I’m on high-alert. ย I’m totally overdue.
I have the distinct feeling that something awkward is about to happen to me. A few months ago I ran into an ex-boyfriend at the grocery store. ย It was very early in the morning and… picture a hot mess… that was my hair. ย His new girlfriend… picture flawless… that was her. ย Ok. ย No big deal. It happens… and directly after it happens I’m relieved that I have at least another month before I have to suffer another such awkward moment. ย It’s karmic… I get it.
It’s been a few months since my last painful karmic event and I can feel it coming. ย It’s like a sixth sense. ย I can feel the awkward approach. ย I have a feeling I’m going to run into an ex-ladyfriend. ย You know, sometimes you’re friends with girls and then sometimes you stop being friends with her because you realize she has been talking some major trash about you for like… ever. ย And then sometimes your worlds collide. ย And you wish they wouldn’t. ย And you hope, at least, you’ve combed your hair.
It’s about to happen to me. ย I can feel it.
Oh. ย Wait. ย Are you under the impression that I get along with everyone ever? ย hahahaa. ย No. ย I have a very short list of people I would like to cage fight. ย Totally normal.
While we’re on the topic of painfully awkward moments that I have no control over, can I come clean about a nervous habit? ย I nervous eat pickles straight from the jar while standing in front of the open refrigerator. ย Bread and Butter pickles are my vice.
And so this sandwich was born.
ps. ย Did I just mention cage fighting? ย I’m sorry (kinda).
Let’s talk about this.
Maybe you’re not the kind of person that nervous eats pickles in anticipation of an awkward onslaught.
Maybe you’re the kind of person who needs to be convinced of the merits of a pickle and cheese marriage.
Is this helping?
I feel like this surely must be helping.
Brie cheese melts into the most creamy and delicious cheese glue. ย Bread and Butter pickles are an awesome combination of sweet and salty… oh gosh, good! ย Pickled onions are sharp and almost spicy. ย Creamy, sweet, and spicy… and there’s buttery bread! ย I mean… come on!
Grilled until golden and served with extra pickles, onions, and pineapple orange juice.
The Bread and Butter pickles are store-bought. ย Considering how quickly I go through these things, you’d think I’d make my own jars. ย Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles really should get in my life. ย I did, however, make my own Pickles Red Onions. ย These were as easy and simmering vinegar and sugar and spices. ย I used Elise’s Pickled Red Onion recipe from Simply Recipes.
Do what you will.
Pickles and Brie Grilled Cheese
makes 2 sandwiches
4 slices sourdough bread
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
8 sliced bread and butter pickles
1/3 cup pickled red onions
4 ounces brie cheese
butter for grilling
Spread two slices of bread with whole grain mustard.
One the two other slices of bread, spread the Brie (rind and all). ย Top with sliced pickles and pickles red onions. ย Sandwich the mustardy slice of bread atop the pickled sliced of bread.
Place 1 scant tablespoon of butter in a nonstick skillet. ย Turn the heat to medium and melt butter. ย Add sandwiches to the pan and cook until both sides are golden brown, flipping once.
Remove from the pan and allow to cool on a clean cutting board for 2 minutes. ย Slice in half and serve immediately. ย
124 Responses
Best snack I saw online :)
This grilled cheese looks so delicious. Have you entered it in the Grilled Cheese Academy’s recipe showdown? If not, you should! Here’s the website: https://grilledcheeseacademy.com
Oh my goodness this looks so wonderful. I was just whining about how much I am craving pickles, and I swear brie is my vice. My new secret is the fact that Target sells president brie for half the price than other supermarkets, at least in Nebraska!
What?! I must try this! I LOVE cheese and I LOVE pickles!
Dear Joy,
I just wanted to tell you that I just made this sandwich for my lunch just now and HOLY GUACAMOLE, I loved every bite!
I think pickled red onions have just changed my world for the better. I also nervous eat bread and butter pickles from the fridge… don’t worry you are not alone.
Thank you!
