Raclette Grilled Cheese with Mushrooms and Thyme

An ooey-gooey, ready-in-minutes, adult-approved grilled cheese sandwich designed to satisfy all the world’s cheesiest cravings. This Raclette Grilled Cheese is all about everybody’s favorite fondue cheese paired with mushrooms, thyme, garlic and grain mustard sandwiched between butter-slathered bread and grilled to golden brown, melty perfection. A childhood favorite, all-grown-up and dressed to the nines with nowhere to go but your belly. 

So, What is Raclette?

If you are not yet familiar with the almighty Raclette cheese, there is no better time or place to acquaint you. Raclette, a semi-hard cow’s milk cheese, has a long-standing history deriving from the Alpine regions of France and Switzerland. Named for yesteryear’s usual preparation, Raclette translates roughly to “to scrape”. Back then, peasants would warm the wheels of Raclette by their fireplaces. Once warmed, they could be found scraping the melty edges of cheese directly onto their plates of bread, potatoes, pickles and other vegetables. Today, Raclette is better known (at least by Americans) by baller dinner-party-goers as an engaging meal gathered around an electric teflon grill and paired with copious amounts of wines and charcuterie. More on this in a future post, we promise.

Scraping Together a Gourmet Grilled Cheese

As for the grilled cheese sandwich, Raclette is the perfect, super-meltable, full-flavor cheese option. Say goodbye to the cheese-food-singles of your childhood and embrace this lunch-break-show-stopping, grown-up grilled cheese sandwich. Say Raclette and smile! You. Are. Adulting. Raclette style cheese can be found in most cheese shops and many larger grocery stores. We love the stronger, funkier notes of longer-aged Swiss Raclette cheeses. However, there are some wonderful, milder, (often younger) versions of Raclette hailing from France and, more rarely, the United States. If you can’t find Raclette, a high-quality gruyere, Comté or Emmental can make a lovely substitution. 

Not Mushroom To Go Wrong

Sautéing some mushrooms to be encased in the melty goodness of this sophisticated Raclette sandwich makes all the difference. Here, we used simple cremini mushrooms but dozens of other varieties would work well. Hen of the woods mushrooms, for instance, will lend an earthy tone to the grilled cheese. Instead, Autumn’s golden chanterelles will make for an enchanting peppery bite. Whatever mushroom you choose, we recommend sautéing them first in a dry pan, without fat or liquid. Cooking the mushroom with dry heat causes the moisture to evaporate. In turn, the mushrooms will shrink considerably, crisp beautifully and save you from any undesirable slimy textures. Once your mushrooms have shrunk and browned, a splash of vinegar brings a nice acidity to the sandwich. Next, chopped fresh thyme and minced garlic add layers of savory flavor. 

A Little Thyme, a Lot of Love: Tips and Tricks for Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

In our novice days of adulthood we might be quick to crank up the heat beneath our grilling sandwich. Perhaps you, too, have once known the disappointment of blackened bread enveloping barely melted cheeses. The tricks for ultimate meltability and perfectly golden brown bread are simple and essential! First of all, start with a heavy-bottomed pan with a snug fitting lid. Trapping the heat with a lid helps to get that gooey cheese melted all the way through. Second, rely on a thick slather of edge-to-edge butter. No need to be butter shy, you earned it. Finally, take your time with a low-and-slow approach. Gently grilling your sandwich on medium-low heat will give your Raclette cheese enough time to properly melt while crisping your buttery bread to the ultimate golden standard. 

Going with the Grain: Great Bread and a Mustard Schmear

A key element in any great sandwich is choosing the proper bread to compliment your fillings. This grown-up Raclette Grilled Cheese with Mushrooms and Thyme is no different. We recommend going with something hearty, flavorful and fresh-baked. Furthermore, choose a sturdy, chewy bread that can stand up to the warm, melty filling. A more rustic, country-style loaf is preferred and we personally chose to go with a house-baked sourdough. We recommend spreading one slice with a coarse-ground or whole-grain mustard to provide a little extra acidity that will compliment the cheeses’ creamy richness and add a zippy layer of flavor. 

Share Your Success!

This Raclette Grilled Cheese with Mushrooms and Thyme is sure to have you checking the morning clock and rushing to your lunch break. We hope this sophisticated, grown-up approved grilled cheese will satisfy both your inner-child’s cravings and your adulting foodie self. It sure does for us! If this recipe makes its way to your table be sure to drop us a comment below! And, as always, tag @foodworthfeed in your Instagram posts and stories. We love having a seat at your table, you’ll always have one at ours!

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