Empirical Baker

Warning: If you are a cardiologist, into healthy eating, dislike bacon and beef, and/or care about your heart being damaged reading about something Really Unhealthy, please do not go further.

A few months ago, while watching television, we kept seeing the commercial for Friendly’s “Grilled Cheese Burgermelt”. I live in Brooklyn, and the closest Friendly’s is in Staten Island. As a non driver, the Friendly’s in Staten Island is hours away, and thus we could not go.

Yet, we wanted this burger. It was a cheeseburger with grilled cheese sandwiches for buns. An unholy awesomeness of cheese, bread, and meat. We vowed that we would make this monstrosity, someday.

I was relating this story to Matt of Robicelli’s fame, and he mentioned bacon. Grilled Bacon and Cheese Sandwiches, and bacon on the burger.

Must. Have.

Bacon Grilled Cheese Bacon Cheeseburger
Aka: “Burger of Awesomeness”

Makes 4(ish)

Ingredients:
One pound of Thick Cut Bacon
One Pound of Mozzarella, Sliced
One Loaf of White Bread
4-8 Hamburger Patties (depending on if you want single or double patties)

Cook Bacon.

I did half of the bacon in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes, and it was very crispy, just how I like it. We did the other half on the stove for a less crispy texture.

Be sure to save the grease!

Using some of the bacon grease, cook hamburger patties. I suppose you can do it on a grill, but we live in the city, and thus are only allowed to cook on a stove.

Make the Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. For four sandwiches, you need Eight grilled cheese sandwiches, which is 16 slices of bread. With half a pound of cheese, this allowed each grilled cheese sandwich to have one slice of cheese, and each burger to have one slice. I buttered the outside of each bread, put one slice of cheese and one slice of bacon inside, and cover with another piece of buttered bread. Ten minutes on the bottom rack of the oven, flipping at five minutes, and we had nice grilled cheese.

To Assemble:
Place Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwich on a plate. Top with cheese if you have it (we ran out, so these are a 1/4th slice)

Top with Hamburger Patty.

Top with Bacon and Cheese.

For a double decker, add another hamburger patty.

Top with Cheese and the second Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

Admire. Eat. Debate the damage being done to your arteries, and think about taking an Aspirin. My friend said “I can feel the chest pain after a bite.”