Bacon Jam Grilled Cheese (Printable Version)

Golden buttery bread layered with smoky-sweet bacon jam and melted sharp cheddar and Gruyère cheeses.

# Ingredient List:

→ Bacon Jam

01 - 8 oz thick-cut bacon, chopped
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 tbsp brown sugar
05 - 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
06 - 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
07 - 1 tbsp maple syrup
08 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
09 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ Grilled Cheese

10 - 8 slices sourdough or country bread
11 - 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, sliced
12 - 4 oz Gruyère cheese, sliced
13 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

# Step-by-Step Instructions:

01 - Cook chopped bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels, reserving 1 tablespoon bacon fat in the skillet.
02 - Add diced onion to the skillet and cook over medium heat until caramelized, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and sauté for an additional 1 minute.
03 - Return the cooked bacon to the skillet. Incorporate brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens to a jam-like consistency, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
04 - Arrange bread slices on a clean surface. Spread a generous layer of bacon jam on four slices. Top each with sliced sharp cheddar and Gruyère cheeses, then cover with remaining bread slices to form sandwiches.
05 - Evenly butter the outsides of each sandwich with softened unsalted butter.
06 - Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Cook sandwiches for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has fully melted.
07 - Allow sandwiches to rest for 1 to 2 minutes before slicing and serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like comfort food got an invitation to a dinner party and showed up dressed to impress.
  • The bacon jam does all the heavy lifting—no sad, plain sandwiches here, just pure savory-sweet magic.
  • You'll have leftover jam that's incredible on burgers, crackers, or straight from the jar when nobody's looking.
02 -
  • The bacon jam will seem thin when you first remove it from heat, but it firms up dramatically as it cools—if you cook it until it's thick in the pan, it'll be stiff and spreadable before you're even done assembling.
  • Medium-low heat is everything when grilling; I learned this the hard way by burning three sandwiches before realizing the pan was too hot and the outside was charring while the cheese stayed cold.
  • Softened butter makes all the difference between a sandwich that browns evenly and one with burnt spots and pale streaks.
03 -
  • Let the bacon jam cool completely before building the sandwiches, or the warm jam will soften the butter layer and make assembly messy—I learned this by getting impatient and regretting it.
  • Press down gently with your spatula as the sandwich grills, which helps the bread make better contact with the hot pan and encourages even browning.
Go Back