Usually I write about the history of each week’s dish I am making, but this one is an improvised lunch. Surprisingly enough, lunch is the hardest thing for me. I don’t plan my lunches as thoroughly as I plan my dinners, so lunch ends up being either leftovers or a salad. I know, very adventurous. But it’s true, I am not big on lunch. Maybe that’s due to the fact I have been conditioned to eat quickly on lunch breaks before heading back to clock the rest of my time. So for me, lunch is an afterthought.
So here we are.
Not going to lie, this sandwich was inspired by watching TikTok. I made the mistake of sharing the video with my husband and son who got way too excited at the thought of eating the sandwich. The biggest difference was I added the mustard and carmelized the onions. I wanted more of a french onion flavor instead of just cooked onions. This went over so well that I had to make it two days in a row.
This recipe is enough for two sandwiches with plenty of ingredients piled on top. Just be careful when flipping the sandwich over to brown the other piece of bread, as some of the filling can fall out. This is especially true if the spatula is smaller than the sourdough bread slices. Speaking of bread, you don’t have to use sourdough, but I wouldn’t recommend using regular sandwich bread since it won’t hold up to the filling and just fall apart. Try a sturdy country bread or even a ciabatta bread.
French Onion Grilled Cheese
Using a sharp knife, cut onions into thin slices. Add butter to the cast iron pan, melt over medium-high heat. Add onions. Cook until caramelized. Remove from pan.
Using a sharp knife, cut bacon into small strips. Cook in a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Once cooked, add onions and garlic to bacon. Cook until you can smell the garlic, about 30 seconds. Salt and pepper to taste.
On one piece of bread spread a thin layer of butter on one side. On the other side of the same piece of bread spread a thin layer of the brown spicy deli mustard. Place the butter side on the pan over medium heat. Add two pieces of provolone cheese and ½ the bacon onion mixture. Top with two more pieces of provolone cheese. On the other piece of bread lightly butter only one side of the bread and place on top of the provolone cheese. Making sure the buttered side is facing up.
Cook until golden brown. Carefully flip over and continue cooking until both sides are golden brown. When flipping over be careful not to have the filling spill out, especially around the sides if the spatula is not wide enough for the bread.
Ingredients
Instructions
