATION: Spread the hot honey on one of the inside slices of bread before you place the cheese on. This is fantastic but may not be for everyone if you just want some mild heat.
3 - Grill the Sandwich
Use medium-heat and a flat griddle pan or skillet to cook the sandwiches. Butter both of the outsides of the bread and place on a heated flat griddle pan.
Cook for 3 minutes each side, using a spatula to flip it over after the first side is done and golden brown.
The grilled cheese sandwich will be done when the cheddar is melted and starting to drip down the outsides of the bread. The sourdough bread will also be golden brown on both sides. This is grilled cheese perfection - just look at that melty cheddar heaven.
4 - Serve and Top with Hot Honey
Transfer to a cutting board to let it cool a few minutes before cutting into it. If you cut into it right away, a lot of the cheese will ooze out. That is not necessarily a bad thing but let it set a bit and then slice and watch a little bit of gooey cheese drip out.
Time to plate the sandwich and grab a side dish if you want. I love this with more fruit. Do not forget to drizzle the hot honey on top or put it on the side to dip into it.
Serve with a simple spinach salad, homemade pickles, or any of my other ideas for what to serve with grilled cheese.
Product Recommendations for this Recipe:
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Grilled Cheese with Figs and Hot Honey
Equipment
- Flat griddle
Ingredients
- 4 slices sourdough bread
- 4-6 fresh figs
- 8 slices medium or sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 TB butter
- Hot Honey recipe link above
Instructions
- Wash and dry the fresh figs. Cut to remove any remaining stem and slice each in half, vertically.
- Start by assembling each sandwich. Use two slices of bread, 4 slices of cheese, and 2-3 fig halves per sandwich. Assemble so the figs are in the innermost layer between 2 slices of cheese on each side. See the image above.
- If you want hot honey inside the sandwich, you can also spread some on one of the inner sides of a slice of the bread. Bring the sandwich layers together. Butter both of the outsides of the bread and place on a heated flat griddle pan.
- Use medium-heat and a flat griddle pan to cook the sandwiches. Cook for 3 minutes each side, using a spatula to flip it over after the first side is done and golden brown.
- Transfer to a cutting board to rest about a minute. This allows the cheese to set so it does not ooze out as soon as you try and cut it.
- Cut each sandwich in half and put on a plate. Drizzle with hot honey or put it on the side as a dip. Enjoy!
Final Notes
Here is why you will love this recipe:
- Great way to use summer figs before they go out of season.
- Cheese & fruit are one of the best combinations.
- Perfect for lunch or dinner.
- Ready in just 10 minutes & uses only 5 ingredients.
You just cannot go wrong with grilled cheese. If you wonder who invented the grilled cheese sandwich, find out here at one of my favorite sites - HOW STUFF WORKS - GRILLED CHEESE EDITION.
Caroline Parrott says
yes PLEASE!!!!!
Angela says
Well since you asked nicely...
Karie says
Wow what an interesting combination. I have a fig tree I need to use my figs so I might have to try this. I am def going to try the hot honey.
Angela says
Yes, this is a great quick recipe to enjoy those fresh figs from your tree.
Cindy Mailhot says
This looks so yummy. I will definitely be trying this.
Melissa says
This sounds amazing! It’s definitely not something I would ever think of, but I think I need to try it now!
Emily says
Looks delish! Butter is definitely my friend as well... can’t replace that with mayo!
Angela says
Friends don't let friends use mayo - haha!
Sabrina DeWalt says
I love grilled cheese sandwiches. This one looks amazing.
Amanda says
Oh, man! In a thousand years I never would have thought of adding figs to my grilled cheese. Sounds intriguing!
Angela says
Figs and cheese are just amazing together so in a sandwich, oh yes - heaven.
Kendra says
sounds like a recipe I'd love!
Alexis Farmer says
I’ve had lots of grilled cheese varieties but never with figs and hot honey. Definitely intrigued!
Angela says
Now is the time to try a new gourmet way to enjoy grilled cheese.
Elaina says
Yummy, yummy, yummy! This looks so delicious and it's easy to whip up.
Angela says
It sure is triple yummy and easy.
Beth says
Since I love figs but never get as many as I want I always feel I should eat them raw. But this sounds like a recipe that I shouldn't miss. I hope I can still find some figs when I go shopping tomorrow.
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
I never ever would have thought to put honey on a grilled cheese. But oh my this sandwich sounds incredible! Pinned! Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner party! Hope to see you back tomorrow.