Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Bacon - This grilled cheese sandwich recipe is made with two kinds of melty cheese, sweet caramelized onions and strips of beef bacon sandwiched between two pieces of buttery crisp sourdough bread.
I love classic grilled cheese sandwiches, but I love them even more when I add things to them! For example a grilled cheese chicken sandwich or this grilled cheese sandwich with caramelized onions and bacon.
It’s an easy way to elevate your grilled cheese sandwich to a sophisticated version of simple comfort food. I love to dip it in a bowl of tomato bisque for a tasty lunch or an easy dinner!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Everyone loves a really good grilled cheese sandwich!
- It’s made with simple ingredients.
- You can customize the ingredients to your liking.
- You’ll love it on its own, but it’s even better dipped in a bowl of hot Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup!
Recipe Tips & Variations
- This sandwich has plenty of filling, so you need a bread that can hold up to all of that.
- I love sourdough bread but you can use your favorite thick sliced bread.
- Swap the cheddar cheese and mozzarella for gruyere, blue cheese, Havarti, or Swiss cheese.
- When caramelizing the onions, if you want them a bit sweeter, sprinkle in a bit of brown sugar.
- If you prefer to use regular pork bacon go for it. You can also swap the bacon for a different type of sliced meat like chicken or turkey.
- Do not turn the heat too high on the skillet, otherwise the outside of the bread will burn before the inside cheese melts!
- If you find the cheese isn’t melting fast enough, cover the skillet with a lid for a few minutes.
Ingredients for Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Bacon
- Butter: Bring it to room temperature to soften. You’ll need some for cooking the onions and some to butter the bread before it hits the skillet.
- Onion: Cut the onion in half and slice it thinly. One onion will be enough for this recipe! Use white or yellow onions. Yellow are a bit sweeter, so they are my top recommendation.
- Cheddar cheese: Sliced aged cheddar cheese adds a very nice sharpness. Use white or orange cheddar, it’s up to you.
- Mozzarella cheese: Freshly grated mozzarella for that amazing cheese pull we all want in a grilled cheese sandwich!
- Sourdough bread: I love using homemade sourdough bread for grilled cheese. It’s slightly tangy, it’s super flavorful, and homemade bread is always better 🙂
- Beef bacon: Beef bacon is just like pork bacon but it has a beefier flavor which I love with caramelized onion! It needs to be cooked before adding to the sandwich.
How to Make the Best Grilled Cheese
Step 1: Melt butter in a skillet. Toss in the thinly sliced onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook them down until they are golden, caramelized, and delicious! Stir a few times to avoid any burning.
Step 2: Lay your bread slices on a clean surface. Add a slice of cheddar cheese to both pieces of bread.
Step 3: Add cooked bacon, shredded mozzarella, and sautéed onions to one of the pieces of bread. Then, top it with the other piece with cheddar slices.
Step 4: Spread butter over the top of each slice of bread and melt the rest in a clean skillet over medium-low heat.
Step 5: Place your sandwich into the skillet and cook on both sides until the bread is nice and crispy and the cheese is nice and melty!
Serve with a bowl of your favorite soup.
Recipe FAQs
You can’t go wrong with any of your favorite cheeses that melt beautifully. Cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, Gruyere, Mozzarella, brie cheese, and even American cheese.
You can also use goat cheese or blue cheese.
Sure you can! I prefer the buttery flavor on my bread, but mayo does the job of making it nice and crispy too.
Cozy Soups to Pair it With
- Cream of Mushroom Soup (Video)
- Simple Beet Soup Recipe (Red Borsch)
- Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup
- Best Kale Soup Recipe with Sausage
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Split Pea Soup
When YOU make this grilled cheese sandwich with bacon please tag us @munchkintimeblog on Instagram, we would LOVE to see your creation!
If you tried this grilled cheese sandwich recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a * star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
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📖 Recipe
Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter softened, divided
- 1 medium onion halved and thinly sliced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 slices cheddar cheese
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese grated
- 2 slices sourdough bread
- 4 slices bacon cooked in the at 400F for 10 minutes, sometimes I like to use beef bacon
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion with salt and pepper to taste until it turns golden, stirring occasionally. Once done, remove the onions from the skillet.
- Add cheese to both slices of bread, then layer on the cooked bacon and the sautéed onions. Place one slice of bread with cheese on top of the other.
- Spread 1 tablespoon of butter on the top slice of bread. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the skillet, then add the sandwich. Cook the sandwich on both sides on a low heat until it is golden and crispy, pressing it down with a lid. Cut in half and enjoy with a bowl of creamy tomato bisque!
Video
Notes
- Choose the right bread by opting for a sturdy option like sourdough bread or an artisan no knead bread to hold up to the fillings and provide a toasty texture.
- Select quality cheese, using a good melting cheese such as cheddar or Gruyère, or a combination, for the best flavor and gooeyness.
- Perfectly cook the bacon until it’s crispy but not burnt to add great texture and flavor to the sandwich.
- Caramelize the onions by sautéing them slowly until they’re golden brown and sweet. This can take about 20 minutes on low heat.
- Use butter generously by spreading a thin layer of softened butter on the outside of the bread for a golden, crispy crust. Mayonnaise can also be used for a different flavor.
- Cook low and slow on medium-low heat to ensure the bread toasts evenly without burning, allowing the cheese to melt properly.
- Let it rest before cutting to allow the sandwich to set for a minute, preventing a gooey mess.
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