Sandwiches
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[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

About the author: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Chief Creative Officer of Serious Eats where he likes to explore the science of home cooking in his weekly column The Food Lab. You can follow him at @thefoodlab on Twitter, or at The Food Lab on Facebook.

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About This Recipe

Yield: makes 1 sandwich
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 slices bacon, sliced in half crosswise
  • 2 slices hearty white bread, such as Pepperidge Farm or Arnold
  • 2 teaspoons butter
  • 2 slices American or Cheddar cheese
  • 2 slices ripe beefsteak tomato
  • 1/2 a ripe avocado, thinly sliced
  • Kosher salt

Procedures

  1. Place bacon in a large nonstick or cast iron skillet and cook over medium-low heat, turning occasionally, until crisp all over, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and bacon fat to a small bowl.

  2. Wipe out skillet and return to medium heat. Melt butter until foaming subsides. Add both bread slices and cook, swirling occasionally, until pale golden brown on bottom side, about 2 minutes.

  3. Transfer to a cutting board toasted-side-up. Place one cheese slice on top of one slice, followed by bacon, tomato, and avocado. Top with second cheese slice and close sandwich.

  4. Add half of reserved bacon fat to skillet and heat over medium-low heat. Add sandwich and cook, swirling occasionally, until deep, even golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove sandwich using a flexible metal spatula. Add the remaining bacon fat. Return sandwich to skillet cooked-side up. Season with salt. Cook, swirling occasionally, until second side is deep, even golden brown and cheese is thoroughly melted, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.