Parmigiano & Fig Grilled Cheese

parmigiano & fig grilled cheese / loveandlemons.com

A few weeks ago Whole Foods set out to break the Guinness World Record of number of Parmigiano Reggiano wheels cracked simultaneously. Jack and I were the “official” witnesses of Parmageddon at our Austin store. I know what you might be thinking… how does the lactose intolerant girl get herself into these things?

Well, first of all, Jack will not ever turn down an opportunity for free cheese. And second, in recent years I’ve learned that hard cheeses don’t have very much lactose, and that I don’t have as much of a problem with really high quality cheese. (ie. just say no to the processed Kraft green canister).

parmesan fig grilled cheese / loveandlemons.com

But what’s really special about this freshly cracked parm is that it’s so soft, light and buttery you could eat slivers of it all by itself. Or make fancy grilled cheese out of it like I did. I paired mine with sweet fig jam, a drizzle of balsamic, and some peppery arugula.

parmigiano & fig grilled cheese / loveandlemons.com

600 wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano were cracked that day throughout stores in the US, Canada and the UK, so you still have some time to go try it out yourself.

Special thanks to Whole Foods for partnering on this post.

parmesan & fig grilled cheese

 
Author:
Ingredients
  • sourdough bread slices
  • grated fresh parmesan cheese (or blend of parmesan & white cheddar)
  • fig jam
  • a few sprigs of arugula, per sandwich
  • butter or olive oil, for the pan
  • optional: drizzle of balsamic vinegar
Instructions
  1. Assemble sandwiches with cheese fig spread and (optional) a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
  2. Heat butter or oil in a pan or grill pan. Grill for a few minutes per side, pressing sandwiches down with the back side of a spatula. Or for a panini press effect (without the press), weigh them down by placing a heavier pan on top.

35 comments

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  1. MatchCV
    10.10.2026

    The part about “A few weeks ago Whole Foods set out to break the Guinness World Record of number of Parmigiano Reggiano wheels cracked s” stood out because it made the post feel grounded instead of generic. I like how the point is tied to a real situation, and I’d be curious to see one more concrete example if you expand this later.

    AI resume tailoring in 10 seconds

  2. Rachel C
    10.25.2024

    Delicious! Dipped in brocoli/cheddar soup!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      10.28.2024

      Ooh yum! So glad you enjoyed!

  3. Rachel
    01.20.2015

    This was DELICIOUS! Just made this on a panini press (with a cup of roasted tomato soup). I found the fig spread in the produce section at Whole Foods. Thanks for the recipe!

    • jeanine
      01.21.2015

      so glad you liked it! Isn’t that fig spread from Whole Foods amazing?

  4. Loren from blogs.cetis.ac.uk
    05.24.2013

    What’s Taking place i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I have found
    It positively helpful and it has helped me out loads.
    I am hoping to give a contribution & aid different customers like its helped
    me. Good job.

  5. Emily from rainbowdelicious.com
    04.24.2013

    Oh man, these were so amazing! For some reason I thought I would be the only one to like these in my family, but I was SO wrong! My husband and kids (ages 1 and 3) all loved them and I had to make a second batch for everyone 🙂 I shared this recipe in a recent meal plan on my blog, thank you!

  6. julia from beautyandsomebeef.com
    04.05.2013

    Oh my goodness – I’m not even such a fan of sandwiches generally but this one looks out of this world! I’ll definitely try it out tomorrow!

    Love all your recipes, I have you on the inspiration page of my blog.

  7. This must be absolutely delicious!! The blend of flavors must be delicious! =)

  8. Elaine K. from athomeandawaywithme.com
    04.04.2013

    I am lactose intolerant too but somehow cannot entirely give up the fancy cheeses so I was happy to see this post! Plus figs + arugula is always a winning combination, yum.

  9. Gabriela from whatlibertyate.com
    04.04.2013

    I love to keep coming back to your site, everything looks so fresh and appetizing. This sanwhich I HAVE to try it, I love cheese in all its form and this coulnd’t be more right for me!

  10. I enjoy the flavor of figs, but rarely know what to do with them. Problem solved! Thanks for this delicious-looking combination. And for the record, I’m with Jack. Never pass up free cheese.

    • jeanine
      04.02.2013

      ha, yes, he eats more than enough cheese regularly for the both of us 🙂

    • jeanine
      04.02.2013

      ha, yep, he eats more than enough cheese for the both of us 🙂

    • jeanine
      04.02.2013

      aw, thanks! (btw, I love your tahini avocado poached egg toast!)

  11. I just love the combination of fig and Parmesan. What a simple and beautiful sandwich!
    -Emily K.

    • jeanine
      04.02.2013

      thanks! yep, fancy but way too easy 🙂

  12. Yohann from meltingpotaufeu.wordpress.com
    04.02.2013

    This looks so mediterranean! Fig + parmesan is a great combination. Wouldn’t have thought to pair it in a grilled cheese!

  13. It’s look amazing. I love figs with some cheese so I need to try your combination of these ingredients.

  14. I think hard cheeses are higher in fat, and dairy fat doesn’t contain lactose so maybe that’s why you can tolerate them. A truly yummy looking sandwich.

  15. PERFECT inspiration for dinner! I have all these ingredients on hand (cheese, fig spread, bread, and arugula are all major staples in our house), although I will likely swap out the parmesan for the cave-aged gruyere I also purchased at Whole Foods. 🙂 And the bread for the German whole grain farmer’s bread I usually prefer. Can’t wait!

    • jeanine
      04.01.2013

      sounds delicious! Glad we keep similar items on hand 🙂

  16. Sarah from thesugarhit.com
    04.01.2013

    Something salty, something sweet and BREAD! How can it go wrong?

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I'm Jeanine, a New York Times bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and founder of Love & Lemons, a trusted recipe resource for millions of home cooks. I create fresh, easy, and delicious vegetarian recipes that celebrate seasonal ingredients and flavors.

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