Bacon Jam Grilled Cheese (Print Version)

Melty cheddar and Gruyère with smoky-sweet bacon jam on toasted sourdough bread.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Bacon Jam

01 - 8 oz thick-cut bacon, chopped
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 tbsp brown sugar
05 - 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
06 - 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
07 - 1 tbsp maple syrup
08 - ½ tsp smoked paprika
09 - ¼ tsp black pepper

→ Grilled Cheese

10 - 8 slices sourdough or country bread
11 - 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, sliced
12 - 4 oz Gruyère cheese, sliced
13 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

# How to Make It:

01 - In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove bacon, leaving 1 tablespoon bacon fat in the skillet.
02 - Add diced onion to the remaining bacon fat and cook over medium heat until caramelized, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
03 - Return crispy bacon to the skillet. Stir in brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened to a jam-like consistency, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
04 - Arrange the bread slices on a work surface. Spread a generous layer of bacon jam on four slices. Layer cheddar and Gruyère cheeses over the bacon jam, then top each with remaining bread slices to form sandwiches.
05 - Spread softened butter evenly on the outsides of each sandwich.
06 - Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Cook sandwiches for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted.
07 - Allow sandwiches to rest for 1 to 2 minutes before slicing and serving.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The bacon jam is so good you'll want to make a double batch and eat it straight from a spoon when nobody's looking.
  • It transforms an everyday comfort sandwich into something that feels special enough to serve to people who matter to you.
  • Once you taste the combination of two cheeses with caramelized onions and that tangy-sweet jam, regular grilled cheese will feel plain by comparison.
02 -
  • The bacon jam is the whole point, so don't skip the caramelizing step with the onions—those ten minutes of patient stirring is where the actual depth of flavor comes from, and rushing it leaves you with something that tastes sharp rather than balanced.
  • Cook your sandwich on medium-low, not medium or medium-high, because the enemy of this sandwich is bread that's too dark with cheese that hasn't had time to fully melt into something luxurious.
  • Make extra bacon jam because once people taste it, they'll ask about it, and you'll realize you should have doubled the recipe from the start.
03 -
  • Make the bacon jam a day or two ahead and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator; it actually improves as flavors meld, and you'll have one less thing to do when hunger strikes.
  • If you're cooking for more than two people, make the jam in a much larger batch and keep it on hand for breakfast grilled cheese, as a burger topping, or stirred into cream cheese for sandwiches.
  • Toast your bread lightly before assembling if you're worried about it being too soft or absorbing too much moisture from the jam.
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