Mushroom Swiss Grilled Cheese (Printable)

Savory grilled cheese with sautéed mushrooms and Swiss cheese on crispy rye bread. A simple, elegant comfort food.

# Ingredient List:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 cup cremini or white button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
02 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
03 - 1 clove garlic, minced

→ Dairy

04 - 4 slices Swiss cheese
05 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for sautéing

→ Bread

06 - 4 slices rye bread

→ Seasonings

07 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
08 - Salt and black pepper to taste
09 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, optional

# How-To Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and sauté for 1 minute until softened.
02 - Add mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes until golden and any liquid has evaporated. Stir in garlic and thyme; cook for 1 minute. Season with salt and black pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
03 - Lay out rye bread slices. Place a slice of Swiss cheese on two of the bread slices.
04 - Spoon the mushroom mixture evenly over the cheese, then top with another slice of Swiss cheese. Cover with the remaining bread slices.
05 - Butter the outsides of each sandwich thoroughly.
06 - Wipe out the skillet and return to medium-low heat. Add sandwiches and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side until bread is golden and cheese is melted, pressing gently with a spatula as needed.
07 - Slice and serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It transforms everyday ingredients into something that feels special enough for dinner but easy enough for a quick lunch.
  • The mushrooms add a meaty, umami richness that makes this sandwich deeply satisfying even without any meat.
  • You get crispy, buttery bread on the outside and gooey, melted cheese on the inside, with earthy mushrooms bridging the two perfectly.
  • It comes together in about 25 minutes, most of which is just watching the skillet do its work.
02 -
  • If you add the garlic too early, it will burn and turn bitter, so always stir it in during the last minute of cooking the mushrooms.
  • Dont skip letting the mushrooms cook long enough, they need time to release their moisture and caramelize, otherwise they will be rubbery and watery.
  • Keep the heat at medium-low when grilling the sandwiches, or the bread will burn before the cheese melts.
  • Softened butter spreads more evenly than cold butter, which means a more uniformly crispy crust.
03 -
  • Press the sandwich gently with your spatula while it cooks to help the cheese melt faster and ensure even contact with the hot skillet.
  • If your skillet is too hot and the bread is browning too quickly, lower the heat and cover the pan with a lid for a minute to help the cheese melt through.
  • Make extra mushrooms and save them for topping scrambled eggs, pasta, or even a steak the next day.
  • For a richer flavor, use a mix of butter and mayonnaise on the outside of the bread, the mayo helps it brown beautifully without burning.
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