Grilled Cheese With Bacon and Maple Mustard

When I saw Rachel Ray make this on her show, I HAD to try it. Mmm...brushing the melted butter really does help make this sandwich. The maple mustard just adds so much. Now I crave this whenever I want a big protein fix. SO good. I prefer 4 slices of bacon per sandwich when the bacon is thin, and since I use regular wheat bread I use a bit less cheese (and all cheddar). Rachel kept the heat a bit lower on her show and now so do I. You want the cheese melty and gooey but the bread nicely browned.

• Ready In: 15 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 4 Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 12  slices  good quality smoky bacon (3 slices per sandwich)
• 3  tablespoons butter, melted
• 8  slices  white bread, 1/2-inch thick
• 1⁄2 cup stone ground dijon mustard
• 1⁄4 cup dark amber maple syrup
• 1 1⁄2 cups  shredded extra extra-sharp cheddar cheese or 8  slices white cheddar cheese
• 1 1⁄2 cups  shredded gruyere cheese or 8  slices gruyere cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F Place bacon on a slotted broiler pan and bake to crisp.
2. Brush 1 side of each slice of bread liberally with melted butter.
3. Stir together Dijon mustard and maple syrup in a small bowl.
4. Assemble sandwiches: bread, buttered side out, maple mustard, cheddar, bacon, Gruyère, bread with mustard on inside, buttered side out.
5. Grill sandwiches on a nonstick griddle over medium heat until cheese melts and they’re deeply golden.