Grilled cheese sandwich with French bread slices, bacon, pear and sharp white cheddar cheese.
A while ago I had the pleasure of accompanying Amy of Cooking with Amy and Executive Chef Brett Emerson from Contigo Restaurant to a light bite at Arlequin Deli in Hayes Valley, San Francisco.
Amy highly recommended the grilled cheese sandwich with bacon and pear and as Amy suggested it was fabulous!
Bartlett pears are finally making a show in the markets right now and I made these sandwiches for the family this week.
We also tried them with ham instead of bacon. The bacon won.
There is some debate here as to whether Gruyere would work well in place of cheddar. “No, no, no, it would overwhelm the pear.” We haven’t tried this combo yet, but if you do, please let us know how it goes!
Grilled cheese sandwich with bacon and pear
ingredients
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French or Italian bread, sliced
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bacon, cooked
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Bartlett pear
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Sharp White Cheddar Cheese (high quality)
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Butter, soft and spreadable
method
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Assemble sandwiches:
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Layer your sandwich – slice of bread, cheese, slices of pear, bacon, slice of bread. Spread butter on the sandwich.
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Toast on cast iron skillet:
Place the sandwich face down (butter side down) on the hot skillet. Butter the exposed side of the sandwich. Let it cook for a minute, then use a metal spatula to turn the sandwich over to the other side.
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Press down with spatula or second pan:
While toasting the sandwich on the second side, press down on the sandwich with a spatula.
Alternatively, you can mimic a panini press (though without the ridges) by heating a smaller cast iron pan on a separate stove. Use the weight of this pan to press down on the sandwich from above.
The sandwich is ready when the sides are toasty and the cheese is melted. Halve and serve.
