Gouda & Apple Grilled Cheese With Bacon-apple Jam

Serves 4

Apple Bacon Jam
•2 - 12 oz packs FARMER JOHN® Classic Bacon, 2 slices reserved
•large apple, peeled, cored, finely diced
•1 yellow onion, finely diced
•½ cup brown sugar
•¼ cup maple syrup
•¼ cup apple cider vinegar
•1 TBSP Worcestershire
•2 TBSP Dijon mustard
•1 tsp black pepper

Sandwich
•8 slices como bread (or any other white bread)
•¼ cup mayonnaise
•¼ cup butter
•½ lb gouda, grated
•Apple Bacon Jam
•1 apple, thinly sliced
•2 slices of FARMER JOHN® Bacon, cooked until crispy

Set aside 2 slices bacon, dice the rest and cook in heavy bottom skillet over medium heat, stir occasionally. Once bacon is just cooked, remove from skillet with slotted spoon, transfer to paper towel lined dish. Carefully remove all bacon fat from pan, reserving 2 TBSP. Cook the 2 (whole) bacon slices previously set aside to desired crispness and set aside again.

In same skillet, heat 2 TBSP reserved bacon fat over medium heat. Add onions and apples, sauté until they begin to brown. Add cooked bacon back into skillet. Add remaining jam ingredients to mixture and bring to simmer, stir until fully combined and occasionally until mixture thickens. Remove from heat, set aside.

In small bowl mix together mayonnaise and butter.

To build sandwiches, spread TBSP of mayo/butter mixture on one side of each piece of bread. With buttered side facing down, add small amount of cheese to four slices of bread. On top of cheese add thin slices of apples, 2 TBSP of Bacon Apple Jam and more cheese. Finally, stack a buttered slice of bread (buttered side up) onto each sandwich.

Heat large nonstick skillet over low heat. Cook sandwiches two at a time, low and slow. Once sandwich just begins to brown, carefully flip and cook other side until golden brown and cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining sandwiches. Cut diagonally into quarters, serve with reserved bacon and an apple slice on top.