I love, love, love cheese. So much so that a visit to a cheese shop is almost better than a visit with brand-new dachshund puppies–almost, but not quite. Puppies aside, one of my ultimate favourite cheese shops is Murray’s, in NYC. The Murray’s on Bleecker Street has a Murray’s Melts counter with create your own grilled cheeses and ready-made, grill to order sandwiches.

My first ever Murray’s cheese sandwich was the French Onion Soup: gruyere and roasted onions on rye. It was in the middle of a scorching hot summer and a grilled cheese sandwich would be the last thing that anyone would want to eat, but there I was, sitting on someone’s steps, stuffing my face with bread and cheese. The sun was beating down and I burnt my fingers and my tongue, but I couldn’t stop, it was that good.

I don’t see the French Onion Melt on Murray’s online menu, but I refuse to believe that they don’t have it anymore. The French Onion Melt is divine: melty, sweet onions, salty, ooey gooey gruyere and the unmistakeable texture of grilled buttered bread is to die for.

It’s been a couple of months since I’ve had one (you New Yorkers don’t know how good you have it!) and the craving hit so hard that I knew I had to try my hand at making the sandwich at home. Essentially, it’s a simple sandwich to make; it’s the ingredients working together that make it magic.

Do yourself a favour and make yourself this sandwich and imagine yourself walking around in NYC on a crisp fall day, sandwich in hand and leaves on the ground. Trust me, you won’t regret it; this sandwich is perfect, no matter where you are.

French Onion Melt Sandwich Recipe

serves 2 4 slices of your preferred bread (I used French bread, because, it’s a French onion sandwich after all)

1/2 Walla Walla sweet onion thinly sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

shredded gruyere, about 1 cup, loosely packed

1 tablespoon butter

pepper Over medium-low heat, heat up the olive oil. When hot, add the onions and turn the heat down to low. Cook slowly, until transparent and cooked, but not mushy.

Butter the bread on one side. Lay out the bread, butter side out and top with a generous amount of shredded gruyere. Top the gruyere with the onions, season with pepper and close the sandwiches.

Place the sandwiches in a pan over medium heat and grill until golden brown. Enjoy hot!

Tags: gruyere, onions