From a big fan,
Larissa :)
Ah I just had an exboyfriend moment, in an airport, visiting a brand new city for me. Thanks to the 6am flight, i was in my pajamas. Horrific. But that delish grilled brie looks like it would make up for the experience :)
This type of sandwich is right up my alley. I love grilled cheese more than most sandwiches and variations on it are one of my favorite things to experiment with. You really can’t go wrong with adding pickles to this sandwich…Fun and delicious!
try it with pickled fresh ginger
friggin’ A. no one can make a grilled cheese look as heart-stoppingly, mouth-wateringly, need-one-nowingly gorgeous, JTB.
Just had to write and say I did this recipe the other night substituting the pickles with pickled beets. this swap out added great colour and the sweet-sour nature of the beets was perfect.
love!!
Wow, we must be on the same wave length. I just made this for dinner!
Joy, I totally love you. Can we be best friends?
Oh man, I know that awkward-karma-is-coming feeling. And it is never, ever what you expect or when you expect it. All I can say is good luck (and try not to leave the house without showering because teh day you do is teh day it will happen!) And your sandwich looks wonderful!
That’s MY fav juice now the sad we have a juicer. Add a good bit of Ginger – it puts the juice over the top.
— for my frizz-inclined, moisture absorbing fat hair I took a cousin’s advice…Infusium conditioner …& never looked back.
Oh my gosh, I thought I was the only one who loves pickles that much… I mean, how many times haven’t I stood with the jar like that eating one pickle after another. And since I absolutley love brie I’m gonna try these sandwiches as soon as I can!
This was goooood, even though I had to forgo the pickled onions after realizing that my bag of big red beauties had gone bad. I love the juxtaposition of classy (soudough, brie, fancy stone-ground mustard) and trashy (pickles!!). It’s Anna Nicole Smith meets Maggie Smith; Chanel lipstick on a dirty trollop; a Bentley on blocks in the front yard of a French Colonial; pearls on a pitbull … Yeah, you get the picture.
in my perfect world cornichons would be on every single sandwich…
Mmm, pickles.
I hope you get through your next awkward moment alright!
WOW! I would have never thought to put pickles with Brie!!
I must try this!!!
thanks for making me hungry!
Real Water
I’m 34 weeks pregnant. This will be my dinner tonight.
I eat cornichons straight from the jar like it’s my job. Delicious.
Can you recommend a bread- and -butter pickles brand? The Mt. Olives I grew up with just don’t do it for me, but I love bread- and- butter pickles when they’re homemade.
I don’t have a particular brand reco, I just love pickles.
I work in a cheese shop, and I keep an open jar of gherkins in my work fridge for “samples.” In truth, I crouch down behind my work station and crawl into the fridge to sneak a gherkin or three on a near-daily basis.
I feel you.
My pickle weakness are kosher dills. I love them so much that I am strangely particular about which brands are the best, and avoid all brands but that one.
I feel like I should love bread and butter pickles, but maybe I’d like them more if I ate them with bread and butter.
I love,love your blog! I, too, have a passion for bread and butter pickles, standing at an open refrigerator stuffing my face with them. Keep the laughs coming.
I love,love your blog! I, too, have a passion for bread and butter pickles, standing at an open refrigerator stuffing my face with them. Keep the laughs coming.
I definitely get you on the random stress eating–it’s why I really can’t keep Cheetos in the house. They will be gone. :D On another note, those sandwiches look amazing and have given me a terrible craving for brie at three in the morning.
I am your comrade in nervous pickle eating. Looooove pickles….those who don’t, should not be trusted.
i said it once, i’ll say it again. you are the queen of grilled cheese. and maybe cage fighting?
how in the world do you keep providing recipe after recipe that makes me weak in the knees? putting this one on the to-make list…
This pickle cheese marriage pleases me greatly.
Heidi xo
Oh god. It’s worse when you run in to ex lady friend with other friends who are still okay with said ex. Then you have to stand there in awkward silence… I’m going to the kitchen to find some pickles.
