Hi. So, I have a cheese problem. It’s for real.
AJ and I were doing our weekly grocery shopping on Saturday at Trader Joe’s when I turned to him and said, “I’m making grilled cheese for lunch.” He looked at me like I was a crazy person and went on his way collecting vegetables for his healthy and amazing breakfast scrambles he’s been making. How I wish cravings were not a thing.
Well, I stuck true to my word. Except my creation was a bit more… grown up than your traditional grilled cheese. It’s got caramelized onions, guys. And sundried tomatoes. Probably my two favorite things, paired with my most favorite thing, cheese. Nom nom nom nom nom.
When they got off the griddle I very quickly shoved mine in my mouth despite the heat, and slightly begrudged AJ when he said he wanted one, too. The guy keeps me healthy, I’m tellin ya.
The caramelized onions take a while (about an hour), but are worth it. They don’t require much work, just a bit of time to develop their caramelized flavor. Then stuff everything inside a pita bread (go homemade with a sour barley pita or einkorn flour pita!), slap it on the griddle for a few minutes, and you’re done. And in heaven. Cheesy, onioney, tomatoey heaven. Does it get any better?
When was the last time you made grilled cheese? I honestly can’t remember! Middle school, maybe? So long ago! Oh, what I have been missing out on all this time.
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Caramelized Onion & Sundried Tomato Grilled Cheese Pita
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 pita sandwiches
Description
An easy weekend lunch for the days you want to be a bit more decadent… and grown up. Grilled cheese for mature people.
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- pinch salt
- 2 pitas
- 1/4 cup drained sliced sundried tomatoes
- 3.5 oz sharp white cheddar cheese
- extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Cut the onion in half through the end, then peel off the outer layers. Slice into 1/4″ strips. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the onion. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until translucent but not browned. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook, stirring every few minutes or so, for about 1 hour. When finished, they should be nicely golden all around. Lower the heat to avoid burning, if necessary.
- Cut the pitas in half, then carefully separate the layers into a pocket. Place 1 Tbsp sundried tomatoes in a pocket and spread them about evenly. Add 1/4 of the onions, then add a couple slices of cheese (you kind of have to stuff everything in there). Repeat for the remaining pockets.
- Once stuffed, brush a bit of olive oil over the top of each pita. Heat a griddle (or just a pan, if that is all you have) over medium heat. Place the pitas oiled-side down and let cook until lightly charred and the cheese begins to melt.
- Brush the top of each pita with olive oil, then flip and continue cooking until the cheese is very melty and the pita is lightly charred.
- Let cool momentarily, then eat!
Notes
If you want a truly from “scratch” meal, then check out our guide on making your own homemade pitas and your own homemade sundried tomatoes.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 mins
- Category: Sandwich
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Comfort
Keywords: grilled cheese, white cheddar, pita, sundried tomatoes
If you make this and love it, please let us know in the comments below and give the recipe a rating!
If this recipe is your style, you might also want to check these out:
- Fig and Gruyere Grilled Cheese
- Spicy Chickpea and Roasted Veggie Pitas
- Grilled Cheese with Tomato Jam and Mozzarella
- Super Easy Greek Chicken Pitas
- Peach Basil Grilled Cheese
Photos by Raquel Smith, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published October 8th, 2014. Last updated: August 13, 2019 at 14:43 pm.
Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Raquel Smith
Raquel is a whole foods enthusiast, an avid mountain biker, and a dog lover. She works by day at Food Blogger Pro and formerly maintained her food blog "My California Roots" (now merged into Foodal).
All I can say is YUM YUM YUM! Never thought of making a grilled cheese in a pita – that’s a great idea.
Thanks, Geraldine! It was a spur-of-the-moment decision that turned out to be just fantastic. Give it a go!
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches are probably my favourite comforting savoury snack to devour ever…but I have never made one in a pita before. Definitely inspired to recreate your recipe, thanks for sharing it. Pinned!
Thanks, Thalia! The pita was definitely spur-of-the-moment, but it was delicious! My new favorite way to make grilled cheese 🙂
Looks amazing! Total lunch favorite.
Pinned.
Thanks, Melanie!