The Ultimate Lobster Grilled Cheese Sandwich

 

This Ultimate Lobster Grilled Cheese Sandwich is a decadent take on the humble grilled cheese sandwich. It’s full of tender chunks of lobster as well as lots of melty cheese.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches – A True Comfort Food

Growing up, grilled cheese sandwiches were a daily staple. You made them at home for lunch or dinner, you saw them on every kid’s menu at a restaurant and even had them in the schools for lunch. 

They were pretty standard and easy to make. Put a slice of cheese (usually American cheese) between two slices of white bread (buttered on the outside) and brown in a skillet. Add some potato chips (if it was lunch) or a bowl of tomato soup (if it was dinner) and you had yourself a meal.

We have come a long way from those days of a simple grilled cheese sandwich. And, this lobster grilled cheese is testament to upping the game on some old favorite recipes.

This came about when a while back, I had the opportunity for a lovely lunch outdoors with my husband on a restaurant patio during a beautiful Summer day. They had a version of this lobster grilled cheese on their menu. It was lobster, cheesy goodness.

They also served this sandwich with a spicy tomato basil soup for dipping. It was all so good we couldn’t stop talking about it (or eating it), so I knew I was going to have to re-create it at home.

Good Quality Ingredients Make for a Great Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Of course, the star of the sandwich is the sweet lobster meat. I’ve used both whole cooked lobsters as well as cooked lobster tails to get good lobster meat. 

The whole lobster is a bit more work as you have to get the claw meat as well as the meat in the tail. But, sometimes I find them to be cheaper than a cooked lobster tail where they’ve done all the work for you.

Then, comes the bread slices. Since this is an upgraded grilled cheese sandwich, you definitely want to use good quality bread. In this case, I used a sourdough bread (one of my favorites), bought from a local bakery.

Since this is a grilled cheese recipe, I definitely gave a lot of thought as to what type of cheese I wanted to use (definitely not American cheese slices!).

I landed on using a dill havarti cheese. Havarti cheese itself is fairly mild, but that allows the flavor of the dill to come through. The dill is a great compliment to the sweetness of the lobster and brings a freshness to the sandwich.

My favorite part of this sandwich is the truffle oil. I love truffle oil and drizzled over the lobster took this sandwich over the top.

Finally, I added in some arugula. There is so much going on with this sandwich that regular iceberg or romaine lettuce would get lost. The spiciness of the arugula actually cuts through a bit more in this case.

Once you’ve buttered one side of both slices of bread, added in the remaining ingredients and drizzled the lobster with truffle oil, you are ready toast the sandwich!

Add a Grilled Cheese Tomato Soup “Dipper”

As I mentioned, the lobster grilled cheese we had originally had a spicy tomato soup for dipping (or just eating!). So, I decided to recreate that soup as well. You can find it here.

The lobster grilled cheese and the upscale tomato soup is such a great combo. Definitely something you want to prepare to impress your friends and family!

 

Tips and Tricks

• You will most likely find dill havarti cheese in the deli section where they have gourmet cheeses. If you’re unable to find it, substitute regular havarti cheese.
• I love the flavor that truffle oil adds to the sandwich, but a little goes a long way. If too much is used it will overpower the sandwich.
• I love the peppery flavor that arugula gives to the sandwich, but you can substitute fresh spinach if you prefer.
• If your skillet is not large enough to hold both sandwiches, or you’re making more than two sandwiches, keep the finished sandwiches warm in an oven set to warm (approximately 200 degrees). 
• I love to serve the lobster grilled cheese with Rosemary Garlic Fries and/or Cucumber Ranch Salad.

Ingredients Needed to Make Lobster Grilled Cheese

Full instructions can be found below in the printable recipe card

• Cooked lobster meat – If you’re unable to find cooked lobster, see the notes below in the recipe card for cooking instructions.
• Good quality sourdough bread – This is a decadent sandwich so you don’t want to skimp on the quality of the bread.
• Dill havarti cheese – I love the mild dill flavor this cheese imparts on the sandwich.
• Truffle oil – This adds a lovely earthy flavor. Just make sure you use it sparingly as a little goes a long way.
• Butter – Make sure the butter is softened before spreading on the bread.
• Fresh arugula – I love the peppery flavor that arugula adds.

How to Make Lobster Grilled Cheese

• Cut lobster into bite-size pieces.
• Butter one side of each slice of bread and lay buttered side down.
• Divide half of the cheese between two slices of bread.
• Divide lobster meat between two slices of bread on top of the cheese.
• Drizzle truffle oil over the lobster.
• Top with remaining cheese and the other two slices of bread.
• Toast in a non-stick skillet over medium heat, until bread is golden brown on each side and cheese is melted.

ENJOY!