BLACKBERRY-BACON GRILLED CHEESE

This adult version of the classic grilled cheese sandwich brings sweet and savory together with perfection. Made with bacon, sweet blackberry jam, smoky cheese, and jalapenos. One bite, and you’ll never think of grilled cheese sandwiches as “kids’ food” again!

Why should kids be the only ones who get to enjoy this classic sandwich? The crunch of the toasted bread, the stringy melted cheese, greasy fingers. Well, now you can have your sandwich and eat it too! This is grilled cheese for adults!

I’ve seen other food bloggers, who I follow, do varying versions of this sandwich, and I thought, “Yes, a grilled cheese sandwich for me!” My favorite food as a kid was grilled cheese. You could take me to any restaurant in town, fine dining or otherwise, and there I was, ordering a grilled cheese sandwich every time! Of course, my parents were slightly annoyed with my eating rut and lack of dining adventure, but hey, this girl likes her grilled cheese! All that to say, this sandwich makes me happy!! This is my comfort food!

Here’s what you’ll need:

Bread
Smoky cheese (I like to use gouda, but any smoky cheese will do)
Bacon
Jalapeno
Blackberry jam

The first step is frying up the bacon – the crispier, the better. While the bacon is frying, slice the jalapenos. Remove the seeds if you want less heat. Also, thinly slice the cheese. I always use gouda for this recipe. It’s a soft cheese with a mild smoky flavor. I find that it just complements the other flavors perfectly.

Once you have drained the bacon, assemble your sandwich by layering the cheese, bacon, and jalapenos. Spread one side of the bread generously with blackberry jam. Butter the outside of the sandwich on both sides. Heat your skillet over medium-low to medium heat (depending on your stove).

**I like to preheat my skillet on medium, and right before I add the sandwich, I lower the heat to medium-low. The key is to slowly toast your bread to give the cheese enough time to melt completely. If your heat is too high, your bread will be completely toasted (or burnt), but your cheese will not have had enough time to melt. Low and slow is the key.

Once one side is golden-brown, flip and brown the other side. This pairs perfectly with a bowl of tomato soup or any soup of your liking. Enjoy!

Blackberry-Bacon Grilled Cheese

This adult version of the classic grilled cheese sandwich brings sweet and savory together with perfection. Made with bacon, sweet blackberry jam, smoky cheese, and jalapenos. One bite, and you'll never think of grilled cheese sandwiches as "kids' food" again!

4 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Course Main Course

Servings sandwiches

Ingredients

4 slices bread
cheese, Gouda or other smoky cheese
6-8 slices bacon
1-2 jalapenos, sliced
blackberry jam
butter

Instructions

Start by frying up the bacon in a medium skillet until nice and crispy. Then drain the bacon on a paper towel.
Assemble the sandwich by layering the cheese, bacon, and jalapenos.
Generously spread blackberry jam on one side of the bread.
Butter the outside of the sandwich on both sides.
Heat a skillet over medium to medium-low heat. Grill the sandwich until the bread is golden-brown and the cheese begins to melt. Flip and repeat on the other side. **The key is to heat the sandwich slowly, allowing the cheese to melt completely.

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BACON-WRAPPED ASPARAGUS

Bacon makes it better! And these bacon-wrapped asparagus bites are no exception. They are the perfect appetizer for your next party or “just because.” Do we really need a good reason to eat bacon?

They say bacon makes it better, and it’s true! If you add bacon to almost anything, it’ll be a hit! I’ve seen it in ice cream, on donuts – even bacon-flavored cotton candy! I’ve also seen some pretty strange bacon-flavored foods – so why not bacon-wrapped asparagus? I first tried this at a restaurant and LOVED IT! And it is so easy to make.

All you need is bacon and asparagus, a little bit of prep work, and you’ll have a winner of an appetizer to wow your friends and family!

The Recipe:

To make this simple dish, wash the asparagus and cut two inches off the bottom of the stalks. I have found the lower half of the asparagus to be tougher and more woody; the top two-thirds are more tender and easier to eat. After trimming the asparagus, cut it into 2-inch long pieces.

