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We converted a classic club into a grilled cheese, and the result is the best of both worlds. Artisan sourdough is piled with Tillamook Sharp Cheddar and Tillamook Monterey Jack, smoked turkey, bacon, roasted tomatoes, sautéed arugula, and stoneground mustard. No wonder it’s one of the most popular sandwiches at The AMERICAN.
"This is one of the most popular sandwiches at The AMERICAN Grilled Cheese Kitchen and it’s easy to make at home!" – Heidi Gibson of The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen
4 small roma tomatoes sliced into ¼” thick rounds
Sprinkle of salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
¼ lb fresh baby wild arugula (spinach can be substituted)
8 slices high-quality sourdough bread (The AMERICAN uses sourdough from Artisan Bakers of Sonoma)
4 teaspoons Tillamook® Salted Butter, room temperature
¼ cup stoneground mustard (deli or Dijon mustard can be substituted)
4 slices Tillamook® Sharp Cheddar Cheese
8 slices (about ½ lb) high-quality smoked turkey (The AMERICAN uses Willie Bird Smoked Turkey Breast)
8 pieces cooked bacon
4 slices Tillamook® Monterey Jack Cheese (also try Tillamook® Reduced Fat Monterey Jack Cheese)
Roasted Tomatoes
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lay tomato slices in a single layer on an oiled sheet pan. Sprinkle with salt and roast 15 minutes. Note that you can omit this step and just use fresh tomato slices in your sandwich if you prefer. Roasting the tomatoes removes excess water that can make for a soggy sandwich, and concentrates the flavors of the tomatoes.
Wilted Arugula
Heat a large pan over high heat on a stovetop. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil and then the arugula. Stir and toss arugula until it’s just wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan to cool. Drain excess water off arugula when cool enough to handle. Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread.
Assembly of Sandwiches
Place bread buttered side down. Spread 1 teaspoon mustard on one of every 2 slices of bread (so mustard ends up on one side of each sandwich). Layer 1 slice of Sharp Cheddar on top of mustard, then tomato slices, arugula, turkey, bacon, and finally Monterey Jack. It doesn’t matter what order you layer the fillings except that the cheese must be the outermost layers – this ensures the cheese melts and also will help ‘glue’ the sandwich together.
Cooking
Sandwiches can be cooked open face on a pre-heated cast iron pan in a 500°F oven, then closed and served. Or sandwiches can be closed, then cooked in a pan on a stovetop over medium-low heat until bread is toasted and cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
