Grilled Cheese With Bacon And Maple Mustard Food

GRILLED CHEESE WITH GRAINY MUSTARD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spread butter over one side of each slice of bread.
• Arrange bread, butter side down, on a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper. Spread each slice of bread with mustard. Arrange cheese over 4 slices of bread, and sandwich together with remaining bread, butter side out.
• Set a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Cook sandwiches in batches in skillet. Using a spatula, press down firmly on sandwiches. Cook until bread is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low. Turn sandwiches over, press down with spatula, and cook until bread is golden and cheese is starting to melt, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet, and place in oven. Bake until cheese is completely melted. Serve immediately.

MAPLE-CANDIED BACON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy foil. Place a baking rack over the lined sheet tray and arrange the bacon slices across the rack next to each other, not overlapping.
• In a small bowl, whisk the maple syrup and mustard. Generously spoon over the top of the bacon, and bake 12 to 15 minutes. Turn the bacon over and baste with syrup mixture. Bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until the bacon has reached desired crispiness.
• Carefully remove the pan from the oven. Sprinkle hot bacon with a scant pinch of finely ground black pepper. Let the bacon rest on the rack for 5 minutes.

GRILLED CHEESE WITH APPLE AND BACON

Steps:

• Spread dijon mustard on 4 slices country white bread. Top with sliced cheddar cheese, cooked bacon and sliced Granny Smith apple, then top with 4 more slices bread. Butter the sandwiches, then cook in a skillet over medium-low heat until the cheese melts and the bread is golden, about 3 minutes per side.
• Serve with Roasted Tomato Soup, recipe follows.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Core and halve the tomatoes (leave the cherry tomatoes whole). Heat a flameproof roasting pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle with the 1/2 cup olive oil, then spread all of the tomatoes, the garlic and onions in the pan. Cook, stirring gently, until the garlic is browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until the tomatoes are caramelized, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Remove the roasted tomatoes, garlic and onions from the oven and transfer to a large stockpot (set aside the cherry tomatoes for garnish). Add 3 cups chicken stock, the bay leaves and butter. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the liquid is reduced by one-third, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.
• Add the basil to the pot. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth (or puree in a regular blender and return to the pot). Reduce the heat to low, add the heavy cream and adjust the consistency with the remaining 1 cup chicken stock, if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls and top with the roasted cherry tomatoes; drizzle with olive oil.

GRILLED CHEESE WITH TOMATOES AND BACON

Steps:

• Season tomatoes with sea salt and set aside.
• In a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, place bacon in an even layer and cook until crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Spread each piece of bread with a thin layer of mayonnaise. Reduce heat to medium. Place bread in cast iron skillet mayonnaise-side down. Top with layers of gruyère on one half of the bread and provolone on other side. Place sliced tomatoes and bacon on one side of the bread and cover skillet.
• When cheese has begun to melt, top the tomatoes and bacon with another bread slice, mayonnaise-side up. Flip occasionally until both sides are golden brown. Serve immediately.