For the bacon, any brand will work, but the regular-cut bacon works better than the thick-cut bacon. With the thick-cut bacon, your asparagus will be overwhelmed by the bacon in both taste and size – my kids wouldn’t consider that a bad thing since they are not asparagus fans! Cut the bacon into thirds, which should leave you with pieces of bacon about 3 inches long. The length is not critical, so if your pieces are a little shorter, it won’t really matter. Next, wrap the bacon around the asparagus, and secure it by sticking a toothpick through the bacon and asparagus.

Bake in a preheated oven at 425°F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the bacon is sizzling and crispy. Leave the toothpicks in the asparagus; it makes it easier for people to pick them up! Enjoy!

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus

Bacon makes it better! And these bacon-wrapped asparagus bites are no exception. They are the perfect appetizer for your next party or "just because." Do we really need a good reason to eat bacon?

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Equipment

toothpicks

Ingredients

asparagus
bacon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or use an oven-safe rack placed on a baking sheet.
Wash the asparagus, and trim the bottom third (this part is tough and woody). Cut the remainder of the asparagus into 2-inch pieces.
Cut the bacon slices into thirds, making 3-inch long pieces. Separate the bacon slices.
Wrap the bacon around the asparagus and secure it with a toothpick. Place on a baking sheet, making sure they are not touching each other.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until bacon is sizzling and crisp.
Remove from oven and let sit for 2 minutes before serving. Leave toothpicks in place to make them easier to serve and pick up.

Notes

The amount this recipe makes depends on the size of your asparagus. They can range from small and short to jumbo-sized. Each stalk should typically yield 2-3 individual wraps, so multiply the number of asparagus stalks by 2 or 3 (depending on how long the asparagus are). Also, each slice of bacon will make 3 wraps.

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GREEN BEANS WITH PROSCIUTTO

These beans will complement any entree that you serve them with perfectly! The prosciutto and toasted pine nuts make for a smoky and earthy combination that you’ll want to make again and again.

My family loves this recipe, especially my husband. Whenever we have beans ready to harvest in the garden, this dish is what he requests. And I’m happy to oblige! For one, it’s easy to make, and second, it’s packed with flavor.

THE BEANS:

This dish is best using fresh beans. The type doesn’t really matter. We grow long beans in our garden, so that is what I use. You could even use frozen beans, but the texture of the beans would be less crisp. I do not recommend using canned beans as they are too soft for this recipe.

The beans can be cut to any length you like. I tend to cut mine 4 to 5 inches in length.

PROSCIUTTO:

Do you have to use prosciutto? No. I use it when I can find it, but I have also used bacon. And it is fantastic with bacon!! I almost rewrote the recipe as “Green Beans with Bacon.” But in the end, I decided to leave it as is.

Whether you use prosciutto or bacon, slice it before you fry it. I cut them into 1-inch long by 1/2-inch wide pieces.

PINE NUTS:

Toasting the pine nuts brings out a rich earthy flavor that completes this dish. I would not skip this step!

To toast them, use a dry, medium frying pan. Set the heat to medium-high. Toast the nuts, stirring frequently. They burn easily, so do not leave them unattended. The process takes about 5 minutes. They are done when they are fragrant and deep golden brown in spots.

Green Beans with Prosciutto

These beans will complement any entree that you serve them with perfectly! The prosciutto and toasted pine nuts make for a smoky and earthy combination that you'll want to make again and again.

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Course Side Dish

Servings servings

Ingredients

2 pounds green beans, trimmed
2 ½ teaspoons oil, divided
2 ounces prosciutto, cut into thin ribbons
4 garlic cloves, diced
2 teaspoons fresh sage, (1 teaspoon dried sage)
¼ teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

Instructions

Over medium-high heat, toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet (do not add oil), stirring frequently, so they don't burn. This process should take about 5 minutes, and they should be golden and fragrant. Set aside.
Prepare beans by washing and trimming the ends and then cutting to the desired length.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add beans, return to boil, and simmer until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes (less time for crunchier beans). Drain the beans and, rinse with cold water, set aside.
Heat ½ teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add prosciutto; cook until crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Using the same pan you cooked the prosciutto in (pour out any excess oil from the prosciutto), heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over medium heat. Add the beans, garlic, sage, salt, and several grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the beans are brown in places, 3 to 4 minutes.
Plate the beans and sprinkle with prosciutto and pine nuts. Season as needed with additional salt and pepper.

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