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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. It’s the perfect grilled cheese for spring and summer.
It’s only April, but I feel so thrown off. In Florida, it’s basically summer—eighty-degree days, warm, humid nights, and sunshine. I’m 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? I’ll happily make this grilled cheese any time of year.
And it’s so simple. It’s a combination I make for my mom often—fresh 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 there’s 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 season—even into early fall.
I make this a lot for lunch or dinner. I’ve been making some version of it for a while now, and I just love using Brie mixed with cheddar for grilled cheese. You don’t even need the tomato—the combination of sharp, flavorful cheddar and creamy, meltier Brie is so good and a little unexpected.
You can also mix it up—add bacon, apples, or keep it simple with just cheese and a drizzle of honey.
These are the details
Ingredients
- tomatoes – preferably smaller heirlooms
- flaked sea salt and black pepper
- sourdough bread
- sharp cheddar cheese
- Brie cheese
- fresh basil
- salted butter
- mayo – I use the avocado oil mayo here
- Asiago cheese – you could use Parmesan too
- Everything bagel seasoning – optional but delicious, I shared my homemade
- honey – this is also optional, but do a drizzle of honey on most grilled cheese
The Kitchen Tools
I use a cast-iron skillet (I love this new citron color – and the 11″ 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. Don’t 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, you’ll love this—it 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 salt—if you like. It’s my favorite way to serve this.
It. Is. So. Good!
Melty cheese, juicy tomatoes, and everything bagel spice come together in the best way. It’s rich, fresh, a little crunchy, and just downright perfect. Make this for an easy dinner tonight—you’ll be very glad you did.
Looking for other grilled cheese recipes? Here are a few ideas:
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, don’t 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
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 tomato, thinly sliced
- 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 1–2 tablespoons butter or oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the sandwiches until golden and crisp on each side, about 3–5 minutes per side. Drizzle with honey if desired, then serve and enjoy.
Notes
