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Bacon & Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese

February 9, 2015 by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom 8 Comments

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bacon caramelized onion grilled cheese

I don’t normally spend much time making lunch. Unless I’m making this beautiful sandwich. It’s usually made on the weekends…when I don’t have to rush the baking the bacon or caramelizing the onions. Or, you could totally make this for dinner too. Would be great with a simple side salad or with some tomato soup.

Or if I’m really craving it during the week, I’ll get the bacon and onions going before a conference call and I’ll take it from the kitchen to keep an eye on things and stir the onions around…then make my grilled cheese after the call. My team on the other end of the line probably wishes that we had more ‘in person’ meetings instead of calls, just so they can have these kinds of amazing homemade lunches. Buuuttttttt….since we’re all scattered across the country, it’s pretty cost-prohibitive to have regular in person meetings.

Although, this sandwich might be worth bringing everyone together!

Or…they can just make the recipe from here and I’ll declare Tuesdays ‘Bacon & Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese for Lunch’ Day and we’ll all enjoy our sandwiches during our weekly chats. {giggle}

Whoa…let’s get back on track.

This is a the simple addition of bacon to my beloved Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese. That sandwich tastes like French Onion Soup.

And this new bacon-ized version tastes like someone stirred their French onion soup with some bacon and made it into a sandwich. Heavenly.

It’s truly heavenly.

Bacon, Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese

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5 from 1 vote

Bacon & Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese

Level up your next grilled cheese with this recipe!
Prep Time10 minutes minutes
Cook Time40 minutes minutes
Servings - 4 servings

Ingredients 

  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp white sugar
  • 1 large white onion, sliced
  • 4 slices bacon, cooked until crispy
  • 2 Tbsp butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 4 slices Swiss cheese
  • 8 slices whole wheat bread

Instructions

  • In a skillet, add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and sugar. Add the sliced onions and heat them on low, stirring often, for 30 minutes to caramelize them.
  • Bake the bacon until crispy, about 25 minutes.
  • While the onions are caramelizing and the bacon is cooking, stir together the softened butter and Parmesan cheese. Spread the Parmesan butter on the insides of the bread. Butter the outsides of the bread for grilling.
  • Once the onions have caramelized, place them onto a plate and gently pat them dry. (You don't want them to be too runny and make the bread soggy before grilling.)
  • Add a slice of Swiss cheese, some of the caramelized onions and a slice of bacon (broken in half) onto the buttered breads. Grill on a skillet or electric griddle. Flip carefully to prevent onions from sliding out!
  • Enjoy!
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Filed Under: Bread Recipes, Budget Friendly Recipes, Lunch Recipes, Pork Recipes

Comments

  1. Lynn says

    February 10, 2015 at 4:31 am

    looks good! I will have to trythis.

    Reply
  2. Denine says

    February 10, 2015 at 11:38 am

    Never have been a fan of swiss cheese, I wonder if this would work with provolone?

    Reply
    • Jenn K says

      February 10, 2015 at 11:51 am

      Sure, you can use any cheese you’d like!

      Reply
  3. Tia says

    January 18, 2018 at 6:32 pm

    I make this sometimes for dinner. Instead of swiss, I use white american or gouda. I also break up the bacon into smaller pieces so it is easier for me to eat. The combination of the cheese, onions and bacon is so yummy!

    Reply
  4. Flam says

    June 20, 2020 at 4:24 pm

    5 stars
    Awesome. Found this recipe two years ago and have made it regularly since then. It’s a huge hit with my girlfriend and her family. I like to use a French baguette and my girl likes Brioche.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. How to Caramelize Onions--and Why | Good Food St. Louis says:
    July 4, 2015 at 10:07 am

    […] the gradual process of caramelizing, see Simple Recipes.  The recipe below is adapted from 5dollardinner.  It’s an adult version of the old standby and best served with a bowl of creamy tomato […]

    Reply
  2. 20 Cheap and Healthy Recipes Easy Enough For Any College Student | Blog | myWebRoom says:
    September 18, 2015 at 2:00 pm

    […] 11. Bacon and Caramelized Grilled Cheese […]

    Reply
  3. Monday Menu: April | Pitter Patter and Constant Chatter says:
    April 4, 2016 at 6:03 pm

    […] Bacon and Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese […]

    Reply

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