I can’t help but giggle at the brie being “cheese glue.” My husband loves my cooking, and is very slowly learning more positive vocabulary to explain what he likes about my dishes. For example, instead of saying, “Mmm, this is pastey,” he has learned I appreciate the compliment when he says something more like “Mmm, this is smooth and creamy.”
Btw, I am very jealous that you got to meet with my friend Rachel. I moved far away from her, and I miss her face. And I’m also jealous that she got to meet you, so I guess you’re even. :)
can i just say that i really like your table? haha.
i, too, nervous-eat pickles out of the jar now and then.
I am totally going to make this but with dill pickles and no onion. I am not a big fan of the onion. Now an excuse to buy more cheese.
Oh wow does this sound good! Cheese and pickles are like the ultimate weird but insanely delicious combo. I feel pregnant when I eat them together but it’s just irresistible. This sandwich is the perfect winter comfort food!
oh my, I totally nervous eat pickles straight from the jar. thanks for confirming that I’m not the only weirdo out there who does it. <3
Oooooo! Yum! I’ll gladly leave the meat off the sandwich any day if it means more room for pickles and cheese.
“a very short list of people I would like to cage fight” – I am literally choking on my coffee right now (um, probably because I have a list too? probably).
I love pickles ALL the time. last night’s dal? topped with pickles. the other day’s lunch of falafel gyro? pickles all over that thing.
if there’s one thing I love nearly as much as pickles, it’s those pretty pink pickled onions… I need this as soon as possible.
We make a similar samo at the place where I work- it’s roasted pears and brie with cherry/lambic mustard on a croissant. Beer in mustard and hot cheesy croissants are pretty yummy additions to the grilled cheese world.
As much as I wish no karmic events could happen, they do sneak up on you and when they do you can only hope they go away ASAP….whatever your upcoming event is, let’s hope it’s just a teaser!
Oh Joy! I have so been there (and continue to be there) on the awkward encounters with trash-talking ex-girlfriends!
I have a secret wish to write a screenplay about girlfriend break-ups, as they truly are 100% worse than breaking up with a partner.
Replace the pickle with beetroot and I would be all over this sandwich (in Britain we just don’t do pickles dahling)
Oh Joy..I totally wouldn’t want to have the ex- girlfriend encounter..because my action would be to totally pretend I didn’t see the person which would make it even more awkward!
Love the simplicity of the sandwhiches..and no you aren’t the only person who thinks about cage fighting ppl..totally normal!
Pickle, cheese, and mustard sandwiches were my jam growing up! In those days, karmic awkwardness happened on the regular. It’s probably not a coincidence.
Bread and butter pickles are the best! Except last time I ran into an ex and (surprise!) there was a new lady on his arm I nervous ate tacos and vodka. These sandwiches would be a far superior solution.
I don’t want to cage fight you, but I’d love to eat one of these grilled cheeses! I too am certain an awk moment is headed my way.. and I’m pretty much always a hot mess. Makes for a good time.
Yes please! I love the idea of pickles in a grilled cheese. Pickles are one of the staples in my fridge. I like the sliced dill pickles and put them on all my sandwiches as well as eating them straight from the jar. I’ll definitely try them on my next grilled cheese. Thanks Joy!
I used to love pickle and cheese sandwiches, but there is an English connection in my family. Or maybe I was pregnant … who remembers, it is delicious, regardless :)
I hope whoever you run into this time is a yummy sort of person that you will be thrilled to have seen .. maybe more than once.
I totally nervous eat pickles right out of the refrigerator also! This sandwich looks like the perfect it’s 10:30 I haven’t had dinner and I’m about to collapse from low blood sugar thing….
Hummm ! So great idea !
i am a HUGE fan of pickle & cheese sandwiches. throw some grainy mustard on it, and i’m in heaven. i think this will be dinner tonight. thanks, as always, joy!
