There once was a grilled cheese sandwich that longed to be exciting, to be full of flavor and added crunch. And then along came the Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Grilled Cheese Sandwich!
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches are one of those very versatile sandwiches that should never go out of style. Pair it with a bowl of soup or salad for a hearty lunch, dress it up with fancy cheese, a fried egg, or homemade bread.
Endless Variety
As a mom of 3 kids, I have made my share of Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, but I never grow tired of them. However, we often experiment with different flavor combinations to jazz up this classic. Some of our favorite variations include:
- Add a layer of caramelized onions or sautéed mushrooms between the slices of cheese.
- Add slices of apples or pear and a spoonful of jam.
- Add a fried egg and a slice of ham.
- Try different cheeses like Brie, Swiss, Havarti, Provelone for different flavors.
This time around though, we combined two classic sandwiches – Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato and Grilled Cheese into one very special sandwich!
How to get the perfect combination of melty inside and crispy outside?
Creating the perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich is somewhat of an art. Too much butter and it tastes greasy, too little filling ingredients and it’s dry or not flavorful enough. Here are my best tips for you:
3 Tips for Making the Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Soften the butter and brush it on the bread. This way it coats more evenly. If using margarine or a butter substitute, you can easily spread it on with a knife.
- Put cheese on both sides. I stack my sandwich like this – bread (buttered), 1 or 2 slices of cheese, fillings (bacon, lettuce, tomato), 1 slices of cheese and top with another slice of buttered bread.
- Place on griddle or in a pan, then set another saucepan on top of the sandwich to blend the ingredients while it’s cooking. Alternatively, you can use a sandwich press.
- Also, if you want your bread extra toasty, toast both sides of each slice! Toast the first side before adding all the fillings and then flip it over and layer the cheese and fixings on the pre-toasted side. We do this when making Reuben sandwiches so the sauce doesn’t make the sandwich soggy before we sit down to eat it.
For this sandwich, we used whole grain white bread, cheddar and American cheese slices, salted butter, and of course the added bacon, lettuce and tomatoes. It makes a hearty, filling meal!
Pro tip: We always cook our bacon in the oven to have on hand for sandwiches, omelettes, quick breakfast sandwiches, or these Grilled Cheese BLT’s. Baking it in the oven is so simple and means much less mess to clean up than pan frying.
Print
Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Total Time: 7 mins
- Yield: 1 sandwich 1x
Description
The Classic Grilled Cheese and the classic Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich are combined for a whole new flavorful sandwich.
Ingredients
- 2 slices white bread
- 2 – 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 4 slices American Cheese Singles
- 4 slices bacon, cooked
- 2 pieces of lettuce
- 4–5 thinly sliced pieces of tomato
Instructions
- Cook bacon in oven
- Soften butter in microwave about 10 seconds
- Brush butter on 2 sides of bread
- Add 2 slices of cheese
- Add filling ingredients – bacon, lettuce and tomato
- Top with 2 more slices of cheese
- Top with bread, buttered side up
- Heat skillet or griddle, place sandwich buttered side down
- Butter top piece of bread
- Place saucepan on top of sandwich to add a little weight so the sandwiches ingredients combine and the cheese melts
- Cook until brown, flip and cook until brown
- Serve immediately
- Prep Time: 2 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Category: Sandwich
Bacon, Lettuce, And Tomato Grilled Cheese Sandwich FAQs
You can use just one cheese, like Cheddar, American, Swiss, or Havarti, or combine two for extra flavor. Here are a few of our favorite combinations: cheddar + Swiss, American + Cheddar, Havarti + Swiss.
You have endless options such as sourdough, pumpernickel, deli rye, multigrain, and many others. We love this gluten-free bread.
You can use any, as it is a personal preference.
How Do I Know When To Flip My Sandwich?
As you cook the sandwich on one side, you need to flip it as soon as it starts turning golden brown. After that, you can let it grill and then flip it again to the first side to let it fully cook.
What Temperature Is Ideal For Grilled Cheese Sandwich?
If you are cooking on an electric griddle, you can set the temperature to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, if you are using a pan, we recommend that you keep the heat between low and medium for the best results.
How Long Should I Let Each Side Of the Sandwich Cook?
As a general rule of thumb, you should let each side of the grilled cheese sandwich cook for three to four minutes. You can also let it cook until one side is golden brown and the cheese is completely melted.
What can I substitute for Butter or Margarine for grilled sandwiches?
The best and most healthy alternative for margarine or butter is olive oil. You can spray the pan with olive oil before you add your grilled cheese. It has less saturated fat and cholesterol than butter and margarine. To get the salty savory flavor of butter, salt the top of the sandwich after it cooks.
How Many Calories Are Generally in this Sandwich?
A standard grilled cheese with 3-4 slices of cheese can easily come to seven-hundred calories per serving. The calories will increase even further if you use more butter and cheese.
Which Lettuce Is Best For BLT Grilled Cheese Sandwich?
Romaine lettuce is the best for BLT grilled cheese sandwiches. This variety has a mild flavor and is crispy. If you want a crispier texture, you can also opt for a crispy iceberg, but romaine lettuce will work best in terms of texture and flavor for your sandwich.
8 Comments
Hi! Thanks again for all of the wonderful recipes! I look forward to your weekly e-mail and visit your site often. I just have a quick question. When you say you soften the butter and brush it on the bread, do you melt it and use a basting brush or just a butter knife with soft butter?
Hi Desiree, you can certainly do it either way. We like a nice even coating of butter when we make grilled cheese, so we typically soften it, and brush it on with a pastry brush. If you melt it completely, it gets a funny texture to it. But you could also spread it on with a knife, either way is fine.
I’m so excited you enjoy our recipes! Thanks so much for being a subscriber!
This looks delicious. … but it also looks like the sandwich is layered and has 4 slices of bread. Am I right?
Hi Mary, no they are single grilled cheese with 2 pieces of bread, we just stacked them on top of each other.
~Liz
The grilled cheese, bacon, lettuce and tomato is just as delicious without all the extra cheese. Just one slice in the middle or one on the inside of each slice is plenty!
Yum! Oh my word. Thank you for sharing this!
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