Cab Glazed Grilled Cheese

Slow Press® wine shares our culinary secret for crafting a “go to” grilled cheese sandwich…Cabernet Sauvignon Glaze!

Two slices of sourdough bread are spread with a sinfully craveable, syrupy Slow Press® Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Glaze, then stuffed with slices of white cheddar cheese, creamy Havarti, shreds of Colby/jack cheese & caramelized red onions – all griddle pressed to golden indulgence. Serve with an additional side of warm Slow Press® Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Glaze for flavor packed dipping/dunking.

  • Prep Time:

    12-15 minutes

  • Cook Time:

    5 minutes

  • Portions:

    1 sandwich

  • Serving Size:

    4 servings
  • 1 C – Slow Press® Cabernet Sauvignon wine
  • 1 Tbsp – balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tsp – cornstarch
  • ¼ C – honey
  • ½ Tbsp – vegetable oil
  • 1 C (½ large onion) – red onion, peeled, small dice
  • 8 slices – sourdough bread, artisan style
  • 8 each – sharp white cheddar cheese, slices
  • 8 each – Havarti cheese, slices
  • 1 C – Colby/jack cheese, shredded
  • as needed – vegetable spray
  1. Prepare the Slow Press® Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Glaze: Whisk the Slow Press® Cabernet Sauvignon wine, balsamic vinegar & cornstarch together, in a small saucepot or non-stick sauté pan, to evenly combine. Add the honey & whisk to evenly combine. Heat the saucepot over low-medium heat and cook approximately 5-6 minutes, reducing the ingredients to become a sauce-like, syrupy consistency. Reserve for building the sandwiches – makes 1 C.
  2. Finished glaze will have a distinct cabernet wine flavor & aromatics with hints of sweetness, be a dark purple color and coat the back of a spoon with its’ glaze like quality.
  3. Keep a close eye on the glaze, while it cooks, as it can boil over easily.
  4. ½ C of the glaze is used for spreading on the sandwiches and the remaining ½ C of the glaze is used as a dip for the sandwiches.
  5. Prepare the caramelized red onions: Heat the oil, over medium-high heat, in a non-stick sauté pan. Add the onions and cook approximately 3-5 minutes to soften and lightly & evenly caramelize. Reserve for building the sandwiches – makes ½ C.
  6. To build the sandwiches: Follow the below order of ingredients for each sandwich.
  7. 1 slice sourdough bread – spread with 1 Tbsp reserved cabernet glaze.
  8. Glaze side facing up towards cheese.
  9. 1 slice white cheddar cheese – torn in half to fit bread, if needed.
  10. 1 slice Havarti cheese - torn in half to fit bread, if needed.
  11. ¼ C shredded Colby/jack cheese – spread evenly across cheese.
  12. 2 Tbsp reserved caramelized onions – spread evenly across cheese.
  13. 1 slice Havarti cheese - torn in half to fit bread, if needed.
  14. 1 slice white cheddar cheese - torn in half to fit bread, if needed.
  15. 1 slice sourdough bread – spread with 1 Tbsp reserved cabernet glaze.
  16. Glaze side facing down onto the cheese.
  17. Lightly & evenly spray both sides of the plain outside of each built sandwich with vegetable spray. Cook the sandwiches in a Panini press, on high heat, for approximately 3-5 minutes – lightly pressing as the sandwiches cook. Remove sandwiches from Panini press and slice each in half. Serve each sandwich with 2 Tbsp of the warmed remaining Slow Press® Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Glaze for dipping/dunking.
  18. Finished grilled cheese sandwiches should be an even golden color & crispy in texture, with the cheese fully melted & all ingredients hot.
  19. Serve immediately and enjoy!
  • Using a Panini press or even a waffle iron to prepare/griddle the grilled cheese creates extra texture, a deep golden color & heats the sandwiches very fast. You can also use a non-stick sauté pan to brown the sandwiches then finish them in a 350° F oven to fully heat the ingredients & melt the cheese.
  • Use the Slow Press® Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Glaze for 101 home recipe creations: warm & pour over vanilla ice cream (yum), glaze for beef-pork-chicken-vegetables, sandwich spread, drizzle over baked brie or other whole warmed cheeses for an appetizer, sauce for a stir fry, swirl into Greek yogurt for a snack, freeze and make into popsicles and more. Once you taste it, your culinary imagination will go wild.
  • Adding cornstarch to the glaze ingredients helps the glaze to thicken quickly, maintaining a higher volume yield & shortening the reduction/cooking time; as well as, helping to create a velvety, syrupy sauce-like texture and retaining the qualities of the Slow Press® Cabernet Sauvignon wine. The balsamic vinegar & honey will naturally thicken (and sweeten) as they reduce.
  • Spreading the cabernet glaze on the inside of each bread slice, before adding the cheese & onions, creates additional wine flavor throughout the grilled cheese sandwich & greater complementary appeal.
  • You can prepare the Slow Press® Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Glaze and the caramelized red onions in advance and refrigerate those until needed for preparing the grilled cheese. Use the glaze cold spread on the bread slices and lightly warm the rest for dipping/dunking. Use the onions cold on the sandwich build.
  • Can use melted, unsalted butter, in place of the vegetable spray – evenly brushing the melted butter on the outside of each bread slice before griddling.
  • Experiment with different varieties of bread: whole grain, ciabatta, peasant bread, challah, Texas toast and more.
  • Experiment with different varieties & cuts of cheese, paired with the Slow Press® Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Glaze – creating new grilled cheese sensations.
  • Add chopped applewood smoked, maple or peppered bacon to the build (over the onions) for extra indulgence.
  • Add fresh arugula to the build (over the onions) for extra freshness cues and a complementary contrast of spiciness.
  • Cut each finished grilled cheese in ¼‘s for a snack-time application. Serve with sides of Slow Press® Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Glaze for dipping/dunking.
  • Don’t over press the grilled cheese sandwiches, while cooking, or the cheese may ooze out.