Move On From Tomato Soup And Dip Your Grilled Cheese In This Instead

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Who among us hasn't wolfed down a grilled cheese sandwich with an accompanying bowl of tomato soup for dipping? It's a humble repast, offering proof of the ages-old axiom that, sometimes, the simple pleasures in life are the greatest. Hang on a second, however, because we're about to make a swap suggestion that could flip your world upside down: dipping grilled cheese in applesauce. Yes, applesauce! This condiment, unfairly (in our opinion) associated with toddler snack time, is the ideal partner for your savory sandwich. 

It's not an altogether unprecedented marriage when you think about it. Pairing sweets with cheese has deep culinary roots. Some people put cheese in hot chocolate to make their quaff richer, and many folks serve sweet fruits and an assortment of cheeses together on a charcuterie board. For that matter, who could forget when Drake mixed raisins in his birthday party mac and cheese? Most closely tied to grilled cheese and applesauce is the delicious Yankee and Midwestern habit of serving apple pie with a slice of cheddar cheese. 

Lest you remain unconvinced, social media users are here to set you straight. "Ima [sic] keep doing it, I think it's great and cinnamon applesauce is just even better to dip in," avowed one Redditor. "Been doing this my whole 24 years of living," claimed another response. "The. Best. Combination. Got home after a day of partying to a delicious grilled cheese from the roommate and, although I'm thankful, it doesn't quite hit the same without the applesauce." Meanwhile, on TikTok, a user trying this combo for the first time widened her eyes in delight. "Yo, grilled cheese and applesauce? 10!" she squealed.

Many Redditors agreed that cinnamon applesauce was the bomb-dot-com when it came to grilled cheese dipping. Physically dunking the sammies into individual cups of applesauce can get messy (watch the aforementioned TikTok for proof), so we suggest pouring it in a bowl or grabbing some cinnamon applesauce pouches and squeezing them atop your sandwich like icing. If you are particularly finicky, you can blob out one tidy squirt of applesauce per bite to keep your fingers clean.

The bread and cheese that you pick for your sandwich matter too, we think. A croissant grilled cheese sandwich sounds absolutely delectable, what with the flakiness of the pastry, although we can see the appeal in a sturdy, nutty whole wheat. The best cheeses to pair with fruits are generally regarded to be young cheeses, moldy ones, or those with high acidity. May we suggest a tender Brie, a funky goat cheese, or some fresh burrata in brine? You have to balance your all-important cheese pull with the flavors, so perhaps use a "carrier" cheese like mozzarella as your base and build from there. 

Some home chefs have gotten intrepid by spreading the applesauce inside the bread, similar to a jam. This sounds tasty — especially an Instagram creator's sandwich that included bacon — but we can't help but think that it lacks the whimsy of dipping, which is a large part of the appeal. The next time you whip up a grilled cheese, reach into the pantry, past the canned tomato soup, and pull out some of that applesauce. You might be glad you did!