Crispy Bacon Cheddar Cheese (Printable Version)

A golden, crunchy sourdough sandwich with smoky bacon and sharp cheddar cheese, perfect for any meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Bread and Cheese

01 - 4 slices sourdough bread
02 - 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, sliced or grated

→ Meats

03 - 4 slices bacon

→ Spreads

04 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

→ Optionals

05 - 1 tbsp mayonnaise (optional)
06 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How To Make It:

01 - Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels.
02 - Butter one side of each sourdough slice. Optionally, spread mayonnaise thinly on the opposite side for extra crispiness.
03 - Place two bread slices, buttered side down, on a clean surface. Layer with cheddar cheese, cooked bacon, a pinch of black pepper, and additional cheese if desired. Top with remaining bread slices, buttered side up.
04 - Heat skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Cook sandwiches 3–4 minutes per side until golden brown and cheese melts, pressing gently with a spatula to enhance crispiness.
05 - Remove sandwiches from skillet, let rest for 1 minute, slice, and serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Ready in twenty minutes but tastes like you spent all afternoon in the kitchen.
  • The crispy sourdough exterior gives way to melted cheddar and smoky bacon that feels like an indulgence but costs less than takeout.
  • It works for lunch, dinner, or that weird late-night craving when nothing else sounds right.
02 -
  • The bread temperature matters as much as the pan temperature—if your pan isn't hot enough when the sandwich hits it, the cheese will start leaking out before the crust forms.
  • Pressing gently with a spatula while cooking increases the surface contact and creates more browning, but pressing too hard squeezes out all the melted cheese before it sets.
03 -
  • Let your butter soften to room temperature for fifteen minutes before cooking—this sounds like a small detail, but soft butter spreads evenly and eliminates frustrating gaps in your browning.
  • If your cheddar is cold from the fridge, the cheese won't melt all the way through before the bread browns, so slice or grate it while the bacon cooks so it can start warming up.
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