Topped with a blend of three cheeses and grilled until golden brown, this sage butter and pear grilled cheese is the ultimate fall sandwich and perfect for dipping into a creamy soup like our Autumn Harvest Bisque! For another grilled cheese recipe, try our blackberry balsamic and brie grilled cheese!

At a Glance: Sage Butter and Pear Grilled Cheese

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Grilling Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: ~35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Flavour: Buttery and cheesy, woodsy with a hint of sweetness
Skill Level: Easy
Why this Works: Rustic sourdough is toasted in fragrant sage butter and topped with thinly sliced pears and a blend of three cheeses for a delicious, indulgent fall sandwich that's perfect served alongside a warm autumn soup.

An Autumn Grilled Cheese

With the cold and wet days of fall upon us, we are definitely looking for more cozy and comforting recipes to warm us up. This sage butter and pear grilled cheese is the ultimate fall sandwich. Chewy slices of sourdough bread are slowly grilled in fragrant sage butter until crispy and golden brown. A blend of sharp cheddar, nutty Gruyère, and gooey mozzarella is melted over the bread before adding thinly sliced fresh pear. Perfect for dipping into a warm soup like our Autumn Harvest Bisque, this decadent grilled cheese is the perfect snack to enjoy on a crisp autumn day.

For more cheesy sandwich recipes you should try our croque monsieur with apple shallot jam or our caramelized onion cheese toasts!

Ingredients for Sage Butter and Pear Grilled Cheese

Cheese: This recipe uses a blend of three cheeses – sharp white cheddar, nutty Gruyère, and gooey mozzarella. I chose the cheddar and Gruyère for their bold flavours and natural pairing with the pear while mozzarella adds the gooey, melty component to this grilled cheese sandwich. You can certainly substitute with other cheeses as you prefer, however, I do recommend keeping at least one good melting cheese to create that classic melted filling.

Pear: Look for a very ripe pear. The pear is not cooked before adding to the sandwich, so you want to avoid a hard, unripe pear if possible. I used an Anjou pear although a ripe Bartlett or Bosc would work as well.

Sage: Be sure to use fresh sage leaves.

Bread: I prefer using a chewy sourdough bread for this grilled cheese, although you can use whichever type of bread you prefer.

Grilled Cheese Tips

Here are a few tips to make this grilled cheese sandwich.

Shredded cheese - While you can certainly use sliced cheese, I prefer to shred them before blending together. This creates a more cohesive melted filling. If you aren't able to find slices of each cheese, then shredding makes it a lot more accessible.
Non-stick pan - I have used both a stainless steel skillet and a non-stick pan to make these and the non-stick is by far the better choice. Your main issue will be allowing the cheese to melt before the outside gets too dark. A non-stick skillet will slow the browning of the bread and prevent any sticking or burning onto the pan. I found the stainless skillet had a tendency to darken the bread before the cheese had fully melted.
Low temperature - As indicated above, your main concern is melting the cheese before burning the bread. Keep the temperature on the low end until the cheese has almost fully melted. If the cheese is melted but the bread still hasn't browned fully, you can turn the heat up to finish.
Cover the pan - I like to cover the skillet after adding the cheese to create a hot enough environment to melt the cheese. Once the cheese begins to melt you can remove the lid and finish grilling uncovered.

How to make Sage Butter and Pear Grilled Cheese

1. Prep the ingredients

Shred each cheese and combine them in a mixing bowl. Quarter the pear and remove the core. Thinly slice each quarter and set aside. Pick the stems from the sage leaves. Tear any large leaves in half.

2. Grill the sandwich

Place a non-stick skillet over medium low heat. Add half of the butter and allow to melt. Add half of the sage leaves and sauté for a minute or two, stirring frequently. Add four of the bread slices to the skillet, rubbing each one around in the butter so the bottoms are well coated.

Top each bread slice with some of the shredded cheese. Top two of the bread slices each with the thinly sliced pears. Turn the heat down to low and cover the skillet. Check the skillet every few minutes to make sure the bread isn't burning. If the extra sage leaves in the pan start to burn, they can be removed and discarded.

Once the cheese is mostly melted, carefully flip the bread slices together to make two sandwiches. Continue grilling, flipping occasionally, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is fully melted. Set the sandwiches aside and keep warm. Wipe out the skillet and repeat with the remaining ingredients to make two more sandwiches.

4. Serve the Sage Butter and Pear Grilled Cheese

These sandwiches are best served piping hot with a warm bowl of soup such as our autumn harvest bisque.

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