Grilled cheese is definitely a treat and this is the best time of year to enjoy it. There is a bite in the air and fall fruit- apples and pears- go so well with cheese.

As a child, I hated that my mom insisted we have open-faced sandwiches. Now, I think especially for a sandwich like this a top is too much and open-faced is perfect .

I had some pears that were getting soft so I made an easy pear butter by grating the three small pears on a box grater, threw in a scant 1/2 tsp of Chinese five spice, and left it on the stove in a small pot over low heat to cook down for a while. The longer you leave it the thicker and sweeter it will get. You want it quite thick so the bread won’t get soggy.

Sometimes there is magic when you pair certain ingredients together just right and create a taste that is not really there. Today, the sweet grilled cheese was even sweeter because the Camembert and pear butter played off one another to create the taste of sweet honey.

Grilled Cheese Two Ways:

Savory Classic Cheddar, Tomato

Ingredients

• one slice of rustic bread like Iggy’s ‘s Francese
• a few slices of sharp cheddar

(I used Cabot Seriously Sharp. I also love the Cabot Clothbound or Black Diamond Canadian Cheddar)

• a tomato sliced
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of oregano

I like my grilled cheese toasted then broiled. So toast two slices of bread if you are making both sandwiches.

Layer the cheddar on the toast then add slices of tomatoes. Sprinkle salt on top of the tomatoes but not too much since the cheese is salty. Sprinkle the cheese and tomatoes with oregano. Put it in the toaster oven at. 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the cheese is melting down the edges and through those rustic holes in the bread.

Sweet Pear Butter and Camembert Tartine

Ingredients

• one slice of rustic bread like Iggy’s ‘s Francese
• a few slices of Camembert
• a slather of Chinese five spice pear butter

Take a slice of toasted bread. Slather on the pear butter. Add a couple of slices of Camembert and pop it in the toaster over at 350 until the cheese has melted completely about 10-15 minutes.