Maple Bacon Grilled Cheese

Take your grilled cheese game to the next level by adding maple bacon! Sweet, sticky, smoky and extra cheesy, this truly is the ultimate grilled cheese!

Yeah I really have no excuse for this is one guys. Could I just make a grilled cheese? Could I even just make a bacon grilled cheese? Is there any need for a MAPLE bacon grilled cheese??? The answer to all 3 is no, but boy oh boy this tastes good.

The ULTIMATE Bacon Grilled Cheese

Bacon sandwiches are a thing of beauty. But when you turn it into a grilled cheese, things just get so much more dreamy. Like most things on this blog I decided to take things a step further today and use maple bacon, because, well, it’s ridiculously insanely delicious – why else?! 🤣

Maple Glazed Bacon

The idea of maple bacon is based around the ultimate combination of sweet and salty. But not only does smearing bacon in maple syrup give a mouthwatering flavour, it also offers the perfect texture. Just imagine how sweet, sticky and caramelized it comes out the oven. So good.

Making maple bacon is as simple as glazing raw streaky bacon and popping it in the oven.  Some recipes just use maple syrup, most add sugar, but I like to take things a little further, just for maximum flavour. Here’s exactly how I like my maple glaze:

• Maple Syrup – The backbone and majority of the glaze.
• Brown Sugar – Helps caramelize the bacon.
• Balsamic Vinegar – Balances out the sweetness with a little acidity, but also adds gorgeous flavour.
• Dijon Mustard – Adds a very gentle background heat.
• Cayenne Pepper – Balances out the sweet and sour with a little spice.

And if all of that glaze actually makes it to the bacon then you’ve got a lot more will power than me.

Maple Bacon Grilled Cheese

I’m sure you’re familiar with how to make a grilled cheese, and if you’re not you haven’t spent long enough on this blog. Here’s just a few tips that really go a long way when making a grilled cheese:

• Butter the bread, not the pan. If you butter the pan it’s likely to clump up in certain areas of the bread and cook it unevenly. Spreading on the bread before hand will ensure an even toast across the board.
• Don’t over heat! Keep the flames medium-low; this will allow you to get a nice toasty crust whilst still melting the centre.
• Don’t be afraid to pack in the cheese – when, and I mean WHEN not ‘if’ it spills out, it’ll go gorgeously crispy and IMO those are the best bits!

What is the best cheese to use?

You can really choose and cheese you fancy, but for a maple bacon grilled cheese I go for two: a nice sharp cheddar (to counteract the sweetness) and a smoked cheese (to enhance the smoky tones of the bacon).

How to make a maple bacon grilled cheese (quick summary)

1. Add bread to a pan with the heat OFF. Spread with butter and flip over.
2. Add smoked cheese.
3. Add maple bacon.
4. Add shredded cheddar.
5. Place another slice of bread to the top and squish down with your hands. Spread with more butter.
6. Turn on heat to a medium and fry both sides until golden.

The mayo vs butter debate!

I think it’s pretty well established that us Brits use butter to spread on the bread, but in the US it seems much more divided. When I first heard about using mayo it did intrigue me, mainly because I am an absolute mayo addict. I have tried it a couple of times and it’s nice, but it’s no butter. Using mayo adds a tang to the grilled cheese and arguable makes the outside less greasy, so I can see the appeal, but personally not for me. I have heard of people using a mix of both so you can always try that too!

From there I’d tuck in right away a) so the cheese is still nice and gooey and b) otherwise you’ll be tempted to add sides and I promise you won’t need them 🤣

If you like the sweet salty combo here, check out my Cheese and Bacon Turnovers! They’re stuffed with caramelized onions, so offer a similar flavour profile to this recipe 🙂

For more similar recipes check out these beauties too:

Fun Grilled Cheese Recipes

• Breakfast Grilled Cheese
• Cranberry Bacon Brie Grilled Cheese
• Turkey Grilled Cheese
• Chicken Pesto Grilled Cheese
• Patty Melt

Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this maple bacon grilled cheese shall we?!

How to make a Maple Bacon Grilled Cheese (Full Recipe & Video)

Maple Bacon Grilled Cheese

Take your grilled cheese game to the next level by adding maple bacon! Sweet, sticky, smoky and extra cheesy, this truly is the ultimate grilled cheese!!

5 from 6 votes

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Servings (click & slide): 2

Course: Brunch / Lunch

Cuisine: Canadian

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Calories per serving: 980kcal

Author: Chris Collins

Cost per serving: £4 / $5

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Equipment:

• Large Frying Pan
• Large Baking Tray
• Small Pot & Brush
• Cheese Grater

Ingredients (check list):

Grilled Cheese

• ▢ 4 large slices of Bread
• ▢ 8 rashers of Streaky Bacon
• ▢ 3/4 cup / 75g Cheddar, grated
• ▢ 4 slices of Smoked Cheese (here I use Applewood)
• ▢ Butter, as needed

Maple Glaze

• ▢ 2 tbsp Maple Syrup
• ▢ 1 tbsp Brown Sugar
• ▢ 1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
• ▢ 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• ▢ pinch of Cayenne Pepper
• ▢ Salt, to taste

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350F/175C. In small bowl combine your glaze ingredients.
• Brush both sides of your bacon with the glaze and lay on a baking tray. Bake for around 10-15mins or until the bacon begins to caramelize. Take out, flip then pop back in the oven for another 10 mins or until sticky and fully caramelized. Timings will vary so just be vigilant. If the bacon begins to char before it's cooked through then turn down the heat.
• Place two slices of bread in a pan with the heat OFF. Spread with butter then flip over so both are butter side down. Add your smoky cheese, then maple bacon, then cheddar and finish with another slice of bread. Squish down with your hands and spread with butter.
• Turn on heat to a medium and fry each side until golden. Slice in half and enjoy!

Quick 1 min demo!

Notes:

a) Quantities - If your bread is smaller in size then just use the quantities you feel necessary. As you can see in the video only 6 bacon slices make it to the filling, although admittedly this was more down to the fact I couldn't resist eating a couple slices!! 

b) Maple Glaze - If you want to drizzle glaze over at the end then make a little extra and ensure it doesn't make contact with your bacon brush.

c) Calories - Yup, let's just call this a treat shall we!?

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Nutrition:

Nutrition Facts

Maple Bacon Grilled Cheese

Amount Per Serving

Calories 980 Calories from Fat 671

% Daily Value*

Fat 74.52g115%

Saturated Fat 19.837g99%

Trans Fat 0.453g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.836g

Monounsaturated Fat 9.086g

Cholesterol 93mg31%

Sodium 1301mg54%

Potassium 715mg20%

Carbohydrates 38.01g13%

Fiber 1.3g5%

Sugar 18.3g20%

Protein 39.59g79%

Vitamin A 2400IU48%

Vitamin C 0.8mg1%

Calcium 760mg76%

Iron 2.5mg14%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition is based on the absence of salt unless stated as a measurement in the ingredients. Cost is worked out based on ingredients bought from UK supermarkets, then divided by the number of servings. In both instances these values are just for guidance. Please check out my FAQ Page for more info.

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Looking for more?You'll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook 'Comfy'

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