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The Speakeasy Grilled Cheese

Prep Time:  10 minutes

     Cook Time:  30 minutes

     Serves:  2

This recipe took bronze at the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board’s 2016 Grilled Cheese Recipe Showdown.

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp. bourbon
  • 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. orange marmalade
  • 1 Tbsp. whole grain Dijon mustard
  • 6 slices center-cut bacon
  • 8 fresh sage leaves
  • 6 fresh apricots, pitted and quartered
  • 3 Tbsp. butter, softened and divided
  • 4 slices pumpernickel rye bread
  • 4 slices (1-ounce each) Wisconsin havarti cheese
  • 6 slices (1-ounce each) Wisconsin gouda cheese

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk maple syrup, bourbon and brown sugar. In a second small bowl, combine marmalade and mustard. Add 1 teaspoon bourbon-sugar mixture to marmalade-mustard mixture; whisk until combined. Set both sauces aside.
  2. In a large skillet over medium heat, render fat from bacon, frying until just crisp, flipping once. Drain bacon on paper towel, leaving bacon fat in skillet. Add sage leaves to hot bacon fat; fry 20 to 30 seconds. Remove sage to paper towel to drain.
  3. Place apricots in skillet with bacon fat. Add 1 tablespoon butter to skillet. Cook apricots until caramelized. Add bacon and bourbon-sugar mixture to skillet. Simmer until thickened to the consistency of a glaze and until apricots and bacon strips are well-coated, approximately 2 minutes. Set aside.
  4. Heat a second large skillet* over medium. Meanwhile, butter one side of each bread slice with remaining butter. Place slices buttered-side-down on a flat work surface. Top 2 bread slices with 2 slices havarti each; top remaining 2 bread slices with marmalade-mustard mixture and 3 gouda slices each. Fry bread slices, buttered-side-down, covering skillet with lid until cheese melts and bottom of bread is crisp.
  5. To assemble sandwiches, place havarti-topped bread on a plate. Top with caramelized apricots, sage leaves and bacon. Place remaining bread slices, Gouda-side down, on top. Press to form sandwiches and serve immediately.

Notes

Suggestions * If you don’t have two large skillets, remove the apricots and bacon to a bowl, covering to keep warm, and wipe the skillet well. Get more grilled cheese goodness in "A Good Grilled Cheese Can Change Your Life."