Cranberry Grilled Cheese

By Dan Pelosi

Updated Nov. 26, 2024

Cranberry Grilled Cheese
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
10 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
Rating
5(800)
Comments
Read comments

Somehow, there is always leftover cranberry sauce after all of the other Thanksgiving leftovers have disappeared. The classic grilled cheese sandwich comes to the rescue, welcoming any cranberry sauce you have on hand into its warm, melty embrace. A meat-free alternative to the traditional Thanksgiving leftover sandwich, this cranberry sauce grilled cheese thrives with mild or sharp Cheddar, though any cheese is welcomed here. Adding in a layer of Dijon mustard and of course, a few slices of turkey, are also great ideas. 

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Ingredients

Yield:1 sandwich 
  • Mayonnaise
  • 2(½-inch-thick) slices sourdough or sandwich bread
  • Softened salted butter 
  • 2ounces coarsely grated Cheddar (about ½ cup) 
  • 2tablespoons leftover cranberry sauce
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat a large skillet over medium.

  2. Step 2

    Thinly spread mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread. Thinly spread butter on the other side of each slice of bread. Sprinkle cheese evenly on the buttered side of each slice.

  3. Step 3

    Place the bread slices in the skillet, mayonnaise-side down. Cover the pan and cook until the cheese is about halfway melted, about 2 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Spread the cranberry sauce on top of the cheese on one slice of the bread. If using jellied or solid cranberry sauce, mash it to loosen before spreading. Then flip the other slice onto the cranberry sauce, cheese side down. Press the top of the sandwich with a spatula and cook until the cheese has melted, 1 to 2 minutes, flipping a few times to melt the cheese thoroughly.

  5. Step 5

    Remove the sandwich from the pan, let cool for a minute or two, then serve.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
800 user ratings
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Comments

AE

When I first became a vegetarian, I missed turkey and cranberry sandwiches so much, so I started eating cranberry and cheddar sandwiches. It’s a winning combination—like the classic Wensleydale cheese with cranberries. A really sharp white cheddar works great.

Grandma

This would be great with pepper jack cheese. The heat would balance the sweetness.

Carswell

Cranberry sauce goes very well with a baked brie - or you could also make your grilled cheese with brie.

Alisa

This is amazing - cranberry and white cheddar are the perfect grilled cheese! I did not bother to butter the bread, just threw a bit in the pan. Mayo definitely easier to spread and gives it a nice crisp without burning. Delish!!

kirbic

I had some homemade cranberry relish left over from Turkey Day and saw this recipe... so I stopped and bought some sourdough bread and a block of 5-year white cheddar. Made this per the recipe for the most part; I did omit the butter. It's a winner, definitely something I will make again.

Mimi Key

I used aged Wisconsin cheddar and milk bread, as I ran out of sourdough. Very good! It reminded me of an old Gourmet mag recipe I'd make as a teenager...grilled cream cheese and jelly.

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