Grown-up Grilled Cheese Recipe

Cook bacon (if not pre-cooked)

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Arrange bacon in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Bake 12–18 minutes until crisp to your liking. Transfer to paper towels to drain and cool; when cool, halve the strips if desired for easier eating.

Warm marinara

Pour 1 cup marinara into a small saucepan, add olive oil, oregano, black pepper and optional red pepper flakes. Warm over low heat, stirring occasionally, until just simmering, about 5–7 minutes. Keep warm on the lowest setting.

Make a compound butter by stirring garlic powder into the room-temperature butter. Mix until uniform.

Lay out 4 slices of bread as bottoms. On each bottom slice place: 1 slice American, 1 slice Swiss, and 2 slices Havarti (layer the cheeses so they overlap evenly). Sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon grated Parmesan over the cheese on each sandwich for a savory boost.

Top the cheese layers with 2 slices of cooked bacon per sandwich (or 3 if you like more). If using fresh basil, add 1–2 leaves per sandwich on top of the bacon.

Spread a thin layer (about 1 tablespoon) of warm marinara over the inside of each of the 4 top bread slices. Place the sauced tops over the prepared bottoms to form 4 assembled sandwiches.

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-low to medium heat. The lower temperature allows cheese to melt before the bread over-browns.

Butter the outside of each sandwich: evenly spread about 1 tablespoon of the garlic butter on the outside of each top and bottom slice. Alternatively, melt butter and brush it on.

Place 2 sandwiches in the skillet (do not crowd). Cook 3–5 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula or weighted press, until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted. If the bread is browning too quickly before the cheese melts, reduce heat to low and cover the pan for 1–2 minutes to trap heat.

Repeat with remaining sandwiches. For extra crispness, sprinkle the outside buttered bread with a light dusting of the remaining grated Parmesan before flipping.

Transfer sandwiches to a cutting board and let rest 1 minute. Slice each sandwich in half on the diagonal.

Serve each warm sandwich with a small bowl of the warmed marinara for dipping and extra basil leaves for garnish, if using. Adjust black pepper or red pepper flakes to taste.