Created by: Meg Raines
Your classic grilled cheese sandwich just got an adult makeover. We combined juicy pears with salty bacon and herbed goat cheese for the ultimate sweet and savory sandwich experience. And to gild the lily a bit more we grilled it in Parmesan for an extra crunchy tanginess. We used a Bosc pear in this recipe because of its firmness, but a Bartlett pear would be equally delicious.
YIELD: 2 sandwiches
INGREDIENTS
- 6 strips of bacon
- 4 ounces of soft goat cheese
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon chopped thyme, or other herb of choice
- 1 Bosc or Bartlett pear, firm but ripe, cored and thinly sliced
- 4 slices hearty bread, preferably sourdough or whole wheat country loaf
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 4 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
METHOD
- Cook the bacon to your desired doneness, and set aside to cool.
- While the bacon is cooking, mix together the goat cheese, honey and thyme in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Heat a nonstick or heavy cast iron skillet on medium low heat.
- Butter 1 side of each slice of bread. Lay 2 slices, butter side down, on a cutting board; spread each slice with half of the herbed goat cheese, layer a few slices of pears and 3 slices of bacon on top of the cheese spread; top each with the remaining bread slices, butter side up. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of parmesan on top of each sandwich, pressing it down slightly so some sticks to the butter.
- When the skillet is hot, place the sandwiches in the pan, Parmesan side down. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until the parmesan cheese is golden brown. (NOTE: You might need to spray the pan with a little nonstick spray before adding the sandwiches if your food tends to stick in your pan.) Sprinkle another tablespoon of parmesan on the sandwiches while they cook on the first side. Flip the sandwiches over and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
- Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing; serve warm.
