Remember that awesome spiced crunchy balsamic beet pickle I made a few weeks ago? Like I promised, there’s more where that came from. And this time it takes the form of a Pickled Beet and Basil Grilled Cheese Sandwich!
I’ve always been telling Mr K, that I wouldn’t mind living on a diet of just cheese, chocolate and freshly baked bread for the rest of my life! While I haven’t come across any studies that have explored the pros and cons of a diet like that, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that it’s probably not the best. I loved cheese even as a kid, even though all I had was processed cheese. It was easier to find, cheaper to buy and made pretty darn good sandwiches for an 8 year old. As I grew older though, my taste in cheese became a little more “worldly.” Although admittedly, one of my long-standing guilty pleasures in life is still a thick block of Kraft cheese!

I grew up on cheesy toast. It was something we enjoyed on weekends, topped with some spicy green pepper. And pretty soon I made that short leap (or side step?) to grilled cheese sandwiches and I fell in love even more. While I have presented this as a grilled cheese here, it works just as well as an open-faced grilled cheese toast as well.
This is a truly phenomenal sandwich! Really. Even if you’re not a “beet person,” you have got to try this because the pickled beet makes a huge difference. Go ahead and check out my post on the crunchy balsamic beet pickle here if you’d like, so you know about all those bold and amazing flavours trapped inside the beet pickle. If you like pickles in your sandwich, then you will love this! What takes this sandwich to a whole new level though, are the slices of bread that are slathered with basil parsley butter!
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Ingredients:
- 1 recipe of crunchy balsamic pickled beet
- 6- 8 slices of bread regular-sized bread, more if smaller please see note
- 1/4 of a large red onion sliced thinly
- 8 oz of grated cheese I used a combination of pepper jack, provolone and white cheddar
- 3 oz of goat cheese crumbled
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Jalapeno de-seeded and sliced - optional
- Basil and parsley butter
Basil and Parsley Butter
- 1 stick 4 oz/ 115g unsalted butter, softened
- 3 tbsp minced basil
- 2 tbsp minced parsley
- Salt
Instructions:
Basil and Parsley Butter
- Mix all the ingredients together until well incorporated. Add salt to taste. You can leave it at room temperature so that it remains spreadable, or freeze it if you would like to use it later.
To Assemble the Grilled Cheese
- Generously spread the basil butter on the outside and inside of each slice of bread.
- Layer a little of the sliced red onions, then the drained beet pickle (about 2-3 tbsp on each sandwich or however much you prefer) on half the number of bread slices you have.
- Add about 1 - 1.25 oz of shredded cheese to the same bread slices, and crumble some goat cheese on top. Next add the chilli slices, if you prefer (seeded or de-seeded). You can add some chopped parsley too if you like, but that's not necessary).
- Place the second slice of bread on top.
- Preheat your nonstick pan or grill pan to medium and brush it with some oil to prevent sticking. When the pan is hot, place the sandwiches on it and grill for about 3 minutes per side (until the side is golden brown and the cheese is melting).
- Alternatively you can press your sandwich in a panini press.
- Cut the sandwich in half and serve as is or with a side salad while still warm.
Tips & Tricks
The amounts in the recipe are only a guide. If you would like less butter and cheese, you can adjust them to your liking.
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
I’m not sure you could see it well enough in the pictures, but that basil parsley butter actually melts and infuses the bread with that amazing basil flavour! So you got the soft cheesy center with the tangy, vinegary pickled beet, paired with creamy and tangy goat cheese and the lingering freshness of basil in the beet and the butter infused bread. And what’s the best part of grilled cheese? That stretchy cheesy goodness of course!

And that my friends, is how you take something as amazing as a grilled cheese sandwich and make it even better! So what’s your favourite grilled cheese sandwich combo?
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Sandra Sandmeyer says
I’m so glad that you joined us for this week’s Bloggers Brags Pinterest Party! I’ve pinned your post to the BBPP Pinterest Board. See you next week!
Dini says
Thank you Sandra 🙂
Akaleistar says
I love grilled cheese, and this sandwich looks amazing!
Petra says
I agree that cheese is a true staple of life! And fresh bread… Make a grilled cheese sandwich and especially something that looks this delicious is a thing of beauty 🙂
Bev says
If I could subsist on freshly baked bread, cheese and chocolate for the rest of my life I would be in heaven! I’m a huge fan of grilled cheese sandwiches and like the twist with the pickled beats. Sounds delish!
