Gourmet fig grilled cheese—the kind you can find on restaurant menus is something you can easily make at home with a small addition: balsamic fig jam. If you’ve never made grilled cheese with mayo this is another marvelous tip to transform this classic sandwich into something extra special.
Cheese, Please: What to Use in Fig Grilled Cheese
For this grilled cheese with balsamic fig jam, we used sharp cheddar from our friends at Rumiano Cheese. It’s tangy and pairs well with our mission figs. You could easily use a milder cheese too, like Monterey Jack or a spicier cheese like a Jalapeno Cheddar—just make sure it’s a semi-soft cheese you can slice so that you get maximum melting and those irresistible cheese pulls!
Balsamic Fig Jam in Fig Grilled Cheese
We love a good grilled cheese, but one thing that’s true is how rich this sandwich is and this is where balsamic fig jam comes in. The jam couldn’t be easier to make and it combines roasted red bell pepper, balsamic vinegar, and either our Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Mission Dried Figs with a touch of honey. Wait until you taste it in a grilled cheese—it’s the kind of flavor combo you will crave!
Other Ways to Use Balsamic Fig Jam
As a side note, you could skip the grilled cheese and just make the balsamic fig jam to add onto a cheese plate, as a condiment for ham sandwiches, burgers, and served alongside salty chicken, pork, grilled veggies, or even added as a garnish to Mujadara. You could also whisk it into a vinaigrette with olive oil for tossing salad or making into a marinade. Lastly, you could spoon it into Savory Cheese Thumbprint Cookies too.
The Secret to Golden Toasty Bread for the Ultimate Fig Grilled Cheese
Most of the time when people make grilled cheese they spread the outsides with butter and we are not averse to that, but wait until you try using grilled cheese with mayo. The consistency is easier to spread so you don’t necessarily have to use as much and you don’t have to bring your butter to soft / room temperature which can involve some planning or in advance prepping. Instead, you’ll get golden toasty outsides with melty insides. You’ll love the crusty, crunchy outside, the tangy melted cheese melding with balsamic fig jam.
Are you turning on your griddle yet? Let’s make balsamic fig jam grilled cheese sandwiches!
Balsamic Fig Jam Grilled Cheese with Mayo
Ingredients
Balsamic Fig Jam (Makes 1 1/4 cups)
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 cup Orchard Choice® or Sun-Maid® California Dried Figs
- 1 roasted red bell pepper peeled, seeded, cored + quartered
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
Grilled Cheese
- 10 ounces Rumiano sharp cheddar cheese cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 16 slices bread
- Mayonnaise
Instructions
Make Balsamic Fig Jam
- Heat balsamic vinegar and honey. Pour over figs and infuse for 5 minutes.
- Place figs and liquid with red bell pepper in a food processor. Process until smooth. Season to taste, processing again with salt and black pepper (or chile flakes if you prefer a spicy jam). Set aside.
Make Grilled Cheese
- Spread a thin coat of mayonnaise evenly on one side of a bread slice. Place it on a plate, mayonnaise side up. Repeat with the other bread slice, placing mayonnaise side down.
- On bread slice facing you, spread on 1/4 cup balsamic fig jam. Tile cheese slices on top.
- Preheat a skillet on medium for 1 minute. Pickup bread stack, removing the slice from the bottom, bringing it to the top to cover the cheese, mayonnaised sides facing out.
- Place sandwich in skillet for 1 1/2 minutes. Carefully flip with a spatula and turn down heat to medium low, cooking other side until golden, about 2 minutes. Slice and serve.
2 Comments on “Balsamic Fig Jam Grilled Cheese with Mayo”
Could I please have the recipe shown on TV usually on the PBS show it looks like a tart with figs and cashews other kinds of nuts it’s beautiful
At a recent restaurant in Ketchum Idaho, I served a fabulous rack of lamb with a mission fig and balsamic reduction as a plated sauce….I am good with roasted lamb but would love to have a recipe for the fig reduction sauce…the figs where quartered and was perfect with a bite of lamb as well as the roasted brussels sprouts served on the plate.