Food & Cooking Recipes Lunch Recipes Pumpkin Grilled Cheese Be the first to rate & review! A smear of pumpkin puree adds extra richness to this melty sandwich. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 28, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Total Time: 20 mins Servings: 2 Our pumpkin grilled cheese gives the classic sandwich a distinctly and deliciously autumnal flavor. It's a cozy dish you'll want to make all through the fall. You'll need one-quarter cup of pumpkin puree for this recipe—be sure to use a can labeled puree and not pumpkin pie filling, which contains sugar and pie spices. For the cheese, we love the mild creaminess of white cheddar, but you can swap in another variety like fontina, Gruyère, or gouda instead. Thinly sliced fresh sage leaves lend an earthy, herbal note while a smear of butter on the outside of the bread slices ensures they toast up to golden, crispy perfection. Serve these sandwiches on their own, accompanied by a fall salad, or alongside a warming soup. 18 Pumpkin Puree Recipes That Capture the Flavors of Fall Alpha Smoot Keys to a Perfect Grilled Cheese Take the classic sandwich from ordinary to extraordinary with these easy tips. Grate your cheese: Freshly grated cheese melts better and more evenly than slices, so break out your box grater if you have one. If not, slice your cheese as thinly as possible (or ask for it thinly sliced at the deli counter) to ensure it melts thoroughly by the time your bread is toasted. Butter (or mayo) your bread: Adding a fat like softened butter or mayonnaise or both to the outside of your bread will ensure the slices become an even golden-brown and turn extra crispy. You'll only need a thin coating, or about one-half tablespoon per sandwich. Watch your heat: Cook your sandwiches over medium heat and no higher, as doing so can cause the bread to brown before the cheese has a chance to melt. Don't hesitate to peek at the undersides of the sandwiches as they cook and adjust the heat as necessary. You can freeze leftover pumpkin puree in an airtight container for up to six months without any change in flavor or texture. If you've got quite a bit to freeze, consider dividing it into smaller portions that you can add to baked goods, soups, or sandwiches whenever you need it. Ingredients ¼ cup pumpkin puree ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 4 slices country white bread ½ cup grated white cheddar 4 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened Flaky sea salt, for serving Directions Mix pumpkin puree with mustard: Stir together pumpkin and mustard; season with salt and pepper. Assemble sandwiches: Spread 2 slices of bread with pumpkin mixture. Top with cheese and sage. Cover with remaining bread and brush both sides with butter. Cook until golden and crisp: Cook in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, flipping once, until golden and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes total. Serve, sprinkled with flaky salt. Variations Bread: Feel free to swap in a heartier, multigrain bread or opt for something chewier like ciabatta instead. Cheese: You can switch out the white cheddar cheese for another melty option like Gruyère, fontina, gouda, or havarti. Extras: To add even more fall flavor, stir a teaspoon of maple syrup and/or a dash of pumpkin pie seasoning into the pumpkin-Dijon mixture before spreading. Five More Grilled Cheese Recipes to Try: Grown-Up Grilled Cheese Open-Face Bell Pepper and Fontina Grilled Cheese Classic Grilled Cheese Sandwich Grilled Gruyère Sandwich With Onion Jam Grilled Mozzarella Sandwiches Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, November 2017 Rate It PRINT Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and freelance writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.