Bacon & Cheese On Toast

 

I almost hesitated to post this.  I mean Bacon & Cheese on Toast must be pretty common in most people's kitchens.  They may not make it the way I do however, and so here I am.

With one of the most delicious snacks, light lunches, treats that anyone could want to eat!  If you like bacon and you like cheese, you are going to simply adore this!

 

Bacon is one of those things which sets everyone's tastebuds to tingling (unless you are a vegetarian or vegan). And even they have their vegetarian options to enjoy.  There is just something about that sweet smokiness that people just love.

Cheese is also a favourite of many people.  I have so many cheeses that I love and when you combine any of them with bacon, well, you are singing the song of my heart.

 

It is the quintessential combination, is bacon and cheese.  It exists in many forms.  Quiche, flammkuchen, pizza, etc.  Many different cultures clearly love this combination.

Its just something that people really love to eat!  And I am no exception.

 

Bacon & Cheese on Toast was a treat my mother would sometimes make us when I was growing up. We always got very excited when she did.  

It was always made with what I now call plastic cheese.  Processed cheese slices.  Bright orange. We didn't mind. This was the cheese of our childhood. It was what it was. We didn't care. We loved it anyways.

 

I always like to use a nice strong farmhouse cheddar if I can. It has plenty of beautiful flavour. You want something with enough flavour that it won't be swalloped up in the richness of the bacon.

I will let you in on  my secret to a really great cheese on toast here.  I always like to add a layer of something between the cheese and the toast.  An extra flavour booster as it were.

Some days this can be something as simple as a thin schmear of marmite.  Marmite gives it a nice salty meaty quality, and you don't need much of it to have an impact. When you are talking marmite less is definitely more.

Other times I will add a schmear of mustard. Dijon is a favourite, but my absolute favourite is a good grainy Dijon. Filled with lots of mustard seeds and texture. Honey Dijon is also very good.

 

If you can get Honey Cup Mustard you are in for a real treat. It has a lovely punchy heat but also plenty of sweet honey flavour.  Goes very well with the saltiness of the bacon.

Today I used a good Mango Chutney. I adore Mango Chutney. Its sweet and tangy and spicy all at the same time.  And yes, it goes excellent with cheese.

 

Lets talk bacon here.  I adore bacon, but it has to be good bacon. I don't like bacon that smells like pig. I know. I know. Bacon comes from the pig. True fact that.

But I don't like to smell pig when I am cooking my bacon. Not any more than I want to smell barnyard when I am cooking beef, or burning mittens when I am cooking lamb.

 

This shouldn't happen with good quality bacon. I like a dry cure smoked bacon. Preferably without nitrates. I like the dry cure bacon because you get far less shrinkage with dry cure bacon.

Have you ever noticed that white residue in the skillet when you are cooking regular bacon?  Regular bacon is injected with brine and when you cook it that comes out into the skillet. 

 

When you take something out of something what's left behind is quite naturally smaller. Its physics! Oh that it were that easy when it comes to my hips!

 

 

Cured Bacon is  made by adding artificial nitrates, usually sodium nitrate. This gets added to the regular salt and brine mixture.

 

Uncured bacon is left in a more natural state and so tastes more like pork belly itself.  This is called green bacon, which does not refer the colour of it, but merely the uncured state.

 

Dry curing is a common practice used in  sausages, hams and other chacuterie. Think salami here and pepperoni, etc. It is a combination of salt curing, air drying and sometimes smoking, all depending on the meat you are dry curing.

You can dry cure a roast before you cook it.  Just rub it all over with salt and seasonings and leave it unwrapped and on a rack over a baking sheet in the refrigerator over night or for a day or so.  Same with a chicken.  This results in a beautiful crisp skin on the chicken and less shrinkage during cooking of the meat.

 

In the case of bacon, after it has been cured, it is usually also smoked in a smoker. (but not always)  There used to be a place down the road from us that did beautiful home-smoked bacon. Oh my but it was lovely.

I don't think I have ever tasted such beautiful bacon since. It almost tempts one to set up your own smoker just so that you can smoke your own bacon and hams, salmon, etc. Mmmm . . . dry smoked salmon.  The best.

 

But I digress.  When you are cooking your bacon, do try to leave it a bit flimsy. It will cook further underneath the grill, so you don't want to have it over crisp or burnt. You also don't want to use any of that pre-cooked bacon.

Nasty stuff.  Well, in my opinion anyways.  And yes, when it comes to food, I can be somewhat opinionated. Sorry about that!

Do try it with that extra schmear of something and let me know what you think!  I think it just makes something which is pretty amazing to begin with even more delicious. 

This makes a great snack, or light lunch. Its also really nice with a hot bowl of tomato soup.  Mmmm . . . now I am wanting some all over again! 😋😋😋
 

Bacon & Cheese On Toast

Yield: 1

Author: Marie Rayner

prep time: 10 Mintotal time: 10 Min

This is more of a technique than a recipe, however delicious. You can make as many slices as you wish, but the amounts here are for one delcious serving. Feel free to play with it as you wish.

Ingredients

For one serving:

• 1 thick slice of lightly toasted bread
• 1 TBS of your favourite spread (marmite, mango chutney, grainy mustard, etc.)
• 4-6  TBS of your favourite cheese grated (I like strong cheddar)
• 3 slices of streaky bacon, cooked to semi-crisp

Instructions

1. Preheat the grill on your oven to high.  Spread your toast on one side with your desired spread. I love mango chutney.  But I am also rather fond of grainy mustard. Both go very well with cheese.
2. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over top, almost to the edge of the toast, but piling it higher in the centre. (Remember cheese will spread as it melts.)
3. Top the bread with your bacon slices.
4. Pop under the heated grill until your cheese has melted and your bacon is crisp.
5. Cut in half and enjoy!

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