Jooooooy! Yesterday I made massive amounts of homemade pickles. I am a New Orleans girl so you know I’m a grilled cheese in a cast-iron kind a gal. GRACIAS for the inspiration!
i love a New Orleans girl!
I might cage-fight my best fried for this sandwich!!! Yumm!
People need to be convinced that pickles and cheese go together? But isn’t that the basis of a ploughman’s lunch, or maybe even a good charcuterie plate? Especially with those pickled onions! This sandwich looks so good. OM NOM.
looks great joy! and i hope when you do run into whoever it is that you run into, you look the best you have ever looked in that totally casual i don’t care way!
Awkward moments are my life……it happens :) I never can see them coming, though.
Oh, joy! I don’t think there’s a woman alive who hasn’t experienced those two awkward moments (ex-beau, ex-friend encounters). Though I must say as a blond who has to “cosmetically enhance” her lashes and brows to make them visible, and knowing what wonderful facial structure you have, that even with au naturel hair you are beautiful! The fact that you occasionally leave the house in that state shows that at heart you recognize your own beauty for what it is. Also I agree with the comment saying to kill these exes with kindness, especially while making politely clear that you have no time to continue the conversation. I once ran into an ex, and went for coffee with him; I remembered fully why I’d broken up with him before our order arrived! Sometimes these awkward meetings occur to reinforce how much better we are without that person!
Now on to that fabulous grilled cheese: oh my! I am buying the red onions and Brie today! The combination of melted cheese, sweet and spice is such a winner. My Tim makes melted cheese with hot/spicy jelly all the time for us. It’s addictivly delicious. Can’t wait to add your version to our repertoire.
I totally understand! And I give you props for your admission about the cage fighting. I don’t think you’re normal if you don’t have at least a couple of people on a list like that. This grilled cheese looks bad ass by the way!
I just had sour pickles and Vermont Naked Cheddar Cheese (totes real) which was an amazing snack. But this combination? A must try..and soon! PS – SO glad to know I am not alone in awkward karmic situations….
that sounds delicious!
Your posts never fail to make me giggle. There are def. some people I’d like to cage fight too.
I’m all about this sandwich…I love me some brie!
The cage-fighting comment made me LOL at work :) And this sandwich looks incredible – love brie and pickles!!
This looks incredible! I will inevitably consume at least three of these on my first day, post-cleanse. New Year’s inspired me to venture on this painful, three week cleanse that will rid my body of “toxins”… aka all good things.
Printed, set, and ready! Counting the days till I can return to real food
Pickled anything is good with me but my true vice…pickled eggs with a blanket of cracked black pepper!
This looks amazing! I figure this will be my first meal, post-cleanse. New Years inspired me to do this painful, three week cleanse to rid my body of “toxins”… aka all good things.
Printed and ready for that beautiful day when I can return to the land of real food
Good morning, Joy! Oh, there’s nothing like a good grilled cheese, mmm mmmm!
xo,
Ashley
You ran into them early in the morning! Bleh!! She was probably holding something obnoxious like a quinoa breakfast bar or something.
Hahaha I definitely have a short list of people I’d like to cage fight too. And I’m totally a nice person, as I suspect you are too, overall. It happens…
Good luck with the run-in, if it indeed is due to happen.
This is why I carry emergency lipgloss and hair ties in my car AT ALL TIMES –
Lip gloss, top knots and “baby hair” can conceal a multitude of sins!!!
Pickles on anything, always! I am a nervous pickle snacker. I eat them out of the jar with the fridge door open! One time everything was going really good in my about-to-graduate-from-college-life. Then boom! I ran into an ex on a walk back from a late ngiht class. I was so happy that I came off all together and happy. Like Boom! Take that for breaking up with me! Then I got home and was going to brag to my roommates about the situation only to discover I had a huge streak of bird poop down the front of my sweatshirt! Ugh, karma you evil lady!
