Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
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You’re missing out if you haven’t had a Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese Sandwich! Two American favourites are fused into one making it an amazing Fourth of July snack or a treat for any occasion when you’re looking for a new twist to your lunch!
If you didn’t know, I’m in Canada, but I’m particularly excited for Fourth of July! Why? Well, I like to enjoy American classics!
Two iconic American classics are a creamy Mac and Cheese and a nice cheesy Grilled Cheese Sandwich, whether simple with just cheddar or gourmet with an assortment of cheeses and crazy pulls! When I was thinking of what to make for my very own way to celebrate Fourth of July, I thought of the craziest combination - how about some Grilled Cheese and Mac and Cheese fused together? And with bacon? That makes it even more American, right!
If you’re searching for the ultimate Fourth of July snack this year, then this Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese recipe is for you! You’ll be making a classic macaroni and cheese recipe with a rich béchamel sauce with mozzarella and yellow cheddar, stuffed in some amazing sourdough bread, more cheese, and bacon! See how to get a wonderful crispy exterior of your sandwich and nice gooey macaroni and cheese on the inside with some crispy bacon to have a Fourth of July to remember! You’ll definitely be putting your heart on a plate with this fusion of comfort foods if you try it out as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! You can get started for free by signing up to my email newsletter, plus you’ll get all of my new recipes delivered right to your inbox!
To see how to make the most amazing Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Bacon step by step, then be sure to watch the video at the bottom of this post! If you’re not already, it would mean a lot to me if you would please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you’re not already and hit the bell button to get notified when all of my video recipes are live! Let’s get cooking!
What Bread Should I use For Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese?
As with any grilled cheese sandwich, for best results to hold all the cheese and fillings in place, you’ll need a thick-cut bread. Here are some great options:
Sourdough
Texas toast
Ciabatta
Rye
Brioche
Challah
I used sourdough! It’s my favourite type of bread, and there’s a particular sourdough from my local bakery that’s the best sourdough that I always come back to when I want to make a big and satisfying sandwich. However, as I mention in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!,if you have any of these other types of bread already on hand, then no need to run out to the store and get sourdough - unless you really have the inclination to do so! Plenty of breads will do the job and give you an incredible sandwich!
Now, on the other hand, breads that I would avoid are thin white bread, such as your typical Wonderbread sandwich bread. You won’t get much of a crunch when taking your bites, and these bread varieties are just too thin to hold in such a large quantity of toppings. Unfortunately, you could end up with a soggy mess that may fall apart!
I’ve never tried making a grilled cheese sandwich with gluten-free bread. If you can find one that is thick-cut, then I’m sure it will be fine.
What Cheese to Use in a Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese?
You can use plenty of cheeses to make a Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese Sandwich! You have endless options because you can use cheeses that are suitable for mac and cheese and for grilled cheese - usually they are the same! You can also really mix and match because you can use certain cheeses for your cheese sauce and a subset of those or entirely new cheeses for the sandwich itself! You’ll see here that I used part skim mozzarella and yellow cheddar both in the mac and cheese and the grilled cheese sandwiches themselves, but you can use as much variety of cheeses or keep it simple as I did! Here are some other options for the mac and cheese and/or the grilled cheese:
American cheese
Parmesan
Swiss
Havarti
Provolone
Brie
Monterey Jack
Pepper Jack
Gouda
White cheddar
Should The Cheese In the Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese Be Grated?
To be honest with you the choice is up to you! Since I had already grated cheese for the mac and cheese and I used the same two cheeses, I added in my cheese to the sandwich grated. However, if you want to add blocks of cheese slices, then try it and see how it goes! The difference will be in the surface area and the level of how molten the cheese becomes in your sandwich.
Can I Use Leftover Mac and Cheese to Make Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese Sandwiches?
If you’ve already made some amazing mac and cheese, including any of my “enhanced” mac and cheese recipes such as Butter Chicken Mac and Cheese, Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese, Pepperoni Pizza Mac and Cheese, or Lobster Mac and Cheese, then these can all certainly be added into your sandwich! No need to reheat the mac and cheese before filling, just make sure to cook the grilled cheese sandwiches low and slow to allow the mac and cheese to come up to temperature, and to allow the cheeses in the sandwich to melt. If your mac and cheese variation already has protein, then there’s no need to add the bacon. However, if you really want to, then feel free to! More bacon always makes things better!
Can I make These Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Vegetarian?
Yes, you definitely can! The only thing you need to do here to make the sandwiches vegetarian is to omit the bacon. I separated the bacon out so my mom could have the sandwiches vegetarian and she gave her seal of approval!
Tools Needed For Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese
Ingredients For Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
To know exactly how much pasta and cheese you’ll need for the mac and cheese to make the best sandwiches, be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD or press the “Jump to Recipe” button, where you can save the recipe instructions for later and find all ingredients and their quantities. You can also scale the recipe to make just the right amount of mac and cheese for the amount of sandwiches you’re looking to make.
For the Mac and Cheese
Old yellow cheddar cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Milk
Butter
Chives
For the Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Bread
Bacon
Mozzarella and cheddar cheese
Butter
How to Make Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese Sandwich
For the Mac and cheese
Bring water to boil in a large pot for your pasta. Season with salt and cook macaroni as per package instructions.
