Cheddar-Crusted Grilled Cheese with Bacon and Pepper Jelly
By Mark HuxsollPublished on August 24, 2021
Time
35 minutes
Yield
Serves 2
Ingredients
Before You Begin
It's important to use a good nonstick skillet here. While crisping the cheese crust in step 5, avoid flipping the sandwiches too early. At first the cheese will be soft and melty, but it will crisp as it continues to cook. When sprinkling the cheese in the skillet for the crust, be sure to leave enough room between the portions so that the cheese doesn't run together. For the best flavor, buy the American cheese at the deli counter, not the presliced cheese that comes wrapped in cellophane.
Instructions
- Spread pepper jelly evenly on 1 side of each slice of bread. Layer 1 slice American cheese, 4 pieces bacon, and ¼ cup cheddar on jelly side of each of 2 slices of bread. Top with remaining 2 slices of bread, jelly side down.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place sandwiches in skillet. Cover and cook until deep golden brown on bottom, 4 to 7 minutes.
- Using spatula, carefully flip sandwiches. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to center of skillet between sandwiches and tilt to distribute butter as it melts. Cover and continue to cook until second side is deep golden brown and cheese is visibly melted around edges of sandwiches, 2 to 5 minutes longer. Transfer sandwiches to wire rack.
- Remove skillet from heat and wipe clean with paper towels. Sprinkle two ¼-cup portions of remaining cheddar into rectangles just larger than slices of bread, about 6 by 4 inches, on opposite sides of now-empty skillet. Place sandwiches directly on top of cheddar.
- Return skillet to medium heat and cook until edges of cheddar beneath sandwiches are well browned and crisp, 2 to 4 minutes. (Do not slide spatula under sandwiches before cheddar is crisp; it will pull cheddar and ruin crust.) When cheddar is browned along edges, slide spatula underneath sandwiches and transfer, cheddar crust side up, to rack. (For decorative purposes, you can upturn edges of cheddar crust, if desired.)
- Let sandwiches sit for 5 minutes to allow cheese to set. Transfer sandwiches to cutting board and cut diagonally. Serve.
Time
35 minutesYield
Serves 2Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Grilled cheese sandwiches have been an institution in American cuisine since the invention of processed cheese in the 1920s. The humble (typically open-faced) sandwich became a staple during the Great Depression and then a favorite of overseas troops during World War II. For a smoky, sweet, spicy, slightly acidic version, we started by making a delicious grilled cheese sandwich with crispy bacon, sweet and spicy pepper jelly, and yellow cheddar cheese. We melted butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat; added the sandwiches; and covered the skillet, which trapped the heat and steam, helping the cheese melt as the bread slowly browned. Once the first side was nicely browned, we flipped the sandwiches, added more butter, and repeated the browning process. We could have stopped there and would have been very happy with the results, but we wanted to push the limits. After wiping out the skillet, we sprinkled shredded sharp cheddar cheese directly into the skillet in the shape of the bread; put the sandwiches directly over top, taking care not to let the cheese mound in the center; and returned the skillet to medium heat. As the cheese melted, it fused to the sandwiches and eventually crisped up to develop a cheese crust. We transferred our sandwiches, crisped-cheese (frico) side up, to a wire rack to cool. A 5-minute rest helped the sandwiches cool down to a comfortable eating temperature and allowed the crust to continue to crisp.
Before You Begin
It's important to use a good nonstick skillet here. While crisping the cheese crust in step 5, avoid flipping the sandwiches too early. At first the cheese will be soft and melty, but it will crisp as it continues to cook. When sprinkling the cheese in the skillet for the crust, be sure to leave enough room between the portions so that the cheese doesn't run together. For the best flavor, buy the American cheese at the deli counter, not the presliced cheese that comes wrapped in cellophane.
Instructions
- Spread pepper jelly evenly on 1 side of each slice of bread. Layer 1 slice American cheese, 4 pieces bacon, and ¼ cup cheddar on jelly side of each of 2 slices of bread. Top with remaining 2 slices of bread, jelly side down.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place sandwiches in skillet. Cover and cook until deep golden brown on bottom, 4 to 7 minutes.
- Using spatula, carefully flip sandwiches. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to center of skillet between sandwiches and tilt to distribute butter as it melts. Cover and continue to cook until second side is deep golden brown and cheese is visibly melted around edges of sandwiches, 2 to 5 minutes longer. Transfer sandwiches to wire rack.
- Remove skillet from heat and wipe clean with paper towels. Sprinkle two ¼-cup portions of remaining cheddar into rectangles just larger than slices of bread, about 6 by 4 inches, on opposite sides of now-empty skillet. Place sandwiches directly on top of cheddar.
- Return skillet to medium heat and cook until edges of cheddar beneath sandwiches are well browned and crisp, 2 to 4 minutes. (Do not slide spatula under sandwiches before cheddar is crisp; it will pull cheddar and ruin crust.) When cheddar is browned along edges, slide spatula underneath sandwiches and transfer, cheddar crust side up, to rack. (For decorative purposes, you can upturn edges of cheddar crust, if desired.)
- Let sandwiches sit for 5 minutes to allow cheese to set. Transfer sandwiches to cutting board and cut diagonally. Serve.
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