Joy @ Joy Love Food says
Yum, sounds like a wonderful combination!
Diana Rambles says
I love beets and grilled cheese!!!
Justine says
Oh wow! All of these flavors sound divine!! I also love your photos 😉
Lily says
Looks delicious, melting cheese is the best, thanks for sharing your recipe Dino:)
Winnie says
Wowww
This is such a great sandwich!!
I love all the ingredients that you used
Laura says
Mmmmmmmmmmmmm. I think that says it all. Sooo inviting.
Jenny says
This sandwich looks so delicious! I love the colors and the combination of ingredients.
Loretta says
What a great combination of flavors and colors Dini. You just come up with the most unusual and terrific food flavors and spices. I love beets of any kind,and I’m sure your pickled variety took it to a whole new level. Great sandwich, great job!
Jhuls says
This recipe sounds so interesting to me, Dini. This looks really delicious!!! Happy FF! 🙂
skd says
This is a five star sandwich. it can’t get any better. Love all the flavors which went into it 🙂
Johanne Lamarche says
Strangest grilled cheese ever but it has my name all over it and I’m going to try it!!!!! Fun!
Dini says
hahaha!! 😀 I love pickled beet, so I may have gone overboard with it – but this was delicious for sure!! I hope you do try it… 🙂
suzanne says
Seriously, I am in love with this sandwich. Everything is about it is incredibly delicious. So well done and thank you for bringing to the party!! I have to make this sandwich right away,
Dini says
Thank you so much Suzanne! 😀 It is definitely a sandwich worth making!! (I might be biased though!)
Julianna says
Now that is what I call a sandwich!! Wow, so many flavours in one mouthful! MMMM!
Dini says
Thank you Julianna! 😀
Tina | Mademoiselle Gourmande says
I love this sandwich… 🙂 I do enjoy beet but have never really cooked with it, which is a shame, I know.
I love every ingredient in this sandwich. Needless to say that I love sandwiches – I’m German, I have to love bread and everything you can make with it. 🙂
Pinned this for making it later. Happy Fiesta Friday.
Dini says
Thank you Tina! 🙂 You have to try beets, it’s one of my favourite veggies 🙂 plus when I was younger I used to eat it with rice and pretend that the reddish pink colour was… well I was using my imagination to make meal time more entertaining! 😀
Thank you so much for pinning the recipe too! 🙂
Caroline says
Wow, this looks like such a fantastic sandwich! I love all the flavors in here, and so colorful as well. I can imagine it all in my mouth already, I hope you are making lots to share!
Dini says
Thank you Caroline! I made enough for three (but with my husband, it was enough for the two of us!! :D) But I’ve made more since then!!
Hilda says
This looks like a real sandwich. I have just recently returned to sandwich making now that I don’t have to pack them for work – I can go to town with pickles and all sorts of things. I must try this one!
Michelle @ Giraffes Can Bake says
Wow this is one amazing sandwich! I don’t normally like pickled things but I need this sandwich in my life!
Dini says
I used to be picky about my pickles (hahaha! Im laughing at my own jokes here!) but fell inlove with them all recently! The good thing about this sandwich is that the the balsamic flavour is amazing and comes through! So it doesn’t feel too much like a pickle if you like balsamic! 🙂
Selma | Selma's Table says
This looks fabulous! Your photos are mouth watering and I really shouldn’t be reading all these Fiesta Friday posts on an empty stomach! I love a grilled cheese of any sort and this sound fabulous!
Dini says
Thank you Selma!! hahaha!! I feel the same way! I usually always end up reading the posts in an emtpy stomach and this time I did it right after a meal, and I STILL want to taste it all!
I love grilled cheese too! It definitely is one of those things I could NEVER turn down!
sue obryan says
This sandwich has birgerbird written all over it . . . it is so me . . . I just love the colors, the flavors and how you tied everything together with melted cheese and put it into a handheld delight! I am for sure making this soon. Thank you for bringing these truly special little sandies to the party this week!
Dini says
Thank you so much Sue!! I fell in love with the colour and taste of the beet and knew I had to keep making it and eating it over and over again! 🙂 You have to let me know what you think of it when you make it!