People do not get along with you? They must be horrible, horrible, peanut butter oatmeal cookie-sandwich-hating people. Yikes. I wouldn’t want to run into them on a good hair day! :D
Haha “people I would like to cage fight.” You’re awesome. And so is this grilled cheese! I wish I have pickled onions at home, too, so this is what could happen to me tonight :)
Your stories make me feel that I am ok. :)
I have this same experience — I start thinking about someone I don’t like (or want to cage fight, HAAAAAAAAA) and then bam, there they are. Do not like.
okay these sandwiches look like my heaven. I also am guilty of eating pickles straight out of the jar, and grilled cheese could be considered my other vice — and with brie?! and pickled onions?! stop it. how could anyone want to cage fight you when you make sandwiches like this?
It’s funny. I’ve been noticing that tho’ Shutterbean is the minimalist, b&w girl, and you are crazy colorful patterns “that definitely don’t match” girl, your food pics have been simpler and hers have been busier texture/pattern-wise, lately. Don’t know why this interests me, guess I’m just a visual nerd.
Awesome work. And never regret the phrase cage fight. It’s a beautiful thing. And makes me feel better. =) We’ll all SO root for you. Go, Joy!!
i have been much more simple lately… i too have noticed this. good eye!!
I am all about creative grilled cheese, and this sounds amazing. I’ll definitely have to try it!
Pickles & cheese is a perfect combo. When I was in Jr. High/HS I used to make myself a mini bagel with 1/4 cheese square (kid-favorite American cheese slices) & 1 (dill, always & only dill) pickle chip almost every day after school. (Of course I had to have 4 of ’em each day in order to use the entire slice of cheese, duh.) Heavenly!
I just crack up at your posts Joy (the ones that need cracking up at, k?). AND you are on the short-list (think: one hand) of people I know who eat bread and butter pickles!!! Did your mom and dad get you going on that or did you do that all by yourself??!! Love to you.
who doesn’t like bread and butter pickles!?!? they’re like pickle dessert!
have you ever tried bread and butter pickles and peanut butter? i’m dead serious. even the new york times approves: https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/24/dining/making-a-meal-out-of-peanut-butter-and-pickles.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0. really, though, you ought to give it a try. these sandwiches are surprisingly awesome.
i’m SO doing this!
Oh goodness, this looks so amazing. Sadly I don’t have anything but the bread in my kitchen. You made me hungry!
I really hope you can avoid an awkward moment, but I know what you mean about knowing something like that is going to come.
Pickles and cheese = two of my vices.. :) Thanks for this lovely post.
Oh I’ve been eating grilled cheese with pickles my entire life. When I make other people grilled cheese, it is always strange to me that they think using pickles is strange. It’s the only way to go!
I love this post.
This kind of experience is the exact reason I made the rule: No going to the grocery store in your college sweatpants that have been cut around the ankles (especially when you have been out of college for 5 years).
OK, so I was kind of under the impression that you get along with everyone because, c’mon, who wouldn’t like you?
This sandwich, ironically, looks perfect for a girls weekend. :)
Creamy and tart, get it girl!
Grilled cheese. On marble rye. Bread and butter pickles. Oh, my. I like the kind with onions pickled along with the cukes. Totally mid-west lunch. And I guess southern california. Yummy.
HAHA! It’s so true. those awkward run-ins have to happen at least a couple of times a year. But you have to remember, you are “Joy The Baker!” So no matter what you look like at the grocery store all of those people should be totally jealous of you. xoxo
I do totally understand !!
One year ago, I went sick. A very bad flu. I went to the drugstore, to buy some medicine. I was dressed with an ooooold tracksuit, I was without make up, of course, my hairs were dirty messed up, no lens but glasses… well, not sexy AT ALL !
And I was praying to meet no one.
Of course, in the drugstore, I met the WORST gossip person of my work !
She had a strange reaction, looking at me and told me :
“OH MY ! I did not recognize you ! What a face !!”
… I sneezed on her, hoping to give her my flu ! :)
ex-ladyfriend encounters are the WORST. this happened to me a few months ago. being friendly about it is important (nice the hell out of her!!), but it’s hard and sometimes (all times) you need a lunch-drink and a best-girlfriend chat to recover.
ps, bread and butter pickles/cheese sandwiches with chips on top are my number one hangover food.
