Caramelized Apple Melts
with a Honey Dijon Arugula Salad
- Milk
- Eggs
- Soy
- Wheat
Sure, a classic white bread and American cheese melt hits the spot every now and then—but try one bite of this sweet and savory sandwich, and you just might want to add it to your weeknight repertoire. Sourdough bread slices are swiped with Dijon mustard, then layered with mozzarella and a caramelized apple filling. They’re griddled in butter until perfectly golden brown and melty and paired with arugula, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds tossed in a tangy Honey Dijon Dressing.
Ingredients
½ cup
Cheddar Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
2 ounce
Arugula
¼ ounce
Thyme
½ ounce
Sunflower Seeds
1.5 ounce
Honey Dijon Dressing
(Contains: Eggs)
½ cup
Mozzarella Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
4 slice
Sourdough Bread
(Contains: Soy, Wheat)
1 ounce
Dried Cranberries
1 unit
Apple
2 teaspoon
Dijon Mustard
Not included in your delivery
1 teaspoon (tsp)
Olive Oil
1 teaspoon (tsp)
Sugar
2 tablespoon (tbsp)
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Wash and dry all produce. • Halve, core, and thinly slice apple. Strip thyme leaves from stems; mince leaves until you have 2 tsp (3 tsp for 4 servings). • Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add apple; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 5-7 minutes. • Add ½ tsp sugar (1 tsp for 4), minced thyme, and 1 TBSP water (2 TBSP for 4). Cook, stirring, until apple is caramelized and jammy, 2-3 minutes more. • Turn off heat. Season with salt and pepper; transfer to a small bowl.
• Place sourdough on a clean work surface. Spread half the slices with mustard, then top with mozzarella, caramelized apple, and cheddar. Place remaining bread slices on top to create sandwiches.
• Melt 1 TBSP butter in pan used for apple over medium heat. Add sandwiches and cook until golden brown on first side, 4-5 minutes. • Remove sandwiches; add another 1 TBSP butter to pan. Once butter has melted, return sandwiches to pan and cook on second side until bread is golden brown and cheese has melted, 4-5 minutes more. (For 4 servings, cook in two batches; repeat process with remaining sandwiches, adding 1 TBSP butter to the pan for each side.)
• While sandwiches cook, add arugula, cranberries, and sunflower seeds to a large bowl; toss with as much Honey Dijon Dressing as you like. Taste and season with salt and pepper. • Halve melts on a diagonal. • Divide salad and melts between plates. Serve with any remaining Honey Dijon Dressing on the side for dipping.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many loved the sweet-and-savory combo of apples and cheese, though some found it bland or wanted more apple flavor.
- Ease of prep: Quick and easy to make, perfect for a weeknight meal or lunch. Some struggled with caramelizing the apples.
- Suggestions: Consider adding bacon, prosciutto, or turkey for extra savory flavor. Try using sharper cheddar or Granny Smith apples.
- Portions: Several found it light for dinner; adding protein or increasing salad size could make it more filling.
- Salad: The arugula salad with cranberries and sunflower seeds was a hit, providing a refreshing contrast to the rich sandwich 🥗.
Reviews from our home cooks
I thought this sounded odd, but tried it anyway and loved it! I was afraid the apple would throw off the taste, but it actually works very well on the sandwich. The arugula salad was complemented very well with the dijon honey mustard dressing, dried cranberries, and sunflower kernels. Super easy to make and not too much prep time either.
Delicious. The sweetness of the apples contrasts well with the tanginess of the Dijon mustard. And the gooey cheese is the topper. Same with the salad; the bitterness of the lettuce plays well with the sweetness of the cranberries and the honey mustard dressing ties it all together. Definitely will order this again!
Love the addition of caramelized apples. Salad dressing was good for premade, packaged dressing. I used the trick of spreading a very thin layer of mayo on the outside of the sandwich to cook instead of butter. It's easier to get that nice, golden brown.
Awesome, awesome, awesome. I'm a hard core carnivore and I don't really like grilled cheese, but these were great. Filling, savory, and the dijon mustard gave a nice bit of hotness. This fixed everything I never liked about grilled cheese, namely the lack of mouth-feel. The combination of thyme with browned apples was a masterstroke. I don't know who came up with this recipe, but I'd love to see more from them!
Wow! I don't usually rate my meals, but this one was really great. The salad was the perfect accompaniment and the mix of cheese and apples was better than I expected. And no fancy/secret ingredients. I could make this anytime!
I work long hours and am always tired.. this was quick, easy and delicious. The apples in the melt and the side salad gave the meal a light refreshing balance.
Wow! LOVED this dish!! So easy & scrumptious! The fresh thyme added perfect pop of flavor to the apples! The arugula salad was so simple & so tasty!
Holy cow I never knew an apple sandwich might be my favorite meal ever. It's basically a grilled cheese on steroids with caramelized apple between cheddar and mozzarella on sourdough, with thyme and honey Dijon. Hello fresh has got this thing down.
So this is a tough one, really I probably would give it like 2.5 stars but wanted to round up. First while the salad was fairly basic it was also excellent - not everything needs to be a revolution. Really, my only complaint is that neither my wife or I could tell there was apple in the melts. Given that apple is in the name, this is something I absolutely expect.. really we just tasted thyme and cheese.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this! Rather than make the side salad, I added the sunflower seeds and cranberries to the sandwich instead, and it was INCREDIBLE! The dijon mustard adds the perfect zing. The mix of flavors is downright amazing!
