This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
All the flavors you love in a bowl of tomato soup, turned into a melty grilled cheese. Heirloom tomatoes are layered between slices of sourdough with fresh basil, sharp cheddar, and creamy Brie. The bread is coated in everything bagel seasoning and pan-fried until golden, crisp, and perfectly gooey. Itโs the perfect grilled cheese for spring and summer.
Itโs only April, but I feel so thrown off. In Florida, itโs basically summerโeighty-degree days, warm, humid nights, and sunshine. Iโm not complaining at all, but it definitely feels like July, so I might be just a little ahead of the seasons with this melty tomato grilled cheese.
But honestly, when the markets have heirloom tomatoes, why not? Iโll happily make this grilled cheese any time of year.
And itโs so simple. Itโs a combination I make for my mom oftenโfresh heirloom tomato slices with a hefty sprinkle of sea salt (sometimes I even add a little everything seasoning to the tomatoes too), really good sharp cheddar, creamy, melty Brie, and fresh basil.
Then thereโs the everything butter. Just butter mixed with Everything seasoning, spread onto the bread, and pan-fried until perfectly crisp. It really is such a simple, delicious sandwich to make all through tomato seasonโeven into early fall.
I make this a lot for lunch or dinner. Iโve been making some version of it for a while now, and I just love using Brie mixed with cheddar for grilled cheese. You donโt even need the tomatoโthe combination of sharp, flavorful cheddar and creamy, meltier Brie is so good and a little unexpected.
You can also mix it upโadd bacon, apples, or keep it simple with just cheese and a drizzle of honey.
These are the details
Ingredientsย
- tomatoes โ preferably smaller heirlooms
- white balsamic โ optionalย
- flaked sea salt and black pepper
- sourdough bread
- sharp cheddar cheese
- Brie cheese
- fresh basil
- salted butter
- mayo โ I use the avocado oil mayo here
- Asiago cheese โ you could use Parmesan too
- Everything bagel seasoning โ optional but delicious, I shared my homemade
- honey โ this is also optional, but do a drizzle of honey on most grilled cheese
The Kitchen Tools
I use aย cast-iron skillet (I love this new citron color โ and the 11โณ is on sale right now!), a couple of mixing bowls, and a simple serrated knife to slice the tomatoes.
The Steps
Step 1: Prep the tomatoes
Do your best to find really good tomatoes. This is a really great sandwich to remake during tomato season. Heirloom tomatoes are ideal. Slice and salt them, then let them sit for a bit. This helps draw out excess moisture and keeps your grilled cheese from getting soggy. Donโt skip this step.
Step 2: Mix the cheeses
While the tomatoes sit, combine extra sharp cheddar, torn Brie (fontina works great too), and fresh basil. The cheddar adds bold flavor, while the Brie melts into that perfect gooey texture. Mixing the basil right into the cheese makes every bite extra flavorful.
Step 3: Butter the bread
Mix together the butter, mayo, and everything bagel seasoning. My go-to blend includes sesame seeds, onion flakes, and herbs. If you love everything bagels, youโll love thisโit really makes the sandwich. Spread the mixture evenly over the outside of each slice of bread.
Step 4: Cook
Heat a skillet over medium heat and cook the sandwiches until golden and crisp on the outside and melty on the inside. Try not to overfill them so everything melts evenly.
Serve
Finish with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of sea saltโif you like. Itโs my favorite way to serve this.
It. Is. So. Good!
Melty cheese, juicy tomatoes, and everything bagel spice come together in the best way. Itโs rich, fresh, a little crunchy, and just downright perfect. Make this for an easy dinner tonightโyouโll be very glad you did.
