A Provolone Grilled Cheese with Prosciutto and Melon is a culinary adventure that will redefine your perception of grilled cheese. Step out of your comfort zone and experience the unexpected. The blend of sweet and savory flavors will leave you pleasantly surprised. It's a melty, gooey delight that you won't be able to resist.
When it comes to sandwiches, you can never go wrong with any combination of meat, cheese, and/or fruit. The following are additional grilled cheese sandwiches I know you'll love: Grilled Cheddar Cheese with Caramelized Apples and this amazing recipe for Turkey, Smoked Gouda, Bacon, and Apple Grilled Cheese. You're welcome. It is my pleasure to serve you delicious offerings!!
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I originally published this recipe on my blog in 2014. I've since updated this post with additional information and a printable recipe card, including the nutritional information for this grilled meat, cheese, and fruit sandwich. However, the recipe itself and the photos have remained the same.
Go directly to the recipe.
- The ingredient list:
- Ingredient information:
- Why this recipe works:
- Is it better to butter the bread or pan when making grilled cheese sandwiches?
- How this recipe came to be (excerpt from my original blog post in 2014):
- How to choose a ripe cantaloupe?
- What to serve alongside an adult grilled cheese sandwich of prosciutto, melon, and provolone?
- Printable Recipe Card
- Please comment if you've made this recipe.
The ingredient list:
*Please note that the exact measurements along with a "shop the recipe" feature from Instacart and Walmart is available inside the printable recipe card.
Ingredient information:
PROVOLONE CHEESE—Provolone is a cow's milk cheese with a semi-hard consistency similar to mozzarella, except that it is aged, unlike mozzarella, which is not aged. I used smoked provolone for this recipe, but you can use unsmoked provolone if you prefer.
CANTALOUPE—The sweetness of the cantaloupe is delicious paired with the salty prosciutto slices. Feel free to substitute honeydew melon slices or even thinly sliced pineapple if you prefer. I have no doubt that any of these fruity options will be deliciously unique in this grilled cheese, meat, and fruit-filled sandwich.
PROSCIUTTO—Thinly sliced prosciutto makes this sandwich a true standout. The salty bite of Italian prosciutto pairs so well with sweet cantaloupe melon that adding them to a grilled cheese sandwich seemed like a no-brainer, and I know you'll agree.
BREAD—I recommend using firm bread for this sandwich. A firm bread will stand up to the filling ingredients and elicit a satisfying crunch once grilled. I used hearty Italian bread slices, but sourdough bread would also be delicious.
HONEY—You can't beat the small but mighty touch the honey provides the melon in this delicious smoked provolone sandwich. Honey can be an optional ingredient if you prefer, but I strongly encourage you to use it. Each sandwich receives only a tiny drizzle of honey, but the flavor it brings to this sandwich is epic.
BUTTER—I always use salted butter. Salted butter can remain on the kitchen counter indefinitely, so you'll always have soft and spreadable butter whenever you need it. To me, using salted butter is a significant ingredient when making a delicious grilled cheese sandwich.
Why this recipe works:
The cheese pull on this grown-up grilled cheese sandwich is everything!
The savory prosciutto, sweet melon combination, and crunchy grilled-to-perfection bread will awaken all your senses.
Is it better to butter the bread or pan when making grilled cheese sandwiches?
This is strictly my preference, but I prefer buttering the bread instead of the pan when making grilled cheese sandwiches.
When buttering the bread, you can ensure that every inch has been kissed with butter flavor, whereas when buttering the pan, it's hit or miss as to how and where the butter will actually land on the bread.
How this recipe came to be (excerpt from my original blog post in 2014):
With April being national grilled cheese month, I wanted to come up with a sandwich that was both unusual and special.
When I told my husband that I was going to make a Prosciutto, Melon and Provolone Grilled Cheese Sandwich, he was less than thrilled...he even said they sounded "gross".
Fast forward to about half an hour after he'd uttered the "g" word we were sitting down to lunch.
I eyed him suspiciously as he bravely started eating.
I waited patiently...."WELL?" I asked. "What do you think???"
"I think it's a lot better than I thought it was going to be," he said. "I thought the melon would turn into a mushy mess, but it actually held its texture better than I thought it was going to."
"I like it!" he said. "I think I'll have another."
Needless to say, I was a happy camper! 🙂
The moral of this story: Break out of your pre-conceived notion of what a grilled cheese sandwich should be and try this grilled cheese and melon sandwich.
I'll bet my bottom dollar that you'll even go back for seconds!
For more delicious prosciutto and melon, recipes check out 13 Ways to Pair the Sweet and Salty Taste from Brit & Co.
How to choose a ripe cantaloupe?
Choosing a ripe cantaloupe is simple if you know a few tricks.
Choose a melon that's heavy for its size, has a sweet, fruity aroma, is uniformly tan in color around the entire melon, and has a slight amount of give when pressed lightly at the stem end with your thumb.
What to serve alongside an adult grilled cheese sandwich of prosciutto, melon, and provolone?
For additional crunch, color, and outstanding flavor, my COPYCAT DOLE SUNFLOWER CRUNCH KALE AND CABBAGE SALAD is the perfect pairing for any and every meal.
Golden DIJON POTATO SALAD is cool, creamy, and loaded great Dijon flavor. It's an easy to make potato salad that is always a hit when it's on the table.
And for the end of any meal why not serve these pretty PINK LEMONADE COOKIES? They're deliciously sweet in flavor and appearance!
When you make today's recipe (and I hope that you will), I'd appreciate it if you'd take the time to come back and give it a star rating along with a comment on why you rated as you did. Search engines such as Google appreciate comments and ratings and, in turn, will show my recipes to more people. Please look for the pink star rating box within the printable recipe card. Thank you!!
Printable Recipe Card
Provolone Grilled Cheese with Prosciutto and Melon
Equipment
- grill pan optional
- Large Skillet optional
- panini press optional
- spatula optional
- 5 inch Serrated Knife optional for slicing the sandwich
- sandwich press optional
Ingredients
- 8 slices firm bread your favorite variety
- 4 tablespoons softened salted butter 1 tablespoon per sandwich
- 16 slices smoked provolone cheese 4 slices per sandwich
- 16 slices prosciutto 4 slices per sandwich
- 16 slices (½" thick) cantaloupe 4 slices per sandwich
- 4 teaspoons honey divided
Instructions
- Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place the bread butter side down on a sheet of parchment paper.
- Top each slice of bread evenly with 2 slices of provolone, 2 slices of prosciutto, 4 slices of cantaloupe, 1 teaspoon of honey, 2 additional slices of prosciutto, and 2 final slices of smoked provolone.
- Butter the remaining four slices of bread and place them butter side up on top of the sandwiches.
- Heat a skillet or panini press to medium/high. Grill each sandwich until golden and melted (pressing with a sandwich press and flipping with a spatula, if not using a panini press).
- Continue the same process with the remaining sandwiches. Slice and serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
I sincerely hope you'll enjoy making (and eating) this delicious prosciutto, melon, and provolone grilled cheese sandwich as much as I've enjoyed bringing it to you.
Should you have any questions or comments regarding anything you've seen on my site, please don't hesitate to reach out to contact me. It is always my distinct pleasure to get back with you just as soon as I possibly can!
Thank you so much for visiting me today in my Kudos Kitchen. I hope you found something you'll love and that you will come back and visit me often. Please know that there is always room for you around my kitchen table!
Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!
Nutmeg Nanny says
This sandwich looks amazing! I love the melon thrown into the mix...yum!
Renee Goerger says
Thanks, Brandy! Glad you like it!