Indulge in the ultimate combination of cheese and tender, succulent beef with this mouthwatering Grilled Cheese with Smoked Pulled Beef recipe. Brace yourself for a flavor explosion that will take your classic grilled sandwich to a whole new level!
Today, we celebrate Grilled Cheese Day in the most sensational way! When cheese and beef come together, it’s pure magic. From my Outrageous Mac and Cheese Burger to my Pot Roast Mac and Cheese, I’ve always been obsessed with the irresistible pairing of beef and cheese. It’s a match made in culinary heaven!
For this extraordinary creation, I took a 2.5-3 lb. boneless chuck roast and made slits in it, inserting whole garlic cloves. To enhance the flavors, I seasoned it with Famous Dave’s Seasoning and injected it with beef broth until it plumped up. Next, I smoked the meat over cherrywood and hickory chips for 2 hours, infusing it with a delightful smoky aroma.
But we’re not done yet! We transfer the meat to the slow cooker for an additional 8 hours on low. To elevate the taste, I add sliced Vidalia onion, a mixture of beef broth, tomato paste, and apple cider vinegar, pouring it over the roast until it’s slightly covered. Remember, great food takes time and patience, but trust me, it’s worth every second!
Caramelized onions have been a recurring ingredient in my beef dishes, and they add a touch of sweetness and richness. My advice is to prepare them in advance and keep them readily available in your refrigerator. They come in handy for moments like this when you’re craving a culinary masterpiece!
Now, let’s assemble the Grilled Cheese & Smoked Pulled Beef with Plum Jelly for Dipping:
First, sauté thinly sliced Vidalia onion in a pan over medium-low heat with olive oil, butter, and salt until they turn deep amber in color. Deglaze the pan with beef stock, stirring with a wooden spoon until all those delightful brown bits dissolve into the liquid. Set aside.
Once your tender and succulent smoked pulled beef is ready, it’s time to introduce it to the other stars of this sandwich: fontina and white cheddar cheeses, caramelized onions, and plum preserves.
Mix the fontina and white cheddar cheeses together. Take your sourdough bread and spread about two teaspoons of mayonnaise on one side and approximately 1 tablespoon of plum preserves on the other side (repeat for both slices). Heat a pan over medium to low heat.
Place one slice of bread, mayo side down, into the pan. Top it with 1/3 cup of the cheese mixture, 1/2 cup of shredded beef, 1/4 cup of caramelized onions, another 1/3 cup of cheese mixture, and finally, place the other slice of bread with the preserves side down. Once one side has browned nicely, flip the sandwich over to brown the other side.
Smoked Pulled Beef Grilled Cheese with Plum Jelly
Ingredients:
- 2.5-3 lb. boneless chuck roast
- Whole garlic cloves
- Famous Dave’s Seasoning (or your preferred beef seasoning)
- Beef broth
- Cherrywood and hickory chips (for smoking)
- 1 Vidalia onion, sliced
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Olive oil
- Butter
- Salt
- Fontina cheese, grated
- White cheddar cheese, grated
- Sourdough bread slices
- Mayonnaise
- Plum preserves
Instructions:
- Make slits in the boneless chuck roast and insert whole garlic cloves into the meat.
- Season the roast with Famous Dave’s Seasoning or your preferred beef seasoning.
- Inject beef broth into the roast until it plumps up.
- Prepare your smoker with cherrywood and hickory chips. Smoke the roast over the chips for 2 hours to infuse it with a smoky flavor.
- Transfer the smoked roast to a slow cooker. Add sliced Vidalia onion.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 cups of beef broth, tomato paste, and apple cider vinegar until well combined. Pour the mixture over the roast, ensuring it’s slightly covered.
- Cook the roast in the slow cooker on low heat for an additional 8 hours or until the meat is tender and can be easily pulled apart.
- While the roast is cooking, caramelize the onions. In a pan, heat olive oil and butter over medium-low heat. Add thinly sliced Vidalia onion and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions turn deep amber in color.
- Deglaze the pan with a splash of beef broth, scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate the flavorful brown bits into the liquid. Set aside.
- Once the smoked pulled beef is ready, it’s time to assemble the grilled cheese sandwiches.
- Mix grated fontina and white cheddar cheeses together.
- Take a slice of sourdough bread and spread about two teaspoons of mayonnaise on one side. Spread approximately 1 tablespoon of plum preserves on the other side of the bread. Repeat for another slice of bread.
- Heat a pan over medium to low heat. Place one slice of bread, mayo side down, into the pan.
- Top the bread with 1/3 cup of the cheese mixture, followed by 1/2 cup of shredded smoked pulled beef and 1/4 cup of caramelized onions.
- Sprinkle another 1/3 cup of the cheese mixture over the onions, then place the other slice of bread on top, preserves side down.
- Once the bottom slice of bread has browned nicely, carefully flip the sandwich over to brown the other side.
- Repeat the process for the remaining sandwiches.
- Remove the grilled cheese sandwiches from the pan and let them cool for a minute.
- Slice the sandwiches in half and serve them warm.
- For an extra flavor boost, serve with plum jelly for dipping.
Enjoy the irresistible combination of flavors in this Smoked Pulled Beef Grilled Cheese with Plum Jelly. It’s a grilled sandwich that takes comfort food to a whole new level!
