Open Faced Brie Sandwich with Balsamic Caramelized Apples & Onions
Serve this upscale open faced brie sandwich with balsamic caramelized apples and onions as a shared appetizer or light lunch for two.
Ingredients
- ½ med yellow onion sliced
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- ½ tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 small green apple sliced into thin wedges
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 8 oz french baguette
- 8 oz brie cheese
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- First, heat vegetable oil and butter in a large pan over medium-low heat until the butter is melted. Add the onion and stir to coat, then cook until the onions begin to turn translucent, about 10 minutes. Then, stir in the sugar and salt and cook until the onions are softened, about 10 more minutes. Next, add the sliced green apple, water, and balsamic vinegar and stir to combine. Cook until the apples are softened and the onions are caramelized, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Next, slice the baguette both lengthwise and crosswise into squares or rectangles. Drizzle the cut side of each piece of bread with extra virgin olive oil, then broil on LOW until lightly toasted, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Meanwhile, slice the brie into strips, starting from the center of the wheel and working outwards. Then remove the rind from each piece of cheese. Make sure to size the slices of brie to fit each piece of bread, so that the whole surface of each sandwich can be covered in a single layer of cheese.
- Once the caramelized onions and apples are done, top each piece of toasted bread with a single layer of brie and broil on LOW until brie is melted, about 2 minutes. Then top each sandwich with a serving of caramelized onions and apples. Serve hot.
Notes
Caramelizing the onion and apples: Use your intuition to help with the timing for caramelized onions and apples. The onions should be turning slightly translucent and smell sweet before you add the salt and sugar, and they should be fully softened when you add the apples, water, and balsamic. The pan should always have a little moisture in it when you're caramelizing onions, which is why the water gets added. If you see the pan drying out too much at any point during cooking, use extra water as needed. Finally, you'll know everything is done cooking when the onions are super soft and sweet, the apples are softened, and the balsamic has formed a slightly sticky coating on everything.
Customization: Since you only need 3 main components for this recipe - bread, brie, and the caramelized topping - you can easily customize the size and shape of your open faced brie sandwiches, whether you want to serve them as finger foods or with a fork and knife. Just make sure to properly size the brie for the pieces of bread, and use a proportional amount of topping on each sandwich.
Serving suggestions: These elegant, upscale open faced sandwiches are perfect for date nights, dinner parties, holidays, tapas spreads, and even light lunches.
Nutrition
Calories: 355kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 846mg | Potassium: 183mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 360IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 131mg | Iron: 2mg