Grilled Cheese with Bacon & Thousand Island Dressing

I cook a lot while on vacation in my motorhome. I think I just view this as my time to cook, relax and enjoy my family even more then I do at home. There is less stress and very little to do, so cooking is more enjoyable.

I call myself the "Lunch Lady", I disappear into my tiny little motorhome kitchen and about an hour later I emerge with a new and trilling lunch item each and every day. We had brought a few extra friends this time, so I had a total of 8 or 9 people to make lunches for each day. (But, I wouldn't have it any other way)

This new sandwich was OUT OF THIS WORLD, I can not even begin to describe to you how wonderful it was. I know this will be a NEW all time favorite at my house. The melted cheese, the crisp bacon and the tang of the Thousand Island, oh my! If you love all of those things and have never thought in a million years to put them all together, then I encourage you to try it TODAY! You probably have most of this stuff in the house, right now!

Grilled Cheese with Bacon & Thousand Island Dressing
adapted to our taste from Food Network Magazine, April 2011
Greg Morris, owner of Oaks Gourmet in Los Angeles

8 strips thick cut maple-glazed bacon
2 tbsp butter8 slices sourdough bread
8 slices of your favorite cheese (original recipe cotswold cheese or cheddar)
4 tbsp Thousand Island Dressing

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, remove and drain. Wipe out skillet.
Heat the butter in the skillet over medium heat, spread butter on the outside of all 8 slices, lay 4 slices butter side down in skillet. Layer with cheese and bacon. Spread thousand island on inside of the additional 4 slices of bread, then lay thousand island side down on top of the bacon & cheese (butter side should be facing up).

Cook until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown on both sides; 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Repeat until all 4 sandwiches are made, unless you have a huge skillet like I do and can make all 4 sandwiches at once.

Here are the moms on the camping trip, this is what we do ALL DAY long,
so stopping and cooking for my family is a no problem at all, I LOVE MAKING new things!!!