Parmesan & Sage Crusted Grilled Cheese with Prosciutto & Fig

With their crunchy, herby crust, gooey cheeses, salty pan-crisped prosciutto, and the mellowing sweetness of fig preserves – these things are just as good as they sound. Parmesan & Sage Crusted Grilled Cheese with Prosciutto & Fig might just be the perfect fall sandwich.

As you may or may not have ascertained by now, I’m obsessed with sweet and salty recipes – the ones that balance the two flavor profiles nicely, satisfying my apparent need for both, all in one bite. Gourmet grilled cheeses are always fun – always a good idea – and you can kind of play around with this one a bit, if there is an element that doesn’t strike your fancy.

Sage not your favorite? No problem – you can leave that off (but it’s unbelievably delicious … just saying). Swiss doesn’t do much for you? Go with a good white cheddar. That would be excellent, I think. Same goes for the brie. I think a little bit of creamy goat cheese would be awesome in this, instead of the brie, or maybe a few slices of fontina (my actual favorite sandwich cheese).

The possibilities are pretty endless here, but just try not to stray too far from the heart and soul of this grilled cheese – the pan-crisped prosciutto, the fig, and that good good parmesan crust on the outside.

It’s all just very, very good.

Tips and tricks for a killer grilled cheese sandwich

Alright. So, we’ve all made a million of them, I get it. But just as is the case with great cheeseburgers, there are always a few clutch moves – some key tricks – that can level-up an ordinary grilled cheese sandwich into superstar territory very fast.

1. The prosciutto. Truth? I don’t love prosciutto. It doesn’t do much for me … that is unless it’s heated and crisped up a little bit. Then it becomes almost a different thing entirely, salty and intense with every bite. In this recipe, we’ll crisp up the prosciutto first thing – to really get that salty goodness in the pan, so our sandwich will pick up that flavor on the outside as it cooks. A good trick, I think.
2. The sage. I absolutely love sage – the flavor is totally distinctive and so very FALL. After generously buttering (or, mayo-ing) the outsides of the sandwiches, I like to press a few small or not so small sage leaves right into the bread, before covering everything with parmesan. The sage gently fries in the pan, releasing its perfume and wonderful flavor into the whole affair so effortlessly. It’s a delicious thing to do, what can I say?
3. The parmesan. Butter that bread (or, use mayo), add your sage, and then go nuts with the parmesan. I like to cover every little bit of the bread with the cheese because YOLO, as the kids say.
4. The fig. The fig is really the silent superstar here. Without it, the sandwich wouldn’t be right – it would be noticeably incomplete. The mellow sweetness gives a just-right balance to the sandwich, perfectly standing up to the salty parmesan and prosciutto. Some of it seeks through the cracks in the bread, caramelizing in the hot, salty pan … and it’s the BEST.

The Breakdown: Parmesan & Sage Crusted Grilled Cheese with Prosciutto & Fig

An elegant and incredibly flavorful take on a grilled cheese sandwich, this version is sweet, salty, crunchy, gooey and just right for fall. Here’s how to make it:

What you’ll need:

4 large slices of crusty country bread

5 slices of prosciutto

⅓ cup fig preserves

Butter, for cooking

3 TBSP creamy brie

4 slices Swiss cheese

6 sage leaves

½ cup grated parmesan

How to make it:

Place a large skillet over medium heat and crisp up the prosciutto, in batches, until just golden brown; about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate for now, and don’t clean out that skillet!

To build the sandwiches, lay the bread slices on a work surface, or two plates, and slather two slices with a generous amount of the fig preserves (use as much as you like; my amount is approximate). Top with dollops of brie, two slices of Swiss, and the prosciutto, each sandwich getting 2.5 slices of the ham. 

Put the remaining bread slices on top, creating two sandwiches. Butter both sides of each sandwich, ensuring the entire surface of both sides are nice and coated. Press a few sage leaves into one side of each sandwich. Top the sage with the grated parmesan, covering evenly and pressing it in a little bit. Only one side of each sandwich should have the sage + parmesan crust. 

Add a TBSP or 2 of butter to the skillet, set over medium heat, and cook the sandwiches, parm side down, until nice and golden brown and crusty; about 4 minutes or so. When they’re ready, flip them and cook the other sides until browned; about 3 to 4 more minutes. 

Enjoy right away. 

If you like the sounds of this Parmesan & Sage Crusted Grilled Cheese with Prosciutto & Fig, then you might want to check out:

Jalapeño Crusted Grilled Turkey Apple & Cheese Sandwiches

Ham & Swiss Pretzel Melts

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