I just discovered the pure awesomeness of peanut butter and pickle sandwiches…and now pickles and brie grilled cheese? I am so there!
See, i knew it joy. I always see you on here full of sugar and spice, but i also always say don’t mistake her kindness for weakness. Girl, i’d totally cheer you on in a cage fight…lol. So funny you mention this awkward feeling, i freakin’ get that too and guess what, it happened to me last night at the gym. I bumped into an ex-friend—the worst part is every time i bump into him i’m caught completely off guard and all i can do is grin like an idiot.—Note to self: next time don’t grin like an idiot. By the way, I know so many pickleholics, it’s kool, you’re not alone.
I did not need to be convinced of the merits of a toasted cheese and pickle sandwich, although pickles are not my nervous snack of choice. I only nervous snack at 3am, which is more of a jam toast time for me.
All the best for your upcoming karmic event. I’m sure you’ll blitz it.
I love grilled cheese sandwiches, they are just heaven! Not a major fan of pickles, but if you say they go so nicely with grilled cheese, maybe I should give it a go?
x
Mmmmm… grilled cheese and a cage fight.
I need no convincing about how fabulous pickles and cheese go together. But brie! My favourite cheese forever! I reckon it goes with EVERYTHING.
OH man. I’m not sure if this is a regional thing, but even so – you need to get these in your life. They are called Wickles and I seriously can’t imagine a pickle I could love more. They are sweet like bread and butter pickles but spicy. I can’t even talk to you about Wickle relish in tuna salads…I’ll swoon. Check it out if you are a pickle lover! I can’t even explain how good they are!
ditto on the wickles! we love pickles in my family and always have a jar of wickles hanging around.
Double ditto on the Wickles. They are the best! Especially in the middle of a ham and swiss rollup.
LOVING the honesty in this post. And we’ve all been there, from random ex’s – both boyfriends to ex-ladyfriends – and then bumping into them. Always a blast :)
And I love pickles too. And brie. Who doesn’t love that! At first I thought your onions were pickled ginger, which would have actually made this like my perfect sandwich ever!
joy! you’ve got to get psyched for this karmatic-awkward-run-in! because whoever this ex-someone is, they ain’t got anything on you, ladyfriend. you’re a published author, you’ve got a super fun podcast, a legion of fans rooting you on!! and you’ll be prepared for it and you’ll already have lip gloss on, because you just will, put it out into the universe. to get super prepared/pumped for what lies ahead, you should arm yourself with a few new products. may i recommend “tarte” brand BB cream? well, i just did, and i recommend it to the world because it’s that good. i wore it for like 36 hours straight camping/drinking/concerting and someone complimented my skin, it’s the best. i think you’re also a lip girl like myself, and i totes adore revelon balm stain. no worries joy, you’ve got this! smile!!
ps: this is kathryn who has written you a buncha times about UYD, high low skirts, i wrote you about being a nanny in switzerland etccc.. and i just wanted to tell you i’m following my dreams and going to culinary school and i’m stoked and i’ll be taking your cookbook with me to colorado (i live in northern ca). wish me luck!!!
I used to eat cheese and pickle sandwiches (on toast, of course) in college all the time. There is something so comforting about that combination.
This can’t help but be good!
This post reminds me of the time my ex boyfriend broke up with me on the car ride back from San Diego to L.A with an hour and a half to go. Plus, I was in my pajamas, no makeup and looking like a hot mess. Talk about awkward. One or five of these sandwiches might erase that painful memory. Maybe.
Yum!!! Three exclamation points is actually NOT overdoing it… I want to make this, um, five minutes ago!! I am a fellow pickle fiend. Also, love that you chose OJ as your beverage of choice here.
Ha! I have two quarts of FREEZER bread and butter pickles stashed away in my basement freezer. Made them in fall, and tucked them away for an occasion like this….. thanks.