UrbnSpice Ultimate Recipe Series

When I think of a grilled cheese sandwich, I think of kids. My daughters often tell me that when they were younger grilled cheese sandwiches were one of their most treasured food memories. It was always a hit before or after soccer practices (they played soccer six days a week).  They loved their grilled cheese sandwich fingers and warm cream of tomato soup, which they used as a dip for the crispy batons.  This recipe for Grilled Double Cheese Bacon Sandwich is a classic for little kids and big kids alike.  The addition of crispy bacon elevates the flavour and texture to a whole new level and is comfort food at its best.

It takes time to make a great grilled cheese sandwich – allow at least 10 minutes with two flips on each side of the sandwich. Ensure you press down on the sandwich with a spatula so that the entire surface of the sandwich makes contact with the pan. The extra effort is worth it – you will be rewarded with a golden crispy crust and a ‘gorpy’ cheesy interior (my definition of ‘gorpy’ is gooey, chewy and tasty).

Grilled  Double Cheese Bacon Sandwich

CHEF TALK:  The ingredients for this sandwich are simple and easy to access.  The technique is how this sandwich differentiates itself from other grilled cheese sandwiches.  I use a non-stick frying pan or griddle.  My preference for bread is sourdough for this sandwich but use your favourite bread. The lightly buttered bread slices are placed in a preheated pan over low heat.  The reason why I use low heat is that the lower heat allows the crust to caramelize without melting the cheese too quickly.  I use two types of cheese. Make sure that there is cheese on each slice of bread and any fillings are placed on top of the cheese so that the filling is in the middle and the cheese has an opportunity to melt properly.

INGREDIENTS:

For each Sandwich:

• 2 slices sourdough bread, sliced 1/2 inch (1.5 cm)
• Old Canadian Cheddar Cheese, sliced approximately 1/8 inch thick, to fully cover the slice of bread
• Provolone Cheese, sliced, as needed to fully cover the slice of bread
• 1 – 2 rashers of bacon, cut into three pieces and cooked until crispy
• Mayonnaise, as required
• Prepared Mustard, as required
• Salted Butter, softened, as required

METHOD:

1. Once you have all of the ingredients ready, preheat your fry pan or griddle over low heat.
2. Lay the two slices of bread side by side on a cutting board (I will refer to them as upper slice and lower slice).
3. On the lower slice, spread a light layer of mayonnaise.  Fully cover the mayonnaise with the provolone cheese.
4. Place the crispy pieces of bacon on top of the provolone in a single layer as shown in the photograph below.
5. On the upper slice, spread a light layer of prepared mustard.  Place the sliced Old Cheddar Cheese on top of the prepared mustard to cover the bread.
6. Now carefully turn the slice with the Cheddar Cheese on top of the other slice, covering the bacon.
7. Now lightly butter the outside of the slices of the bread as follows:  Spread butter on top of the side that is facing up on the cutting board.  Lift the sandwich and place the buttered side down in the preheated fry pan.  Then, butter the side that is facing up in the frying pan.
8. Allow the sandwich to grill slowly. Lift an edge to check the colour of the bread and when it is light golden brown, flip the sandwich over to the other side, pressing down with a spatula to ensure that the entire surface of the sandwich is in contact with the pan. You will repeat this procedure until each side of the sandwich has had two turns.
9. The sandwich will now have a caramelized golden brown crust and the cheese will be soft and melting.
10. Lift the sandwiches from the pan and place them on the cutting board to cool slightly before cutting.
11. With a serrated knife, cut the sandwich into fingers or in half, as desired.   Serve the grilled cheese sandwiches warm and enjoy with bread and butter pickles or Caramelized Onion and Roasted Garlic Confiture or my family’s tradition, cream of tomato soup.
    

    Preparing the Ingredients for Grilled Double Cheese Bacon Sandwich 

    

    Assembling the Grilled Double Cheese Bacon Sandwich

    

    The first turn of the grilled cheese will be a light golden brown – it will caramelize with the second flip 

    

    Pressing the Grilled Cheese with a spatula every time you flip it ensures a golden crust 

    

    The slow grilling of the Grilled Double Cheese Bacon Sandwich rewards you with a golden crispy crust 

    

    Second Flip on the Grilled Double Cheese Bacon Sandwich 

    

    The Grilled Double Cheese Bacon Sandwich is caramelized to a golden brown 

    

    The Grilled Double Cheese Bacon Sandwich is caramelized to a golden brown 

    

    Grilled Double Cheese Bacon Sandwiches cut into fingers | urbnspice.com

With the lowly grilled cheese sandwich regaining popularity as of late, there are many interpretations of this sandwich.

I have chosen to go with the more classic approach, which allows ease of preparation, ease of access to ingredients in the home kitchen, and I must confess, a wonderful flavour and appearance.

What Else Can I Do With This Recipe:

Mini Grilled Double Cheese Bacon Sandwiches:  Buy an artisan sourdough baguette and slice 1/2″ diagonal slices of baguette.  Follow the directions above to make several mini sandwiches and serve for appetizer buffets or for any other reason.

STORAGE:  If you are lucky enough to have leftover Grilled Double Cheese Bacon Sandwiches, they are wonderful for lunch the next day.

You Might Also Enjoy:

Australian Meat Pies (Aussie Pies)

Best Ever Banana Muffins

LEARNING TIPS:  

Please CLICK the link above to access my UrbnSpice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:

• The Simple Spatula
• Butter
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As always, if you give this recipe for Grilled  Double Cheese Bacon Sandwich a try, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback.

You can find me on social media (see below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy! 

 

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urbnspice Chef

 

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