My husband, Clay, and I eat lunch at home during most of the week. It not only saves money, but is faster and easier than heading out to a crowded restaurant. Clay typically sticks to his turkey and roast beef sub, but I’m always looking for ways to switch it up every once in a while. I love a good simple grilled cheese, but that can get boring after a while. This grilled cheese is the perfect fall transition sandwich.

The grilled cheese starts with two pieces of fresh sourdough bread. Then I spread a good layer of fig jam and mayo on each half (if you’re it’s that). I know there are some mayo haters out there, but I love the stuff! Feel free to omit the mayo if you must! So the next step might be a little weird but this is how I do my grilled cheese sandwiches…. I put tab of butter in a pan and turn on the heat to medium low. I let the butter melt and then put my two pieces of sourdough in. I layer on two handles of cheese on each side of the bread and then put a lid on. The lid will help melt the cheese and crisp the outside of the bread. In a couple minutes I take the lid off and layer on my turkey, bacon, and apples. Everything is perfectly melted and crispy on both sides. I close my sandwich up and give it a couple more flips. And that’s it! I cut it in half and the sandwich is ready to serve. My way of cooking a grilled cheese is not conventional…but it works! I love this method because the cheese melts faster and more evenly and the outside doesn’t get too browned.

It may sound like a weird combination of ingredients, but somehow it just works so well! Kind of like cranberry and turkey on thanksgiving? Opposites attract. The sweet figs, sour apple, salty bacon and savory turkey…everything combined creates a flavor bomb in your mouth. It kinda reminds me of thanksgiving or just cold weather in general.

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Serve this with fruit salad, kettle cooked potato chips, a simple side salad, or soup!

CREAMY TOMATO BASIL SOUP

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

CREAMY CHICKEN AND WILD RICE SOUP

OVEN BAKED PARMESAN HERB FRIES WITH TRUFFLE AIOLI

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CHIPOTLE GOUDA GRILLED CHEESE WITH APPLE, FIG JAM, BACON AND TURKEY

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Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes

Serves: 1 sandwich

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INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pieces sourdough bread, thick cut (from your grocery store bakery/or favorite bakery)
• 1.5 tbsp butter, salted
• 1 cup Boar’s Head chipotle Gouda, grated
• 3 pieces applewood smoked bacon, thick cut
• 3 slices oven roasted turkey breast (from your grocery store deli counter)
• 1/4 Granny Smith apple, very thinly sliced
• 1 jar fig jam (found by the cheese in your grocery store)
• Hellmann’s mayonnaise

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DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook bacon until crispy. Drain on paper towels.
2. Spread one piece of the sourdough with a tick layer of the fig jam on one side. Spread the other piece with a thin layer of mayonnaise.
3. Heat a large nonstick pan to medium low heat. Add in the butter and melt. Spread it across the entire bottom of the pan.
4. Immediately add in the two pieces of sourdough with the fig and mayonnaise sides facing up.
5. Pile on a handful of cheese on both pieces of bread. Then turn the heat down to low. Place a lid on the pan and let cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the bread is browned on the bottom.
6. Remove the lid and place the turkey, bacon and apple slices on one piece of the bread. Place the other piece of the bread on top of the other to make a sandwich.
7. Give the sandwich a couple more flips to insure the ingredients are warmed inside.
8. Remove from the pan, slice in half and eat while warm!

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