Making a grilled cheese is apparently, an art. I’ve been slaying the grilled cheese game since I was in college when I would grill buttery bread stuffed with bacon & avocado & shredded cheese.
There are literally so many ways to make this sandwich that it’s hard to decide which flavor profile you want to go with. Which bread to use? Which cheese to use? What kind of seasoning on the chicken? Who gives a shit- use it all. That’s pretty much what I did on this version and it was awesome.
Before you get started on assembling your sandwiches, prepare your chicken and bacon since they take the longest to cook. I highly recommend baking your bacon in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. It is so much less to clean up! Line your pan with foil and you’re good to go. Put this in the oven first, and pull it out when your bacon is cooked to your liking.
For these sandwiches, you want very thin pieces of chicken. I like to cover my chicken breasts with parchment paper and beat the shit out of them with a meat mallet. My grandma gave me hers from her and my grandpa’s wedding. It’s super vintage and cute. Make sure your chicken is an even thickness so it cooks evenly. You’ll drizzle with olive oil and whatever seasoning you like.
Montreal Chicken seasoning is what I used and I use it all. the. time. It’s amazing on any kind of veggie, especially…. sweet potatoes. Have a large pan heated over medium heat, and drop in in your chicken breasts. You don’t want to move them around while they cook, until it’s time to flip after about 8-10 minutes. Once the chicken and seasonings start turning a golden brown, flip over and cook the other side about 5 minutes longer until it looks the same. If a lot of your seasonings seem to have came off in the pan, grab some vinegar, balsamic vinegar, (vodka!), lemon juice, or something with acidity and throw a splash in, toss your chicken around so it soaks up all the delicious liquid and bits that have deglazed from the pan, and move your chicken to a plate to rest for a moment before you put in in the sandwich.
Once your chicken & bacon are done, the rest of the sandwich comes together so quickly. One of my favorite chefs, Jeff Mauro, who owns (owned?) a sandwich shop called Pork & Mindy’s in Chicago. I just tried to look the restaurant up on Instagram and it’s been deleted. If they had to close because of covid19 I swear to God. I just got so far off track. One of my favorite chefs, Jeff Mauro, self-proclaimed sandwich King, once said to go coast to coast while buttering your bread and I took that shit to heart. I’m sorry for all the cursing in this post, but I did say this was a grown-up grilled cheese and I’m feeling feisty today.
So anyways, butter both sides of your bread. I used Oroweat Sourdough because sourdough bread makes all sandwiches better. If you just use regular white bread on your sandwiches, don’t. Orowheat is probably my favorite brand of bread because I can easily find it here, there’s several varieties, and they’re all awesome. Orowheat Oatnut is probably my favorite and I always use it in place of regular lame white bread.
ANYWAYS! Butter both sides of your bread and put them butter side down on a pre-heated skillet over medium-low. To really elevate any kind of grilled sandwich, put pesto on it! I spread store bought pesto on one piece of bread, and put about half of a sliced up avocado on the other side. I got my pesto at Sam’s Club, but Trader Joe’s has amazing pesto, and jarred Bellino Pesto, or other brands, are super easy to find at Walmart. Pesto is also incredibly easy to make and there are tons of varieties. Let me know if you want more on that…..
Next I put my bacon on one side and chicken on the other, then topped with mozzarella and gouda cheeses. I probably should have done this in the reverse order, but I was getting really impatient and hangry. Finish with shredded lettuce so you have a fresh crunch in each bite. Putting fresh, cold lettuce in a hot sandwich is absolutely necessary. Thank me later.
I served this with fresh baked okra which is 100% underrated. Never talked about. Are people scared of cooking okra or what? I have no idea, but you can bake it at home and it’s much easier and healthier than the fried kind. Not that anything else in this meal is even remotely healthy. And it tastes SO good. Cut in pieces (fresh okra is slimy on the inside, this is normal!). Drizzle with olive oil and your favorite seasonings and bake for 20 minutes on 400 (keeping an eye on it, flip halfway), and it’s just as crunchy and delicious as getting it fried at a restaurant.
Orowheat Sourdough bread
Butter (Kerrigold unsalted is my personal favorite)
Bacon
Chicken breasts, pounded thin
Fresh Okra
Pesto
Avocado
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Gouda cheese, shredded
Shredded lettuce
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Montreal Chicken seasoning
1. Heat your oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with foil, lay your bacon flat, and bake for approx. 20 minutes or until your preferred doneness. Cut up your fresh okra and mix with olive oil, garlic salt, & pepper. Bake on 400 for about 20 minutes. 2. Cover your chicken breasts with parchment paper and pound them to an even thinness to allow for even cooking. Drizzle with olive oil and Montreal Chicken seasoning. Put seasoning side down in a skillet heated over medium heat, cooking for about 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Drizzle more olive oil and seasoning on top side of chicken, flip and cook for an additional 5-8 minutes until both sides look the same. Deglaze with vinegar if needed before taking out of pan. 3. Put your buttered bread, butter side down on a skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Spread pesto on one piece of bread, avocado slices on the other. 4. Next, layer with mozzarella cheese on one piece and gouda on the other. Lay two pieces of bacon on one piece of bread, and put a chicken breast on the other. Once your cheese is melty, top with shredded lettuce on one half of the sandwich and lay the other half on top. Make sure both pieces of bread are a crispy golden brown. Let your sandwich set on a plate and rest for a moment before you cut/bite into it. It’ll be hard not to cram this sandwich in & around your mouth. Superbad reference.
Do you and your family love making “fancy grilled cheeses” too? If so, tell me how you make them! Buttered carbs with cheese is one meal my favorite is always sure to eat.
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