Today’s Sandwich: Bacon Jam, Arugula, and Pear Grilled Cheese (Homemade)

Notes: Readers of yesterday’s post on making homemade bacon jam probably fall into one of two categories. For some of you, it was love at first sight, you rushed off to the store to buy the ingredients, cooked up a pot of bacon jam, sat down at the table, and ate the entire bowl with a spoon, stopping only to marvel at how quickly one person can eat an entire pound of bacon. I’m certain for some of you, though, the idea sounded either too decadent, or even downright impractical. Sure, bacon jam is a great idea, but what exactly can you do with it? You can make this sandwich. It’s a perfectly balanced combination of slightly melted brie cheese, spicy arugula, and sweet pear, followed by an avalanche of sweet, salty pork. Doubters, observe:

Bacon Jam, Arugula, and Pear Grilled Cheese
Makes one sandwich

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of Italian bread
• 2 slices of brie cheese
• 2-3 slices of pear or granny smith apple
• 1 tablespoon bacon jam
• 1/4 cup of arugula
• 1 tablespoon butter

Method:

Spread one slice of the bread with the bacon jam. Top with one of the slices of brie. Top the other slice of bread with the other slice of cheese, the sliced apple or pear, and a few leaves of arugula. Combine two slices of bread into a sandwich, and butter the outside of each slice with butter.

Grill in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat, flipping ocassionally, covered, until cheese starts to melt, arugula starts to wilt, and bread is toasted. Serve immediately.

Tagged as: bacon, grilled cheese, sotd

About the Author: Malcolm Bedell

My first memories of cooking start in Maine at six years old, when I wore a yellow rainslicker to avoid getting spattered by the bacon I was frying in a skillet. My interest in both Mexican cooking and recreating classic New England dishes from scratch developed while living in Mexico, on a steady diet of pork and habanero peppers. You can see more of my writing and photography online on Serious Eats, the Huffington Post, BlogHer, and Foodista, as well as in print for Downeast, Indulge, and Cigar Snob magazines.