Crisp Apple Grilled Cheese

A recipe from Georgia Department of Education School Nutrition

This recipe uses a creamy cottage cheese blended with lemon and honey paired with fresh, crisp apples and mozzarella cheese.

Toasted Sandwich with honey, lemon cottage cheese and apples.

Ingredients:

  • 6 lbs + 4 oz Cheese, cottage, low-fat, 2% milk fat
  • 1 cup Honey
  • 1/8 cup Lemon juice, raw
  • 1/8 cup Lemon, zest
  • 2 gal Saltwater Bath
  • 12 1/2 each Apples, fresh, granny smith, medium (3 inch diameter)
  • 3 lbs + 4 oz Cheese, mozzarella, low-moisture part skim
  • 100 slice Pullman bread, whole grain, sliced
  • Butter flavor spray

Steps:

Cottage Cheese Spread

  1. In a food processor, combine the cottage cheese, lemon juice and honey.
  2. Stop, scrape the sides, and mix. Blend until smooth. Add in the lemon zest and stir to incorporate.
  3. Remove from the food processor into a food safe storage container. Cover, label, date and place into cooler until ready for use.
  4. Hold at 41°F or below.

Sliced Apples

  1. Follow recipe for the Salt Water Bath. Ensure the quantity is enough to cover the apples needed.
  2. Wash apples under cool running water and ensure that any stickers are removed.
  3. Using a cutting board and chef's knife, cut the apple in half from stem to blossom. Repeat and cut into quarters and remove the core.
  4. If you have a sectionizer with a 6-wedge or 8-wedge coring blade, use it to speed up this process.

  5. Slice each quarter section into 1/8" slices and place into the Salt Water Bath for about 5 minutes.
  6. Drain and lightly rinse the apples.
  7. Place rinsed apples into a food safe storage container. Cover, label, date and place into cooler until ready for use.
  8. Hold at 41°F or below.

Grilled Cheese

  1. On a sheet pan, lay out 1/2 of the sliced whole grain bread. Lightly spray with butter spray then flip to have the sprayed side down.
  2. Using a #8 disher (1/4 cup), spread out the cottage cheese mixture onto the sliced bread.
  3. Lay 3 slices of the apple on top.
  4. Top with 1/8 (1 oz) of shredded mozzarella.
  5. Cover with the second half of the sliced bread and gently press down. Spray the top of the sandwich with butter spray.
  6. Place into a combi oven at 375°F, 100% humidity for 5-7 minutes, or until the bread is toasted and cheese is melted.
  7. Cook to 135°F or higher.

  8. For service, using a serrated knife, slice in half diagonally, Then place the two halves on the serving tray.
  9. No bare hand contact with ready to eat food.

    A nice way to serve this sandwich is in a paper food tray with a liner.

Recipe Details

Harvest of The Month icon
Harvest of The Month

Meal Components:

Grain (G) icon
Grain (G)
Meat/Meat Alternate (M/MA) icon
Meat/Meat Alternate (M/MA)

Crediting Information

  • 2 oz. eq Grain (G)
  • 2 oz. eq Meat/Meat Alternate (M/MA)

HACCP Category:

Process #2 (Same Day)

Portions:

50

Portion Size:

1 sandwich

Nutrition Information:

Nutrient Amount Unit
Calories: 281 cal
Saturated Fat: 6 g
Total Fat: 9.6 g
Sodium: 601 mg

Additional Recipe Photographs

Apples in Saltwater Bath

Zesting fresh lemon.

Cottage cheese with lemon juice, honey, and lemon zest

Blended, smooth cottage cheese

Constructed sandwich ready for oven.

Final cooked sandwich

Related Recipes