Sometimes I am just in the mood for grilled cheese.  Well, a lot of the time I am.  I am perfectly fine with the classic bread and cheese combo, but my wife likes to fancy things up.  I have to thank her at the end of the day because I am glad she convinced me to try a new version of a classic standard.  This particular grilled cheese combo was pretty delicious because of the way the main ingredients are shredded in a hash brown manner.  Everything is broken down  and mixed together before your mouth has a chance to do so.  Who’s got the time to do all that chewing?  Apples, bacon, cheese and caramelized onions mulched together to produce a rich, creamy, sweet, savory and  delectable sandwich that we will definitely revisit.

Recipe

Ingredients:   (makes 2 sandwiches)

1 Tbl. Butter (plus more for grilling sandwich)
1 lg. white onion, cut in half and sliced thin
Salt & Cracked pepper (to taste)
1 Tbl. local honey
6-8 strips applewood smoked bacon
1 c. Cheddar cheese, grated (packed well)
1 apple (honeycrisp or jonagold)
4 slices of good sourdough bread (we use San Luis Obispo Sourdough)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat 1 Tbl. butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and salt and cook until they begin to caramelize (could take around 15 minutes), stirring occasionally.  Once they start to caramelize, add honey and cracked pepper continuing to cook until golden and translucent.

Meanwhile put bacon on a foil lined rimmed baking sheet or in an oven safe glass dish and bake for 15-20 minutes, until bacon is crisp. Remove to paper towel lined plate and dab until dry.

Shred cheese and apples. Chop bacon. Add finished onions, bacon, grated cheese and apples in medium bowl and mix together well.

Once griddle or pan is heated on medium heat, butter one side of each slice of bread. First place non buttered side of bread onto the pan to toast is so that it doesn’t get soggy when you add the mixture to it.  Then flip the bread slices so that it is butter side down and add 1 cup of the mixture on top.  Spread the mixture around a bit and put the other slice of bread on top.  Cook for approximately 4 minutes on each side or until bread is golden in color.  Slice in half.  Gobble up!

I slightly modified the recipe from Project Domestication to make these sandwiches.  Please visit her site to see the original.  She used a lot of ingredients local to her that I didn’t have access to, so I made this version.

Published by daddyandmefoodie

Hi, my name is Dawson. There is a whole world out there and I want to see as much as I can with my beautiful wife and amazing daughter. It is never too early or late to discover new places and what people eat there. Born and raised in a small town in California, I've led a simple life that leaves me craving far off destinations. My mom taught me the basics of cooking and I have been working in kitchens, delis, bakeries and cafeterias ever since. So along with recommendations of cool spots to eat, I will also add a few recipes here and there to share with everyone what I have been sharing with my family. View all posts by daddyandmefoodie