Creamy Mushroom Grilled Cheese (Printable)

A comforting blend of sautéed mushrooms and melted cheese on golden, crispy bread slices.

# What You'll Need:

→ Mushrooms

01 - 7 oz cremini or button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
02 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
03 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
04 - 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
05 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
06 - 2 tablespoons heavy cream

→ Sandwich

07 - 4 slices sourdough or country bread
08 - 4 slices Swiss or Gruyère cheese, about 3 oz
09 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

# How To Make It:

01 - Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and moisture evaporates, 6 to 8 minutes.
02 - Incorporate minced garlic and thyme, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant. Season with salt and black pepper.
03 - Lower heat to low. Stir in heavy cream and cook 1 to 2 minutes until mixture is creamy but not runny. Remove from heat and set aside.
04 - Place two slices of bread on a work surface. Add one slice of cheese per piece, spread mushroom mixture evenly over them, top with another slice of cheese, and cover with remaining bread slices.
05 - Spread softened butter evenly on the outside of each sandwich.
06 - Heat a clean skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Cook sandwiches for 3 to 4 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted.
07 - Remove sandwiches from heat, slice in half, and serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Creamy mushrooms hide inside melted cheese like a secret that makes you smile on the first bite.
  • It comes together in 25 minutes, which means you can actually make it on a weeknight without fanfare.
  • The contrast between crispy golden bread and warm, earthy filling feels like comfort food that doesn't apologize for itself.
02 -
  • Don't skip the step of letting mushrooms fully release their water before adding cream, or you'll end up with watery, separated filling.
  • Medium-low heat on the griddle is everything—high heat burns the bread before the cheese inside even softens.
  • Cheese selection actually matters; Swiss and Gruyère have better melting behavior than cheddar, which can break and separate.
03 -
  • Don't move the sandwich too early—give those 3 to 4 minutes to really happen before you flip, so the crust has time to form.
  • Have a small offset spatula or even a thin knife ready to loosen the edges gently before flipping, so you don't tear the bread.
  • If the bread is browning too fast before the cheese melts, drop the heat even lower and cover the skillet with a lid for a minute or two.
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