Deviled Bacon Grilled Cheese
We are starting to huddle inside to watch football, have cozy fires, and have indoor gatherings. What better recipe to pull out without much effort than the classic grilled cheese sandwich?
And now, a new cookbook celebrates the iconic sandwich you probably have made for years with American cheese and white bread. The Great Book of Grilled Cheese. 100+ Recipes for the Ultimate Comfort Food, Soups, Salads, and Sides is all you need for inspiration.
The unique and delicious grilled cheese recipes come from the small café, It’s All So Yummy, located west of Knoxville, Tennessee. From this cozy café in an unassuming, ordinary strip mall come recipes for comfort food, from soups to sandwiches to desserts.
According to It’s All Yummy owner and author Kim Wilcox, the book is unique. Unlike other sandwich cookbooks, “it presents a vast variety of tried and true grilled cheese recipes – more than 50 of our 90+ grilled cheese sandwiches that we’ve served over the past six years. The book includes recipes for delicious sides, desserts, and custom condiments so you can make exquisitely tasty grilled cheese meals.”
Some Grilled Cheese History
There are also some unique creations in the book from contributing top chefs. Wilcox covers the long history of grilled cheese. Did you know the American concept of grilled cheese began in the early 1900s? They were known by other names like cheese boxes, toasted cheese, and cheese dreams. Once pre-sliced bread appeared on the scene in 1928, Wilcox reports, and paired with processed cheese, the grilled cheese began to take off.
Kitchen gadget enthusiasts will enjoy Wilcox’s review of cooking vessels for the infamous sandwich. She advises that whichever one you choose should be preheated, or you will have a soggy sandwich. Who knew?
“This cookbook shares our café’s specialties, helping cooks across America put together creative and delicious meals for their families and friends,” Wilcox said. “It’s not just a cookbook; it’s a collection of memories, moments, smiles, and nostalgia, all coming to life on a plate.”
(Left to right) Crab Rangoon Grilled Cheese, Great Book of Grilled Cheese cookbook, Slim Shady Supreme Grilled Cheese
Recipes to Try
Here are three grilled cheese sandwich recipes we love from the book. Crab Rangoon Grilled Cheese is one of the restaurant’s all-time best sellers.
Slim Shady Supreme Grilled Cheese is described by Wilcox this way: “When people read this item on our menu, they ask, “Is it good?” Is it good? It is a carb-loaded best seller. You may want to have a knife, fork, and bib handy for this one—you don’t want to end up with spaghetti on your sweater!”
Deviled Bacon Grilled Cheese is another of Wilcox’s best sellers. “You’d be surprised how many people turn their noses up at the concept only to discover just how delicious it really is,” Wilcox said. “Trust me!”
Deviled Bacon Grilled Cheese
Makes 1 serving
- 2 slices sourdough bread
- 2 slices American cheese
- 2 slices cheddar cheese
- 3–4 slices bacon, cooked
- 2 deviled egg halves, chopped
- Durkee® Sweet Heat seasoning blend or similar (for garnish)
- Melted butter (for cooking)
Heat the griddle to 350°F.
Using a pastry brush, butter one side of each slice of bread. Place the buttered sides down on the griddle. Put a slice of American cheese and a slice of cheddar cheese on each slice of bread. On one bread slice, add 3–4 slices of cooked bacon, then add two chopped deviled egg halves on top of the bacon.
When the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted, use a spatula to put the halves of the sandwich together.
Remove the sandwich from the griddle and sprinkle with Sweet Heat seasoning blend.
Images courtesy of Fox Chapel Publishing. Excerpted from Great Book of Grilled Cheese: 100+ Recipes for the Ultimate Comfort Food, Soups, Salads, and Sides by Kim Wilcox.
