Time: 30 minutes
Feeds: 2 people
Ingredients:
- 4 slices bread, preferably Seattle Sourdough Classic French
- 8 oz Colby jack cheese, grated
- 6 slices bacon
- 4 tbsp softened butter or mayo, depending on preference
- 1 can tomato soup, optional, for dipping
Directions: Start by cooking the bacon. You’re welcome to cook yours in a skillet on the stove but I like to cook mine in the oven, especially for sandwiches because it stays really flat. When I’m cooking bacon for something, I usually just cook the whole pack even if I’m not going to use it all for the recipe I’m making. I’ll either plan another dinner involving bacon or use the leftovers for breakfast. Arrange the bacon in a single layer on a foil lined sheet tray. I usually have to do 2 trays for a whole pack of bacon. Put the trays in a cold oven and then start the preheating process to 375 or 400 degrees depending on how thick the bacon is. I usually do thicker bacon at a higher temp. Starting the bacon in a cold oven helps the bacon stay flat. Cook the bacon for about 15 minutes and then check on it – there’s a chance you’ll need to leave it in for longer. When doing two trays, one will usually finish first and then the other will need another 5-7 minutes. Keep an eye on your bacon because it’s easy for it to get too dark.
Add your tomato soup to a small sauce pan and heat on the stove over medium heat. Bring it to a very light simmer and then lower the heat just to keep it warm while you’re making the grilled cheeses.
Grate your cheese and set that aside. Then take the pieces of bread and either butter or add mayo to one side of each. Place these pieces of bread, butter/mayo side down on a cold electric griddle and disperse the cheese amongst the four pieces. Go ahead and turn on the griddle to about 250 or 275 degrees. Add the amount of bacon you want to each sandwich and once the bread starts to crisp and get brown, flip one of the pieces on top of the other to assemble the sandwich. Continue to cook until it’s browned to your liking. Remove from the griddle to a plate to let cool for a couple minutes. Cut in half if desired and serve with the tomato soup on the side.