Monterey Melts

Let’s be adventurous, shall we?… well, at least when it comes to grilled cheese sandwiches! I like a simple grilled cheese sandwich but there are times when I could go for something more interesting. For lunch, I prepared a twist on the classic grilled cheese sandwich using a few additional ingredients. These Monterey Melts were delicious, colorful and made with some West Coast inspiration…

Add this sandwich to the list of California inspired foods. I guess the avocadoes and jalapenos incorporated into the recipe make it ‘Californian’? Regardless, there’s no denying how good this was for lunch the other day! Sandwiched between 2 slices of buttered bread are layers of shredded Monterey Jack cheese with mixed chiles, oven roasted turkey, crisp cooked bacon, buttery avocado slices and more Monterey Jack cheese with chiles. Who can argue with that combo?!

The key to making this sandwich is applying the low and slow cooking method. To get a perfectly golden brown sandwich, melted butter is brushed on the bread and cooked on a low heat in a nonstick skillet. This ensures the cheese melts perfectly and evenly. Speaking of cheese, rather than using sliced cheeses, shredded cheese is used since it melts better and often results in extra bits of cheese melted on the sides of the sandwich.

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup canned pickled jalapeno chiles, minced
8 deli slices turkey
12 strips bacon, cooked
2 ripe avocados, sliced
8 slices hearty while sandwich bread
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Combine the cheese and minced jalepenos in a bowl, set aside.

Brush the top side of each slice of bread with melted butter. Flip 4 bread slices over. Layer 1/4 cup of the jalapeno/cheese mixture, 2 slices deli turkey, 3 strips bacon, several avocado slices and another 1/4 cup jalapeno/cheese mixture into each sandwich. Cover with remaining bread slices, buttered side up.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium low heat for 1 minute. Place 2 sandwiches in the pan and press down slightly with a large spatula. Cook until first side is golden brown. Flip sandwiches, press again with spatula and cook until golden brown. Repeat with remaining 2 sandwiches.