If you love the taste of grilled and gooey sandwiches, I’ve got a great taste test competition for you! I recently tried out three new grilled cheese sandwich recipes and I want to see which one you like the best.
I made all three at the same time as some of the ingredients are in each recipe, so you could do the same. It helps to have a sous-chef though. ;) Let’s cook!
Contender #1: Garlicky Grilled Cheese
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- ½ tsp olive oil
- 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves
- 4 cups baby spinach leaves
- 4 cups baby arugula leaves
- 8 slices of bacon
- 8 slices rustic Italian bread
- 2 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 oz shredded fontina cheese
Side note: Prep is super easy if you buy the pre-packaged spinach and arugula leaves and pre-shredded cheeses. I actually used Sargento 6 cheese Italian blends to speed up the prep time.
Instructions:
- Heat olive oil over medium-high heat and swirl to coat a large skillet.
- Add the garlic and sauté for a minute. Quickly add the spinach and arugula and remove when wilted.
- Add bacon and cook until crisp.
- Top four slices of bread with the cheese, bacon, spinach mixture and the other four bread slices.
- Add sandwiches to the pan (do not clean the pan, you need those drippings!) and weigh them down with a plate. Call in the sous chef (Ha!) and cook for 2 minutes on each side.
Contender #2: BLT Fried Egg and Cheese Sandwich
Serves 1
Ingredients:
- 4 slices of bacon
- 2 slices of Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 slices rustic Italian bread (toasted)
- 1 tbsp mayo
- 4 tomato slices
- 2 leaves of butter lettuce
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 lg egg
Instructions:
- Cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp and then drain.
- Place cheese on one slice of toasted bread. Spread mayo on other slice of toasted bread; add bacon, lettuce and tomato.
- Fry an egg in butter for about 4 minutes and then slide the egg on to the lettuce and close the sandwich. Eat. Right. Away!
Great tip: Instead of toasting the bread, first grill this sandwich without the mayo, lettuce and tomato. After grilled, then add the lettuce, tomato and fried egg.
Contender #3: Fried Egg Sandwich
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 12 slices of bacon
- 8 slices rustic Italian bread
- 4 oz grated Gruyere cheese
- Aioli (store bought for efficiency – but if you’d like have to have a recipe for homemade, Just Ask!)
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 eggs
- 3 cups baby arugula leaves
- Maldon salt
Instructions:
- Fry bacon until crisp and then drain.
- Toast all bread slices in a toaster oven or in a regular oven.
- Put cheese on only four pieces of toasted bread and return to oven to melt.
- Start frying the eggs, about 4 minutes.
- On the other four toasted bread slices, spread aioli and top with three pieces of bacon.
- Take melted cheese toasts out, slide the eggs on bacon-covered toast, top with a handful of arugula (don’t be stingy with the arugula, throw it on!), sprinkle with some Maldon salt and then top with the cheesy bread slices.
Quick tip: Cook a pound of bacon if you’re going to attempt to make all three of these sandwiches for the taste test competition!
So, which one do you think is the winner?
Yummy! So full though…Ha!
