apple-butter-grilled-cheese
|

Autumn Grilled Cheese & Soup

Jump to Recipe

This Apple Butter Grilled Cheese and Butternut Squash recipe is developed in partnership with Midwest Dairy. Check out other recipes developed in partnership with Midwest Dairy like this Autumn Cheese Board.

Time to talk about two things I love; autumn recipes and how food can benefit immune health. This Apple Butter Grilled Cheese is a surprising twist on the traditional grilled cheese. Seriously, I brought it to a Sunday Chiefs watch party and people thought they were biting into a grilled cheese but were pleasantly surprised with the apple butter flavor! Plus, it pairs perfectly with this immune-boosting Butternut Squash Soup.

apple-butter-grilled-cheese

A recipe to help your immune system

The weather is cooling down so that means more hearty, warm meals like this one. Unfortunately, it also means colds and flu are likely going around. Making sure you are eating nutrient-rich foods is one way you can boost your immunity going into this winter.

Vitamin A

Butternut squash is a great source of beta-carotene, the precursor to vitamin A. Vitamin A is an anti-inflammatory vitamin that can help your antibodies respond to toxins, such as a virus. Great sources include butternut squash and carrots, which this soup has both of! Cheese also has Vitamin A plus protein, zinc, and selenium all of which are immune-boosting nutrients.

Vitamin A is also a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning you absorb it better with a fat source. The heavy cream in the soup can really help increase your absorption and also provide some calcium and vitamin D. A perfect example of how plants and dairy are a superfood combo.

Check out this Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl recipe that is another example of dairy and plants coming together to boost flavor and nutrition.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential to your body’s immune response. It’s also called the sunshine vitamin since the body can make vitamin D when exposed to sunshine. With the lack of sun exposure during fall and winter, it’s important to increase sources from food.

According to the National Institutes of Health, fortified foods provide most of the vitamin D in American diets. For example, almost all of the U.S. milk supply is voluntarily fortified with about 3 mcg/cup (120 IU), usually in the form of vitamin D3.

The heavy cream in this recipe along with other dairy sources, salmon, and to a lesser extent eggs, mushrooms, and cheese are great sources of vitamin D.

apple-butter-grilled-cheese

Make your crock-pot your best friend

The crock-pot is a kitchen workhorse all year round, but I use it more and more as the temperatures cool. This Butternut Squash soup is perfect for the crock pot because you can just add all the ingredients in (except rosemary and heavy cream), press on, and leave it for 4 hours.

You will wait to add the heavy cream and rosemary until the end when you have turned the crockpot off or just on the warm setting.

butternut-squash-soup

Other equipment needed

Other than a crockpot you will need:

  • cast iron skillet or another skillet
  • immersion blender
  • knife
  • cutting board

Here’s the recipe!

Apple Butter Grilled Cheese and Butternut Squash Soup
Pin
Print

Apple Butter Grilled Cheese and Butternut Squash Soup

Recipe by Ariel JohnstonDifficulty: Easy
Servings

8-10

servings

Ingredients

  • Autumn Grilled Cheese

  • 4 slices whole-grain bread

  • 4 ounces Gouda and Cheddar cheese

  • 1 Granny Smith Apple, thinly sliced

  • 1/4 cup apple butter

  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter

  • Butternut Squash Soup

  • 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into large cubes

  • 1 large onion, chopped

  • 1 carrot, peeled and chopped

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg

  • 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced

  • 2 tsbp honey

  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon

  • 3 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy cream

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly chopped rosemary

  • Ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

  • Autumn Grilled Cheese
  • Heat a large, 12-inch skillet over medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon butter, then add apples and a pinch of salt. Cook, tossing occasionally until apples are golden and softened 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
  • Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the pan on medium heat. Spread 1 tablespoon apple butter on one side of each slice of bread, this will be the inside of the sandwich.
  • Place the slices of bread in the pan apple butter side up. Top the bread slices with cheddar and gouda slices then layer on sauted apples and sandwich with another slice of bread.
  • Allow the cheese to melt for 3-4 minutes and flip to toast both slices of bread.
  • Remove from heat and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes before serving!
  • Butternut Squash Soup
  • In a large slow cooker, combine butternut squash, onion, carrot, garlic, nutmeg, ginger, honey, and cinnamon. Pour in broth and season with salt and pepper.
  • Cover and cook until squash is very tender, on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
  • Turn heat off on crock pot. Use an immersion blender to blend soup until smooth.
    Add in heavy cream and rosemary.

If you liked this recipe check out these Breakfast Burritos that are perfect for a fall morning!

You may also love...