You’ve seen fruit bruschettas before and you’re seen strawberry grilled cheese sandwiches. So what’s different about this one? Here’s the difference: A little olive oil, a little aged balsamic, plenty of fresh basil melted into soft, creamy brie—with just a touch of a bite—on thinly sliced baguette and toasted just right.w

You can see how the melt factor can sort of get away from you with that sandwich on the middle, oozing effusively. Oh, it tastes good.

If you aren’t a fan of brie, or are looking for something sweeter for a breakfast griller, substitute the brie for mascarpone or provolone. Or a combo of the two.

So there you have it. A little sweet for some of you, a little savory for most of you. And a flavorfilled grilled cheese for me. It’s going to be a great weekend, I can tell.

Ingredients

• 8 thinly sliced pieces of sourdough baguette
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 large strawberries, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 4 large basil leaves, slivered
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
• kosher salt and pepper
• 8 ounces brie cheese
  

Preparation

1. Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread, then flip the bread buttered side down and repeat with the other 6 slices.
2. Add the chopped strawberries to a small bowl, sprinkle with the basil leaves and dress with the extra virgin olive and balsamic vinegar. Mix gently then top with lemon zest and season with kosher salt and
3. freshly ground black pepper.
   Slice the brie and spread on unbuttered sides of the bread. Spoon a generous amount of the strawberry mixture on 4 pieces of the brie topped bread.
4. Place the strawberry stacked bread, buttered side down, in a non-stick fry pan over medium-high heat and top with the other slice of buttered bread. Cover with lid and let cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden.
5. Reduce heat to medium and flip sandwich to the other side and cook for 2-3 minutes or until bread is toasty golden and the cheese has melted. The second side will cook faster than the first so watch carefully.
6. Repeat process with the other sandwich ingredients to make the rest of the grilled cheese sandwiches.
7. Enjoy hot.