A combination of gooey sharp cheddar and gouda cheeses paired with sweet apple butter and caramelized onions is the perfect grilled cheese pairing in this gloriously loaded caramelized onion grilled cheese!

Fall lunches have absolutely never looked better than they have today! Leave it to a tower of grilled cheese to get the job done.
Consider this grilled cheese the only sign you need to fall-ify your sandwich game because we’re piling these sammies with the WORKS today including sweet apple butter, crunchy apple slices, tender caramelized onions, and all the cheesy goodness you could ever dream of.
Seriously, good luck fitting your face around this monster.

We’re especially loving this grilled cheese lately alongside a creamy homemade butternut squash or tomato soup and I highly recommend you do the same.
It just makes lunch the best part of your day, that’s all.
This Grilled Cheese features…
- Gooey sharp cheddar and gouda cheese
- Crisp honeycrisp apple and sweet apple butter spread
- Toasty ciabatta bread and flavorful caramelized onions

Making the Grilled Cheese
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Unsalted butter
- Sweet onion
- Thyme
- Ciabatta bread
- Apple butter
- Gouda cheese
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Apple
How to Caramelize Onions
You will need 1 medium sweet Vidalia onion cut into thin slices to make the caramelized onions for this grilled cheese.
The most important part about caramelizing is cooking the onions very slowly so you’re going to want to cook the onions in a heavy-bottomed pan (preferably cast iron) over medium heat for about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally until they are a deep golden brown.
These onions store very well, so you can easily make them ahead of time and store in the fridge for later.

Tips for Perfect Grilled Cheese
- Shred cheese manually – I recommend shredding your cheese yourself instead of relying on pre-shredded cheese. It will melt much better!
- Use a combination of gouda and cheddar cheese – these two cheeses compliment each other very well along with the apple flavors.
- Cook grilled cheese over medium heat – don’t be tempted to bump the heat up otherwise the outside of grilled cheese will burn before the cheese melts.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this grilled cheese.
- Try a different cheese – try mozzarella, muenster, swiss, or provolone.
- Add meat – try adding slices of turkey, chicken, or bacon to grilled cheese.
- Try different herbs – try using fresh rosemary or sage in place of the thyme.

From the toasty buttered ciabatta slices, to the exploding gooey cheese, all that incredible apple goodness, and tender onions, it’s no wonder this grilled cheese is about to be a staple on your lunch menu.
Your tomato soup has no idea what’s coming for it!
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

Watch this grilled cheese made step-by-step on Google web stories.
More sandwiches you’ll love!
Apple Butter Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese
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Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons softened unsalted butter, divided
- 1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8 slices ciabatta or sourdough bread
- 1/4 cup apple butter
- 1 cup shredded gouda cheese
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 medium gala or honeycrisp apple, cored and thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter, swirling pan to evenly coat. Add onions and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until onions are a deep golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Add thyme and season onions with salt and pepper to taste.
- Place bread slices on a cutting board and butter each slice with remaining softened butter. Place bread butter-side down on cutting board.
- Spread 1-2 tablespoons apple butter on half of bread slices and begin layering gouda, cheddar, caramelized onions, and apple slices on top of apple butter.
- Working in batches, cook grilled cheese in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat 3-4 minutes per side until grilled cheese is golden brown and cheese is melted. Repeat cooking with remaining grilled cheese. Serve grilled cheese immediately warm and enjoy!
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