Kraft Singles, L.A., and MY Grilled Cheese Creation!
Dear California,
My name is Christy. I’m going to be visiting you this weekend. Now I know this is likely not anything for you to take notice of because apparently, lots of people visit you every day, but for me, its a pretty big deal. You see, I’ve never been out of the Southern United States except for a visit to Canada a few years back. On that trip I tried and fell in love with poutine, blueberry pie, and that maple candy which is just pure sugar and about as bad for you as Southern cooking but…well that’s not my point. Oh, in the interest of full disclosure, I also went to D.C. for a weekend but I am told DC doesn’t count as “leaving the south”. This confuses the heck out of me, to be honest but I’ll roll with it. I’m not really a troublemaker, California, honest.
Anyway, back to my point. You see, I am coming for a visit. This is a HUGE deal for me. Kraft Singles is sending me to see you! I’m being flown out of Alabama and arriving in L.A. Friday evening in order to attend the 7th Annual Grilled Cheese invitational on Saturday. I am thrilled, elated, overjoyed, and scared out of my mind. All of this equals to EXCITEMENT! I’ve literally been dancing all over the place since I was first chosen to do this! Just wait til you meet me, you’ll see how excited I am. I’m even excited about my layover! I may get to have it in Denver and that means I’ll get to see a real mountain for the first time! ~squeals~
To make matters even more interesting, this Alabama girl is going to be driving in L.A. I didn’t think too much of this until I heard from a friend that you actually have stacked highways. Having no idea what a stacked highway was, I looked it up. Wikipedia defines them as “The world’s most insane highway concept which can only safely be navigated by native Californians”.
Okay so I paraphrased that. I saw a picture though and nearly hyperventilated. They say the car has a navigational system so at least I’ll have someone to whine to if I get hopelessly lost. I hope I can choose a male voice for my navigator, every southern gal knows that men are the absolute best to have around when one becomes hopelessly lost anyway. Maybe I’ll name him Fred…oh no, I know, I’ll name him Bill after my reader Bill Gent. There, he seems nice already, even if he is going to burst out laughing the moment I start whining. I’ll get you for that, Bill.
I had not originally planned on getting a rental car, but Rachel from A Southern Fairy Tale is going as well and when I asked her what she was doing, she responded “I’m a Texas Gal, I’m getting the car!”, thereby forcing me to get the car in order to uphold the honor of all Alabama women. ~sighs~ Really though, how bad can traffic be? Highways sure were clear when OJ was driving them that time…
Back to the point of this letter. Kraft Singles (which have, at many times sustained my picky children when they refused to eat anything other than grilled cheese) is sending me to your wondrous state in honor of National Grilled Cheese month! The Grilled Cheese Invitational is going to be awesome as I get to photograph, video, and taste grilled cheese sandwiches (they are even giving me one of those new fangled FLIP cameras)! They are going to be preparing and serving up over 5000 grilled cheese to everyone there. I’ll be reporting back on Southern Plate with photos and video as well as tales of my adventure on your lovely freeways (I believe in the power of positive thinking!).
California, do you like grilled cheese sandwiches?I know you tend to be a bit more health conscious than us Southerners but they make this great fat free cheese too and you can always put it on light bread. Really honey, no one should deny themselves the ooey goodness and comfort that is the grilled cheese. To help punctuate this point, Kraft Singles has a great website iheartgrilledcheese.com where folks can go and enter their grilled cheese story in fifty words or less and be eligible to enter one of 500 coupons for free packages of Kraft Singles that they are giving away each week! How cool is that?
Psst, Cali. Between you and me, don’t you ever crave Southern food? You know we can southernize just about anything with a few magic ingredients. You look a little thin, why don’t you come sit down and let me make you my version of the grilled cheese. I promise not to tell. Let me do this for you because I’m hoping you’ll return the hospitality this weekend. See you soon.
Love (Us Southerners are an affectionate lot),
Christy 
P.S. If you could postpone any earthquakes you had planned that would be great!
You know what? I think Southern Plate should give away coupons for free packages of Kraft Singles, too. I have a some extras so y’all just leave me a comment and I’ll choose a few of you at random while I’m out gallavantin’ with the stars this weekend and post who the winners are. For updates on how my trip is going, you can follow me on twitter or subscribe to Southern Plate by email because I am going to try my best to send my subscribers an email while I’m in the big city and let y’all know how its going!
Only in the south does a grilled cheese recipe begin with “Fry you up a bunch of bacon…”. Oh yeah, this is gonna be good!
You’re gonna need: Kraft singles (Two for each sandwich), bacon (I am not loyal to any particular brand, this is what was on sale), and eggs. The rest is gravy .
Note: that was just a saying. We aren’t really making gravy here but I bet if we did it would be even better! I just meant that the rest is just stuff you have around such as bread, salt, pepper, and a wee bit of optional milk or water.
Fry up a bit of bacon. This is a great time to call on the cast iron skillet because bacon grease is good for it .
I always cook an entire package of bacon at a time. Any leftovers can just be placed in a sealed bag in the fridge and used throughout the week in salads, baked potatoes, or sweet and sour green beans. I really need to get around to posting that recipe for you soon! When you are done, you are left with the nectar of a Southerner’s diet : Bacon Grease.
This is the stuff of legend and if you throw it away I will personally come haunt you! I pour mine in a mason jar and put the lid on it. My granny always had a bacon grease jar sitting on top of her stove but you can put it in the fridge if it makes you feel better. Mine is sitting on the stove out of respect for my raisin’. Note: I didn’t just mention a shriveled up grape.
