Grown-up grilled cheese for the win! These Havarti and Baby Arugula Grilled Cheese with Triple Herb Butter and Bacon Jam are quite decadent, and sophisticated enough to serve your guests for at home game-day viewing parties. With the Olympics right around the corner, these are perfect to make ahead and serve during opening ceremonies!

I adapted this recipe from Jessica’s original over at How Sweet Eats . The combination of flavors sounded amazing, and I had to try it for our family. Specifically, I wanted to see how these little beauties fared when assembled, refrigerated, and grilled in the skillet once friends arrived to watch a game. You know me….I’m always looking for the Take It To The Tailgate Tip! 🙂 Jessica had me at bacon jam. Checkout her blog; she has some great recipes!

Sometimes, I want to serve a fun meal for game days that is a little above and beyond hot dips, chips, etc. Especially since the Olympics are on the horizon! These Havarti and Baby Arugula Grilled Cheese with Triple Herb Butter and Bacon Jam seriously fits the bill. It is a grown up grilled cheese that pairs easily with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc or your favorite IPA. (If you are looking for a good cheese knife set, I recommend this one. ) 

The triple herb butter is on the bottom left of the photo above. It’s flavor is mild; it does not overwhelm the peppery flavor of the arugula at all. (Jessica’s original recipe called for a trio of freshly chopped herbs. In a bind, I used dried Italian seasoning with excellent results. It had the same combination of basil, thyme and oregano specified by Jessica.)

The sandwiches are so simple to assemble. Each bread slice is slathered in bacon jam, topped with Havarti and baby arugula. (The triple herb butter coats the outside of each bread slice just before the sandwich hits the hot skillet.) You can find the recipe for bacon jam here.Once the bread is coated on the outside with the triple herb butter, I spray the entire outside of the sandwich with non-stick cooking spray. That’s right. I know, it is a little unconventional but it is my secret weapon for creating that crisp, buttery exterior for your grilled cheese. The spray seals in the seasonings in the triple herb butter. The result is gooey, bacony, cheesy deliciousness! Now, I told you that my goal was to see if this AMAZING grilled cheese could be tailgate ready for a home game-day watch party. YES. Yes, my friends, it is! Build the sandwich as directed, then wrap in a layer of wax paper, followed by a layer of aluminum foil.Isn’t it so pretty? Crusty bread slathered with herb infused butter, creamy Havarti cheese, bacon jam and fresh arugula. Oh. My. Stars. They are soooo good AND easy to prep for a crowd!
Take It To The Tailgate Tip: You can build them like the photo above and store in the fridge for up to four hours. If you need to store them longer prior to cooking, build the sandwich with all ingredients except for the arugula. Add the arugula just prior to cooking. This step will make sure your arugula is not wilted when you unpack the sandwiches. Here is the recipe for the bacon jam. The wax paper insures that your sandwich is fresh (a.k.a. – not soggy!) when unwrapped. Next, add a layer of aluminum to ensure freshness! Once you are ready for feed your hungry crew, unwrap the sandwiches and let them return to room temperature. Cook as directed. Enjoy!

Havarti and Baby Arugula Grilled Cheese with Triple Herb Butter and Bacon Jam

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Servings 2

Ingredients

  

Triple Herb Butter

• 6 tbsp salted butter softened but not melted
• 3 tbsp Italian Seasoning

Sandwiches

• 4 slices fresh hearty bread
• 12 oz Havarti cheese
• 1 cup baby arugula
• 4 tbs bacon jam recipe here
• non-stick cooking spray

Instructions

 

• Blend spices with softened butter; set aside.
• Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle pan on the stove on low to medium heat.
• Spread the inside of the bread slices with the bacon jam. Top slices with cheese and 1/2 cup of arugula each.
• Put the sandwich together. Coat the exterior pieces of bread with butter mixture. Spray the entire sandwich with non-stick cooking spray. Place sandwiches on hot skillet and cook until the cheese melts, binding the sandwich together.

Notes

Recipe adapted from: How Sweet Eats

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