Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Bacon, Jalapeno and Rhubarb Sauce

A grilled cheese sandwich made grown up style! With crispy bacon, creamy cheddar cheese, jalapenos and rhubarb sauce all sandwiched between two buttery toasted slices of bread!

This Grilled Cheese Sandwich blends the flavors of crispy bacon and sharp cheddar with a little sweet rhubarb sauce. Toasted with some salty butter until nice and crisp, this amazing combination of a grilled cheese sandwich is a perfect rhubarb recipe to make for lunch or a light dinner for your family!

Your next meal just became tastier and a little more grown up with this combination of spicy, sweet, salty, and crispy grilled cheese sandwich! This sandwich would also make a delicious appetizer for an adult party. Just grill it up until it’s crispy and brown and serve it with a little extra rhubarb sauce on the side for dipping!

Incorporating Rhubarb into my recipes

I love rhubarb recipes. I also love jalapenos, bacon, and cheese. Because of this, I am always thinking of ways that I can create new and delicious recipes that bring together the flavors and textures of these ingredients.

Since I have my own rhubarb plants, and have plenty of Rhubarb Sauce on hand, I have been coming up with new rhubarb recipes to use it in. Often, I will just spread it on toast or make my recipe for Rhubarb Chia Pudding. While thinking about what I could make with the ingredients I had on hand, thoughts of a Strawberry Habanero Monte Cristo came to mind. I immediately knew I had to make a recipe with sweet heat!

Grilled Cheese Sandwich FAQ

What is the best cheese to use in a grilled cheese sandwich?

The best cheese to use is going to depend on what you are looking to get from your grilled cheese sandwich. If you're looking for melty and creamy, then a blue cheese is great. Stringy and mild? Go with Colby Jack or Mozzarella. Because I was looking for a bold cheese to compliment the rhubarb sauce, I went with a bold cheddar for this particular recipe.

What is the best bread to make a grilled cheese sandwich with?

The best bread is going to be a sturdy slice of bread. My very favorite is a Tuscan pane bread I buy right at Trader Joes. Something with a little bit of crust to it. Because a grilled cheese sandwich should not be soggy, I do not recommend a loaf of bread you find in the grocery aisle! Try something from the bakery instead.

Why did my grilled cheese sandwich get soggy?

From my experience, a grilled cheese sandwich will get soggy for a few reasons. The first one being the type of bread you used (see Q2), and the second one being the fillings. You need to be sure you are using the right proportions. Any type of filling that releases liquid is going to add moisture to your grilled cheese. This is why I keep the rhubarb sauce to a thin layer in this sandwich and offer a side of sauce for people who like to have something to dip their grilled cheese sandwich in!

How to assembled this recipe

It all starts with great quality cheese. For us, that is Cabot. It is the brand we love the most. Skip out on the pre-sliced cheese that is individually packaged. You know, the kind that has the word “processed” in it.

rhubarb sauce recipe, bacon, cheese, jalapeno, and bread slices

Next, you want to be sure you have the perfect thickness of cheese slices for your sandwich. I have this handy little Thick and Thin Cheese Slicer that slices your cheese into the perfect slices! You can cut your slices thin, or thick. For this grilled cheese sandwich, I used the thick side. I like using the thin side to slice cheese for omelettes!

photo of thick and thin cheese slicer with sliced cheese in the background

The bread is the next important ingredient in this recipe. It needs to be sturdy and hold up well to fillings that will melt and get gooey. I chose a hearty whole grain bread for this recipe, but my very favorite is a Tuscan Pane bread. Something that is not super soft.

Both slices of bread will need to have one side spread with real butter. None of this margarine stuff will work. It has water in it and believe me, it will aid in a soggy sandwich.

bottom layer of sandwich with bacon on top of rhubarb sauce recipe and jalapenos

This sandwich starts with a layer of cheese on the bottom, then a layer of rhubarb sauce, fresh jalapeno slices, crispy bacon, then more cheese!

bread slice with cheese, rhubarb recipe for sauce layer, bacon, jalapeno and cheese

Grill up both sides until toasty and cheese is melty and soft. Cut in half and enjoy with more rhubarb sauce if desired!

fully assembled grilled cheese sandwich before cutting

Tips for the best Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Have your burner set to medium low and watch the bread carefully.
Bring your ingredients to room temperature first!
If you have a thicker sandwich, cover your pan with a lid to trap a little bit of heat for a brief period. This will assist in forcing the heat to stay in the pan and around your sandwich, causing the cheese to melt easier.
I sliced my cheese for this recipe, but you can also shred it. Shredding will break it up and cause air to circulate around it and make it melt faster and easier.
Don’t use too much cheese! More is not always better. The more you add, the longer it will take to melt. You want just enough for the cheese to get melty and your bread to get toasty!

What to serve with a Grilled Cheese Sandwich

A grilled cheese sandwich with a mouthful of flavors doesn't need anything spectacular to accompany it. You don't what to outshine the hero of your meal. A serving of potato chips and a few pickles from this Crisp Sweet Pickles Recipe is all you really need!

📖 Recipe