Bourbon Peach, Toasted Peach, Bacon & Brie Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Bourbon Peach, Toasted Pecan, Bacon & Brie Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Sandwiches will always be a part of our culinary repertoire. Turkey clubs, bologna sandwiches, tuna melts, peanut butter and jellies, grilled cheese sandwiches alike. You can only reinvent the wheel so many times, but the grilled cheese variations many of us come up with truly know no bounds. Here is our gooey, crunchy, full-bodied rendition of that epic grilled cheese we all have in our back pocket.

Brie is a beautiful stand-alone flavor for snacking and entertaining. But when we can pair its creamy profile with those of sweet and tangy peach preserves and the fatty and crunchy elements of toasted pecans, you really set off for a great melody of flavors. Completing this flavor combination with the meaty, umami notes of smoked bacon, you may not ever return to the kraft american grilled cheeses ancestors. Give this one a whirl, and let us know what you think!

A kitchen curious tip: for a cleaner cut on your slices of brie, stick your cheese in the freezer for a little while. It will harden up its gooey consistency for easier, more uniform slices!

Servings:  4

Ingredients:

• 6 TBSP butter, room temperature
• 13 oz. peach preserves (about 1 cup)
• 4 TBSP bourbon
• Pinch or two s.a.l.t. sisters Applewood Smoked Sea Salt
• 8 slices of brioche bread
• ½ cup pecans, chopped and toasted
• 8 oz. brie cheese, cut into thin strips
• 8 strips smoked bacon, cooked and cut in half

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, combine peach preserves, bourbon and Applewood Smoked Sea Salt. Stir to incorporate the bourbon. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2–4 minutes, stirring constantly. Cool the mixture to room temperature.
2. Butter the outsides of each slice of brioche bread. Lay the bread slices butter side down on a piece of parchment paper or a cutting mat. Spread bourbon peach preserves over each slice of bread. On one slice of bread (preserve side up), layer toasted pecans, bacon pieces, and strips of brie cheese. Sprinkle Applewood Smoked Sea Salt over the cheese and bacon. Top with another slice of bread, preserve side down.
3. Heat a griddle or large sauté pan over medium heat. Place the assembled sandwiches on the hot griddle or pan. Toast each side for 2–4 minutes or until golden brown and the cheese is melted, pressing gently with a spatula to compress the sandwich.
4. Remove from heat and cut each sandwich in half diagonally. Serve hot and enjoy the rich flavors of bourbon peach, toasted pecan, bacon, and Brie in every bite!