Heat a pan on medium heat and add butter. Once the butter melts, mix in the flour and whisk for 2-3 mins until the rawness of the flour is cooked out. The roux will begin to smell nutty, which is a good indicator that it is ready for the milk.
Pour in your milk, little bit at a time while whisking to work out any lumps. Once all your milk is mixed in, wait until your sauce starts to come up to a simmer.
As soon as the sauce comes to a simmer, it will begin to thicken. Once the béchamel is thick enough to evenly coat the back of a spoon, season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Bring the pan off the heat and add in cheddar and mozzarella and mix until the cheese melts. Your cheese sauce is ready.
Mix in the cooked macaroni and finely chopped chives. Set aside for now.
To Make the Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Add the bacon to a cold pan and turn the heat to medium-low. Cook until the bacon is cooked to your liking. Drain and set aside for later.
Apply the butter on the outer sides of each slice of bread. Alternatively, you can skip this step and apply the butter later. Add mac and cheese to one of the bread slices, sprinkle extra cheese as desired followed by crispy bacon and then close the sandwich.
Heat a pan on medium low heat and apply butter. Place the sandwich on the pan, move the sandwich around the pan to coat it well with butter and then cover with a lid. Cook gently until the underside is golden brown.
Using a spatula, flip the sandwich. Then, lift the sandwich up, apply more butter on the pan and then place the sandwich over the molten butter to coat the underside. Continue to cook on the other side until the cheese in the middle is molten and the bread is golden brown and crispy.
Slice and serve.
Enjoy!
Tips to Make an Epic Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese
Starting the bacon off on a cold pan will help to render out fat more effectively and get crispier bacon.
Make sure the pan is not too hot while cooking the grilled cheese. The cheese and the mac and cheese needs to get up to temperature to become warm, molten while ensuring each side of the bread is toasted.
Use salted butter if you have it on hand to add extra flavour. Or better yet, garlic or herb compound butter can add an even more delicious touch.
Try different combinations of cheeses and breads to get a unique grilled cheese sandwich experience each time.
A fish spatula always works great for me to flip the grilled cheese sandwich so that you can comfortably and firmly hold onto the sandwich and swiftly flip it without it breaking.
What If I Have Extra Mac and Cheese?
That’s no problem at all! All you need to do is store the leftovers in an airtight container. You can enjoy the mac and cheese on its own or you can use it to make more sandwiches!
WATCH HOW TO MAKE Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese Sandwiches HERE:
Bacon Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Tbsp butter
- 1 1/2 Cup macaroni
- 1 1/2 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 Cup cold milk
- 1 1/2 Cups old yellow cheddar, shredded
- 1/3 Cup mozzarella, shredded
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2-3 Tbsp chives, for garnish
- large slices of sourdough bread, as needed
- 3-4 slices of bacon, diced
- shredded old cheddar cheese, as needed
- shredded mozzarella cheese, as needed
- 2-3 Tbsp butter
Instructions
- Add the bacon to a cold pan and turn the heat to medium-low. Cook until the bacon is cooked to your liking. Drain and set aside for later. In the meanwhile, bring water to boil in a large pot for your pasta. Season with salt and cook macaroni as per package instructions.
- Heat a pan on medium heat and add butter. Once the butter melts, mix in the flour and whisk for 2-3 mins until the rawness of the flour is cooked out. The roux will begin to smell nutty, which is a good indicator that it is ready for the milk.
- Pour in your milk, little bit at a time while whisking to work out any lumps. Once all your milk is mixed in, wait until your sauce starts to come up to a simmer.
- As soon as the sauce comes to a simmer, it will begin to thicken. Once the béchamel is thick enough to evenly coat the back of a spoon, season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- Bring the pan off the heat and add in cheddar and mozzarella and mix until the cheese melts. Your cheese sauce is ready. Mix in the cooked macaroni and finely chopped chives. Set aside for now.
- Apply the butter on the outer sides of each slice of bread. Alternatively, you can skip this step and apply the butter later. Add mac and cheese to one of the bread slices, sprinkle extra cheese as desired followed by crispy bacon and then close the sandwich.
- Heat a pan on medium low heat and apply butter. Place the sandwich on the pan, move the sandwich around the pan to coat it well with butter and then cover with a lid. Cook gently until the underside is golden brown.
- Using a spatula, flip the sandwich. Then, lift the sandwich up, apply more butter on the pan and then place the sandwich over the molten butter to coat the underside. Continue to cook on the other side until the cheese in the middle is molten and the bread is golden brown and crispy.
- Slice and serve.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
591.81Fat (grams)
29.43 gSat. Fat (grams)
14.96 gCarbs (grams)
54.28 gFiber (grams)
4.48 gNet carbs
49.8 gSugar (grams)
6.59 gProtein (grams)
27.58 gSodium (milligrams)
931.15 mgCholesterol (grams)
72.83 mg
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Welcome to Cooking With Anadi. This platform is all about making cooking exciting and finding new ways to bring classic flavours and recipes at your service. Join me in my personal journey in the world of cooking. Hope you have a great ride!
