Ingredients for Smoky Bacon Cheddar Grilled Cheese Bake
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon
- 8 slices sourdough bread
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper, to taste
These ingredients mirror many bacon grilled cheese and oven-grilled cheese recipes that pair sourdough, sharp cheddar, bacon, and a mayo or mayo–butter spread. Smoked paprika is commonly used to boost smoky flavor in grilled cheese and bacon-cheddar recipes when actual smoked cheese isn’t used.
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sheet-pan grilled cheese recipes often use parchment to prevent sticking and to make cleanup easier.
- Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Transfer to paper towels to drain, then let cool slightly and chop or crumble into pieces. Crisp bacon is standard in bacon grilled cheese recipes because it keeps its texture inside the sandwich.
- In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, just as grilled cheese tips recommend tasting flavored mayo or butter spreads before using.
- Spread the mayonnaise mixture on one side of each slice of sourdough bread. Many recipes suggest using mayo on the outside of grilled cheese because it browns and crisps very evenly.
- Place four slices of bread mayonnaise-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
- Sprinkle half of the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the four slices, keeping most of the cheese on the bread so it doesn’t spill and burn on the pan—similar to advice in sheet-pan grilled cheese instructions.
- Add a layer of the chopped bacon over the cheese on each slice.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on top of the bacon to create a double-cheese layer that helps everything stick together once melted, a technique used in many bacon grilled cheese recipes.
- Place the remaining four slices of bread on top, mayonnaise-side up, to form four sandwiches.
- Melt the butter in a small skillet or microwave-safe dish. Brush the melted butter over the tops of the sandwiches. Some oven and skillet grilled cheese methods combine butter and mayo to get both great flavor and color.
- Cover the baking sheet loosely with aluminum foil and bake for about 15 minutes. Covering first helps the cheese melt thoroughly before the bread gets too brown, similar to the covered-skillet approach in some grilled cheese methods.
- Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5–10 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Sheet-pan grilled cheese recipes use a similar uncovered finish to crisp the bread.
- Let the grilled cheese bake cool briefly before slicing so the cheese can settle slightly and doesn’t all run out as you cut. Slice and serve warm.
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