Grilled Fontina + Blackberry Basil Smash Sandwiches.
It’s like I’ve been on this huge fruit plus cheese plus anything grilled cheese kick… forever. They are just so easy. So tasty. So pretty. So perfect for one person!
Also, seriously? The combos are endless. Name your fruit… name your cheese… basically pick your poison.
That’s just how it goes.
And because of all that, let’s talk about something you shouldn’t do while your husband is out of town. Frankly, you proooobably shouldn’t make three grilled cheese sandwiches at once. I mean, really. Three?
Because of this, I’ve been living on sandwiches since Sunday. When I picked up this bread that morning, it was so fresh that it was still WARM. I had huge plans for it, probably involving garlic and gorgonzola and maybe even some filet. But then I spied a dying container of blackberries in my fridge, and since I haven’t killed my basil plant yet, I figured I better put it to work, and I knew I had some fontina in the cheese drawer because… I always have fontina in the cheese drawer.
I almost made that mess into a pizza, but I could not resist this bread, which is huge since bread is not my thang. This week was weird.
Besides surviving on fruit and cheese sandwiches, a little wine, a lot of chocolate and some yogurt covered pretzels, I spent a few hours yesterday prepping some meals for my husband since we aren’t crossing paths this week. At the moment I’m most likely on a plane to Seattle (scared to death since I’m a huge twit) and he won’t be returning home until tomorrow, but when he does return home? He has a fridge stocked with enchiladas, bbq beer chicken, and almost two whole pounds of toasted sesame salmon – which will most likely all be consumed in the 48 hours before I get back.
I’d like to say that he will probably miss me, but the DVR queue is seriously full of Duck Dynasty and all those dumb pawn shop shows, and it will be an entire week since he’s been forced to double up on wearing nose strips and been constantly kicked in the ribs mid-snore. Let’s face it: he’s in heaven.
One thing he will surely not even care about is the fact this he missed these sandwiches. Considering they house no meat, I wouldn’t even be able to force him to eat them as a snack or an appetizer, which is why they make the best single lady food ever. Even when you eat one a day for four days straight. And maybe even two on the last day, just to make sure they’re perfect. But I don’t know any respectable lady who’d do that.
Fontina + Blackberry Basil Smash Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
makes 4 sandwiches
1 loaf of multigrain bread, cut into 8 thick slices
12 ounces of fresh blackberries
12-15 fresh basil leaves, chopped
6-8 ounces of fontina cheese, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
In a large bowl, mash blackberries with a fork (be careful – they will splatter!) and stir in chopped basil. Heat an electric griddle or large skillet over medium-low heat.
Lay a piece of cheese on each slice of bread, then top with a few spoonfuls of smashed blackberries. Gently pick up 3 slices, brush some olive oil on the bottom, and place them on the griddle or skillet. Place the remaining slices on top, brushing them with olive oil too. I like to cook these over lower and slowly so the bread gets perfectly golden and the cheese melts, so let each side cook for about 4-5 minutes. Remove and dig in!
Luckily, I’m not very respectable.
241 Comments on “Grilled Fontina + Blackberry Basil Smash Sandwiches.”
That last picture – ohmygosh DROOLING! :-D
with my pint of oversized, fat juicy blackberries in the fridge, I know what I’ll be making this weekend. And please don’t stop with the fruit + cheese combos Jessica!
Have fun on your trip! And there are no words to describe your creativity with your food … love it!
Jeeeeeeeez thanks now I have to go make that
Oh my! You can make a sandwich looks like heaven! I never had fontina cheese, must look for it!!!
Do you know what would be amazing in one of these? A fried egg. Drippy. Think about it!! Cheese plus fruit jam plus egg is my fav sandwich combo ever.
One of the prettiest posts I’ve ever seen. Those sandwiches look ridiculous!!
Whoa. This is heaven right here. For real.
Omygoodness…. that photo of everything stacked and smushed together looks ahhhmazing. And even better is that I just bought a bit pint of blackberries for another recipe and they’re currently sitting in my fridge. Might have to halve it so that I have some leftover to make this!
These pictures are literally making me drool!!!! I need to try this!
I want one of these for breakfast! Mr. How Sweet sure is lucky to have all of that food ready and waiting for him when he gets home. Have a safe trip, Jessica! :-)
holy crap.
fontina was already on my shopping list. (for your fontina queso no less…)
adding blackberries now…
yeah, i pretty much plan all my meals around your blog.
Gorgeous and they look perfectly sweet/salty/fresh/savory.
You are so creative! I love it!
Another one to add to my list of dinners for my “single lady” meal nights. Love nights like that. These look so delicious. Perfect flavor combination.
Wow. I can see why you ate these a few days in a row!
Enjoy your trip— and you must be the best wife ever for having the fridge stocked with all that deliciousness for when he returns home. See? You’re a sweetie!
