Caramelized Onion and Gouda Grilled Cheese on Sourdough

There’s something magical about the combination of sweet, caramelized onions and melty, smoky gouda cheese. This grilled cheese sandwich captures all the cozy flavors of French onion soup but in a convenient, handheld form. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a comforting lunch, it comes together in under 30 minutes with simple ingredients.

We start by slowly cooking sliced yellow onions until they’re deeply browned and jammy, then stir in a bit of beef stock concentrate for that signature savory depth. The onions are layered with gouda between slices of sourdough, which gets crisped in garlic herb butter. Each bite is a delightful mix of crunchy bread, gooey cheese and sweet-savory onions.

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Ingredients

8 slice Gouda CheeseView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 unit Yellow OnionView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

24 g Beef Stock ConcentrateView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

8 piece Sourdough BreadView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 ounce Garlic Herb ButterView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Salt to tasteView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Pepper to tasteView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon Cooking OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 teaspoon SugarView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon ButterView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Halve, peel and thinly slice the onions.
2. Heat a large drizzle of oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the sugar, beef stock concentrate and ¼ cup water. Cook, stirring, until the onions are jammy and the water is absorbed, 2-3 minutes more. Remove the pan from heat and stir in half of the garlic herb butter until melted. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the onions to a small bowl and wipe out the pan.
3. Spread the remaining garlic herb butter onto half of the sourdough slices. Evenly top the buttered slices with gouda and the caramelized onions, then top with the remaining sourdough slices to form sandwiches.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the sandwiches and cook until the bread is golden and the cheese melts, 4-6 minutes per side. Work in batches if necessary.
5. Cut each sandwich in half diagonally and serve immediately.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I use a different type of bread?

Yes, any sturdy bread like ciabatta or rye will work, but sourdough gives the best crunch and tang.

How do I prevent the sandwich from burning?

Cook over medium heat and press gently with a spatula. If the bread browns too quickly, reduce the heat.

Can I make this vegetarian?

Absolutely! Use vegetable stock concentrate instead of beef to keep the savory flavor without meat.