It's Easier Than You Think To Wrap Grilled Cheese In Bacon

Gooey, crunchy, and savory, some might say the grilled cheese sandwich is a perfect food. And yet, there are a few ingredients that can elevate practically any meal — and bacon is one of them. We've already mastered the Elvis grilled cheese, which stuffs bacon in the sandwich with bananas and peanut butter, and we know this protein's grease is the perfect fat in which to fry up your meal. But if these two options just aren't giving you enough bacon, we have the perfect solution: The next time you whip up this gooey sandwich, try wrapping it entirely in bacon.

Perfectly lined up strips look aesthetically pleasing and complicated to arrange around your bread, but this is actually easier to accomplish than you think. All you need to do is place your first slice on top of a few raw pieces of bacon, then build the rest of your sandwich from there. When it's complete, wrap the ends around the grilled cheese, turn it sideways, and repeat the process. You can do this all in a few minutes, and you don't have to cook your bacon ahead of time.

While you would typically slather the outside of your bread slices with butter or mayo, you don't have to do that here, since you'll be wrapping them in your protein (which has plenty of grease on its own). Start with three strips lengthwise followed by three slices widthwise. If you want to get a little fancier, however, you can also make a lattice pattern with your raw bacon.

After threading the same number of strips through each other in each direction, place your sandwich in the middle and wrap them all over the top slice of bread. Whichever design you go with, you'll then want to cook your grilled cheese for up to seven minutes on each side over the stove (making sure to allow a little time for the thinner sides too), or for 15 minutes on each side at 400 degrees Fahrenheit in the air fryer. Verify that your bacon is nice and crispy and that your fromage has melted before you dig in.

Luckily, bacon strips are long enough that you don't have to limit your sandwich to just cheese stuffing. If you'd like to build upon this recipe, feel free to add in any of your favorite ingredients. You may want to balance out all the richness with tomatoes, spinach, onions, jalapeños, or mushrooms. Or, amp up the breakfast aspect of this sandwich with some scrambled eggs or avocado.