Looking for other grilled cheese recipes? Here are a few ideas:ย
French Onion and Apple Grilled Cheese
Lastly, if you make this Everything Cheddar, Tomato, and Brie Grilled Cheese, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, donโt forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Everything Cheddar, Tomato, and Brie Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 tomato, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
- sea salt and black pepper
- 4 slices sourdough bread
- 3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 2-4 ounces torn Brie, (I leave rind on)
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon mayo , (optional)
- 2 tablespoons grated asiago cheese
- 2-4 tablespoons everything bagel spice, (optional, recipe in notes)
- honey, to drizzle, if desired
Instructions
- 1. Arrange the tomato slices on a cutting board and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let sit for 15 minutes to draw out excess moisture.2. Mix the cheeses. In a bowl, combine the cheddar, Brie, and basil.3. In another bowl, mix the butter, mayo (if using), Asiago, and everything bagel seasoning. Spread the butter mix on the outside of each slice of bread. 4. Sandwich the cheese mixture and tomatoes between 2 pieces of buttered bread, buttered sides on the outside. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 2 sandwiches. 4. Heat 1โ2 tablespoons butter or oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the sandwiches until golden and crisp on each side, about 3โ5 minutes per side. Drizzle with honey if desired, then serve and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Hi Tieghan,
These are delicious!!!!
I see the recipe calls for balsamic vinegar but I donโt see it anywhere in the recipe. Where does it go? Both my husband and me must be blind as a bat because we couldnโt find it. Thanks for all your great work
Hi Mary Ann,
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe! You can sprinkle the white balsamic over the tomatoes in step 1 if you want to use it.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
What a beautiful blend of flavors! I used black sesame and poppy seeds, which made it hard to see when the bread was golden brown. I guess I cooked it too slowly, because the cheese was melting into the pan before the bread had actually gotten crispy. I wish it had been crispy. Also, I was nervous about how I was going to flip the bread without spilling all the contents of the sandwichโ-itโs such a tall sandwich! So I inserted two toothpicks into each sandwich and they flipped perfectly!
One issueโ-I should have reduced the amount of salt in the everything bagel seasoning. My husband thought it was too salty, but heโs more sensitive to salt than I am.
By the way, I couldnโt figure out where the white balsamic is used, so I omitted it. Did I miss it somehow?
Hi Danette,
I’m so glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it!
You can drizzle the white balsamic on the tomatoes if using.
Have a great weekend!
you mentioned 1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
when do you add that
Hi Fran,
You can drizzle that on the tomatoes if using:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try!
I am tossing this recipe. 4 tbsp of butter split between 4 slices means each person receives 2 tbsp of butter, too much! Thank goodness I did not add more butter or oil to the pan to grill them.
I used 3 tbsp of the bagel seasoning, too much. Between the salt on the tomatoes and the salt in the seasoning, along with the butter, this is the least heart-healthy recipe I have seen recently.
So sorry to hear this! Thanks for trying the recipe and sharing your feedback!
This looked AMAZING and my husband and I loved it even more than we imaged we would! So quick and easy too!
Hey Kat,
Fantastic!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was enjoyed!
Absolutely delicious! I used a multigrain rye bread, sharp cheddar, thinly shaved parmesan reggiano, ham, heirloom tomato and fresh basil. The everything bagel seasoning mixed in with the butter and mayo on the outside of the bread was fantastic. This one is definitely keeper and will made many times in the future in this household!
Hey Janice,
Your feedback means a lotโthanks for trying this recipe! I’m happy it delivered!
You mention including herbs in your everything spice blend, which I am intrigued by since I have never seen that before. Can you elaborate? i see your blend in the notes section but that one doesn’t have herbs. Many thanks!
Hey Liz,
Any chopped herbs like basil or parsley is a delicious additon. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try!
Sounds yummy! The recipe you give for everything bagel seasoning does not resemble what’s pictured. In the pictures, it looks like you only used sesame seeds. Why didn’t you use everything bagel seasoning?
Hey AJ! I didnโt have poppyseeds or black sesame, but everything else is in the seasoning! Just needed to use what I had on hand.
Hope you love the grilled cheese! Have a great week!