This kind of fruit/cheese combo is something I would never think of- so glad there are people like you around to show me the ropes.
That bread looks INCREDIBLE!
These may just be my favorite pictures that you have ever taken. Absolutely beautiful!
Girl, you never cease to amaze me. These look fantastic!
Wonder what would blueberry and pepper jack taste like?
I wish I would have seen these before planning my little lunch menu when Katie stops by today. Good griefffffff. Want. Now.
These make me nervous…but I have to build up the courage and try one or I’ll forever be a coward.
Cheese + jam = the best!!!!!!!!!
What a gorgeous stack of awesome. But seriously I can’t stop staring at the bread. Hand it over.
You’re in my head…I was JUST thinking of the hunk of brie in my fridge that really needs to be used and how a grilled cheese with fruit + basil sounded really good. Now I’m sold.
These sound absolutely delicious! They look sinfully good!
I’ve been eating blackberries basil sandwiches since I was little! So glad I’m not alone.
I love this! It reminds me of that Sex and the City episode where they talk about “single girl behavior” and Carrie says she likes to eat a tower of saltines with grape jelly while standing in the kitchen. This is of course way more awesome than that, but still, the sentiment is the same.
OMG – these sandwiches look amazing! I love all the ooey gooey cheese.
These would be perfect for lunch! Or dinner! I love how the cheese just oozes out.
fruit and cheese is such an amazing combo, who can resist?!
I’m starting to get nervous that your husband and my fiance are the same person. Pawn shop shows? Check. Nose strips necessary? Check. Still snoring through them? Double check. Eating everything I put in front of him even after insisting he doesn’t like ‘sweets’ or ‘nuts’? Yup.
This looks fabulous!! The colors, the smooshy cheese, the blackberries…yum!
“enchiladas, bbq beer chicken, and almost two whole pounds of toasted sesame salmon” — my husband would have been left with lettuce, some veggies, and some pre-cooked chicken strips from TJs and told to make himself a salad. Your hubs is a lucky guy!
Have fun on the trip!!!! Can’t wait to hear about it!!
oh this sandwich looks delicious – love the cheese and fruit combo.
have fun in seattle!
Amazing. I hear you on the kick you said you are on right now. I just got back from Napa, and all we ate was amazing breads and cheeses paired with sweet things like pears and apples. Seriously just ate that multiple times a day and just a bit of wine of course. ;)
I just ate four of these and drank a bottle of Reisling. at work. at my desk. in my head :-(.
30 minutes till lunch.
Awesome, awesome job.
OK!! I just have to say that I LOVE your blog and your humor, but this post took it to a whole different level. My husband does not travel often, which I like–but unfortuantely for me, I do have to sit there and watch Duck Dynasty and all the stupid Pawn shop shoes in addition to Sons of Guns and American Chopper. I must admit that his reality shows are more educational than mine (sex and the city, sometimes housewives and shameless–the Kardahsians. Anyway…have fun in Seattle—hope the weather is awesome. We will miss you
What a beautiful sandwich. I’ve stalked your blog for a while now, but this is my first comment.
I love all your work, it’s definitely a highlight of my day!
That looks HEAVENLY!
This looks delish!
YAY you’re coming to Seattle! Unfortunately our weather today is nasty! Hopefully the sun will make an appearance while you are here!
Enjoy your trip!
ohmigosh that stack of bread and cheese and berries kinda made my heart jump a little!
keep the grilled cheese and fruit coming! I will try as many variations as you can dish out! This sandwich has me adding blackberries to my grocery list.
THIS sandwich! Fruit plus cheese is incredible.
You’re right – that bread looks freakin fantastic!
I don’t know any respectable lady who wouldn’t eat these four days straight (two on the last day). At least no one I’d want to hang out with. The fruit cheese combos are swimming in my mind right now!
i just smashed my entire face into the screen when you showed the first pic of the melty gooey cheesy sandwich. LOVE!
I have a completely premature suggestions for you, considering that we’re in the wee begins (kinda new word) of summer and this is probably best consumed in fall.
Grilled pumpkin goat cheese sandwiches. Yeah. Eat ’em.
Then it’ll be Jess: 44/ Jenna: 1.
Which is a better score than I had earlier today.
By the way, I just went ahead and called you Jess like we’ve known each other for years. “Be more proper” was my New Year’s Resolution. Glad I’m part of the 92% of folks that give up their resolutions. (I love fitting in.)
I love being called Jess.
Omg I had to laugh when I saw the huge stack of drippy, gooey sandwiches. Not because it was funny, but because it looked so unbelievably, over the top, I-can’t-believe-she-went-there-that-looks-sinful, delicious. :)
Mercy, those are the best looking sandwiches I have ever seen. I will definitely have to try them. Your pictures are beautiful.