Grilled Cheese BLT Recipe

Name: Grilled Cheese BLT
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 8 slices sourdough bread; 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature; 8 ounces (2 cups) shredded cheddar cheese; 2 slicing tomatoes (such as beefsteak, Brandywine, or Cherokee purple), sliced 1/4-inch thick; 8 to 12 slices cooked bacon; 12 leaves butterhead or other crispy lettuce; Kosher salt and black pepper

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The grilled cheese and the BLT are two classic, beloved sandwiches on their own, so why not combine them into one even better sandwich? Enter the Grilled Cheese BLT—truly the best of both worlds. You get crunchy, buttery bread and melted cheese from one and smoky bacon, juicy tomatoes, and crisp lettuce from the other.

I've eaten many of these now, and can say with confidence that this hybrid is delicious!

The Best Cheese for Grilled Cheese

With my many years of grilled cheese-making experience, I've learned that using shredded cheese is the way to go because it melts easier than slices or any other cuts.

I like to use a medium sharp cheddar cheese for this recipe so that it stands up to all of the other ingredients without overpowering them. But if you're particularly beholden to American cheese for the gooeyness that only it can give, I certainly won't judge.

How to make a grilled cheese BLT - a photo of all the ingredients — Aaron Hutcherson

A slice of bread with cheese and a slice of bread with bacon and tomato and lettuce — Aaron Hutcherson

What Kind of Bacon to Use

I give a range for the amount of bacon required because the size of a slice of bread isn't standard, and you only need enough bacon for one layer so that you get some with each bite. T he classic, standard cut of bacon (cooked so that it's nice and crisp) is best, but you can use whatever kind you wish.

Only have thick-cut? Not a problem. Don't eat pork? Use turkey bacon instead. Want to get weird? Even candied bacon could be used for an interesting variation. The bacon possibilities are endless!

What Kind of Lettuce to Use

With the lettuce, any variety on the crispy end of the spectrum will do, such as the butterhead the recipe calls for (which includes Boston and Bibb varieties) lettuce, but Romaine or iceberg would also work well.

Four BLT Grilled Cheese sandwiches with toasty bread and crispy bacon — Aaron Hutcherson

What Kind of Tomatoes to Use

For tomatoes, you want to use a variety that falls under the category of what some people call slicing tomatoes. They are big, meaty, and perfect for slicing to put on sandwiches (hence the name). Some examples include beefsteak, Brandywine, or Mortgage Lifter. Avoid plum tomatoes; they are better suited for making pasta sauce. And as always, you want to choose ripe, in-season tomatoes whenever possible.

If it's the dead of winter and you're really craving this sandwich, give sun-dried tomatoes or tomato jam a try!

What Kind of Bread to Use

Sourdough is my bread of choice because it has tons more flavor than your standard white sandwich bread while still having the right structure for piling with ingredients.

If you've read this far, you will see that although I have a recipe listed below, feel free to treat it more like a general guide to create whatever is the perfect sandwich for you. However, I do strongly suggest that sandwiches be eaten with chips and your favorite iced drink of choice.

More Grilled Cheese Recipes to Try:

Grilled Cheese BLT

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Servings 4 sandwiches

8 slices sourdough bread
4 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 ounces (2 cups) shredded cheddar cheese
2 slicing tomatoes (such as beefsteak, Brandywine, or Cherokee purple), sliced 1/4-inch thick
8 to 12 slices cooked bacon
12 leaves butterhead or other crispy lettuce
Kosher salt and black pepper

Melt the cheese:

For each sandwich, spread 1 tablespoon butter on one side of two pieces of bread. Place the bread buttered-side down in a large skillet or on a griddle over medium-low heat. Sprinkle 2 ounces (1/2 cup) shredded cheese evenly over both slices. Cook until the cheese has melted and the bread is crisp, about 2 minutes.

Aaron Hutcherson
Assemble the sandwich:

Remove from the skillet. Layer one side with 2 to 3 pieces of bacon, the slices from half a tomato seasoned with some salt and pepper, and 3 leaves of lettuce. Close the sandwich. Repeat for remaining sandwiches. Slice in half and eat warm.

Aaron Hutcherson

Aaron Hutcherson