Bacon Grilled Cheese – Camp Food. Comfort Food.
Crisp smoky bacon. Rich gooey cheese. Buttery toasted bread. Really? Is there any better combination than a hot off the grill Bacon Grilled Cheese? I think not! It’s comfort food at its finest. And it’s a fantastic way to knock it out of the park when you’re camping. Plus, it’s super easy, so that’s awesome too!
Let’s talk about the bacon. The smell of bacon wafting through the air, meandering its way through the campground is one of the real pleasures of camping. But…. here’s the problem. It’s kind of a mess. Grease splatters everywhere. There’s really no good place to drain it. And the lingering “after effects” of cooked bacon can stay in your camper for a long time. A very long time. Not good.
So we’re gonna solve this problem by partially cooking the bacon ahead of time (unless you’re a full-timer, in which case just do it all in your RV. Also, in which case, I’m jealous!). There are lots of different ways to cook bacon (see my post on how to make perfect bacon here), but my favorite method for this recipe is to chop it up, then cook it in a pan until it’s almost done while you’re still at home. This will allow you to make the perfect Bacon Grilled Cheese sandwich at your campsite with almost no cleanup!
Of course, I don’t want to totally eliminate that amazing smell of cooking bacon while you’re camping, which is why I only partially cook the bacon at home (about 80% cooked). Just toss it into a cast iron skillet on your campfire or your camp stove at the campsite and finish crisping it up there. You’ll get the same fabulous smoky bacony smell, but with basically no mess to clean. Yep – bacon grease problem solved!! (You can also fully cook it at home and skip this step at the campsite if you prefer NO bacon mess to worry about.)
Now for the cheese! I love it melty and gooey. Gotta go with American cheese for that! Lots of American cheese. Pile it on. Don’t be shy. You’re going for comfort food, after all. (Here’s a great summary of melty cheeses if you’re so inclined.)
How to Make the Ultimate Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwich When Camping
Pre-cook chopped bacon in a skillet at home. Bring to the campsite in a zip-top baggie. When ready to assemble Bacon Grilled Cheese, warm up bacon in a skillet, butter two slices of sourdough bread. Place one slice of bread in hot skillet or on the grill, buttered side down. Place several slices of American cheese on bread as it toasts. Top cheese with bacon pieces, then the other piece of bread, buttered side on the outside. Cook 3-4 minutes and flip. Cook another 2-3 minutes until toasty and warm. Serve hot and gooey! (Oh, and if you really want to kick it up a notch, throw in some diced fresh jalapeño pieces and a tomato… just sayin’)
A word about the bread! I LOVE the rich, tangy, hearty taste of sourdough, but feel free to use whatever kind you like. (Seriously, though, you can’t beat sourdough!) And there you have it… the simple, tasty, easy to clean way to make the ultimate Bacon Grilled Cheese sandwich right at your campsite! Gotta love camping comfort food!
Bacon Grilled Cheese - Camp Food. Comfort Food.
Ingredients
- 8 Slices Sourdough Bread
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 12 Ounces bacon, Cut crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces
- 16 Slices American Cheese
Instructions
- Cook bacon pieces in hot skillet, stirring occasionally, until almost fully cooked (aproximately 8-10 minutes. Or fully cook so you don't need to cook it anymore at your campsite, 10-12 minutes). Bring cooked bacon in a zip top baggie.
- Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place 4 slices, buttered side down on a hot skillet or grill. Add 4 slices American cheese (or more!), and top each with 1/4 of the bacon. Place remaining slices of bread on each, buttered side on outside. Cook 2-3 minutes, then flip and cook another 2-3 minutes, until toasty and warmed through.