What are you going to do with that bacon grease? Well for starters, you can make Dixie Cornbread which is, in my humble opinion, the best cornbread I have ever tasted in all my born days. TWO whole cups of buttermilk go in that stuff! Anytime a Southerner pulls out the buttermilk you need to be a hangin’ round their kitchen and doing whatever you can to get in their good graces for when the oven timer goes off! Trust me on this.
What else can you do with bacon grease? The uses are endless really but personally, unless I have bacon grease around, I won’t even bother cooking eggs. Nothing makes eggs better than cooking them in a bit of bacon grease. Today, we’re going to make what my nephews all call “dirty eggs” for our sandwich.
Crack your eggs in a bowl. You’ll need one to two eggs for each sandwich. Add about a teaspoon of pepper.
Add about 1/2 a tsp of salt
and about two tablespoons of milk.
This makes your eggs a little fluffier and well..my mama always added a bit of milk so I do, too.
Imagine a problem in your life that is driving you half crazed and transfer that problem onto the eggs as you beat the living mess out of them.
Aww, now my eggs look all stressed.
Hey, it worked!
~grins~
Look at our skillet! Some might look at all of those bits of crusty bacon in the bottom and think it is “dirty” but I look at them and think “OOH we should cook some eggs in that!”
Let your skillet cool slightly and leave about a tablespoon or so of bacon grease in there along with all of the bacony goodness that is in the bottom.
I always let my skillet cool a bit before I pour the eggs in because I really like eggs that are cooked on lower temperatures and for longer periods of time. My husband likes to fry eggs (it is the one thing he knows how to cook) and he cooks them REALLY high and REALLY fast. He only does this on Saturday mornings and I swear it makes the house smell like dead chickens. Yeah, thats not very pleasant.
So just make me happy and cook yours on a low temp, ok?
Thanks, I feel better already .
Pour your eggs in the skillet and stir from the bottom so that all of the little bacon crumbs stir up inside them.
While those are slowly cooking, we’re going to prepare our bread by spreading it with a lovely product called Baconnaise. Thats right, Bacon flavored mayonnaise. The fact that such a thing even exists just goes to show that the world can’t be all that bad! Their slogan is “everything should taste like bacon”.
I agree.
Now I spread my Baconnaise on whole wheat bread. Hey, the whole wheat and the calcium from the cheese are two healthy aspects of this sandwich so you can let the bacon and bacon grease infused eggs slide. Besides, eggs are protein.
See? Its a good thing. Really it is.
Put a Kraft Single on each slice
Top with a generous helping of dirty eggs
And put a few pieces of bacon on top of that.
Place this in your Mama’s heirloom cast iron skillet that she gave you and that Richard Hall was nice enough to season for you a few weeks back when you really wanted it done but didn’t want to have to do it yourself…
Wasn’t that nice of Richard? I think so. ~smiles~
If Richard doesn’t live close enough for you to con sweet talk into seasoning your skillets, you can read his tutorial on how to do that by clicking here.
Now I don’t use butter on my bread when I make grilled cheese sandwiches because while I don’t mind eating the grease (I AM a Southerner!) I don’t like touching it. So we just prefer our bread dry toasted. Brown that on both sides until your cheese is nice and melted.
Decadence.
Grilled cheese sandwich, Bama style!
For each sandwich, you’ll need:
- 3 slices bacon
- 1-2 eggs
- 2 slices Kraft Singles Cheese
- Wheat Bread
- Baconnaise or Mayonnaise
Cook bacon and drain on paper towels. Beat up eggs with salt and pepper to taste, adding in a tablespoon of milk if you like. Cook in two tablespoons of bacon grease until done. Smear Mayo on each slice of bread and top each slice with a piece of cheese. Add bacon and eggs. Toast until browned on both sides in a skillet.
Comment below to be entered to win a coupon for a package of FREE Kraft Singles!
To see another huge thrill for me, visit Average Betty and see where she mentioned ME, MEEE!!! Yes yes yes, ME in her blog post! I made it on Average Betty! I gotta remember to write California a thank you note for having people like her living there…
If you can dream it, you can do it. ~Walt Disney
(Courtesy of Southern Plate reader, Micha at Cookin Mimi. To submit your quote, click here!)
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I swear that looks good enough to eat. Yum.
Oh, my gosh, Christy, that grilled cheese looks beyond incredible! I’m going to have to try that SOON! Have a wonderful time on your trip, and show them Southerners know a thing or two!
Okay, I don’t eat mayo but I might have to try the baconnaise. That sounds divine! This may be dinner one night this week. I love breakfast for supper! Have fun in California!
Ohh my gravy =) That looks YUMMMMYYY! Thanks for sharing!
Dear Christy,
So excited for you and your trip to CA. Please take this piece of advice….
DON’T DRIVE!!! Take their offer for getting you a car/driver. I promise you, it will make the trip much more enjoyable if you don’t have to worry about getting around. I promise it won’t look bad on us Alabamians if you do.
Love ya!
Shannon
P.S. Although, now that I’m thinking about it, you driving in CA by yourself could be fodder for a really great blog post…. uhmmmm….forget everything I said above…and take lot’s of pics…and your chocolate chip cookies just in case you get lost and need help! : )
Looks so good
Oh MY, Christy. That looks soooo good! Whenever I can’t think of anything for dinner, I’ll suggest grilled cheese sandwiches. I know my husband will say “That would be perfect!” It might be his favorite food – well, after lobster.
Oh, you’re going to my home state! I miss CA so much, if I were still there I’d be your personal chauffeur! The freeways are a little crazy, especially in L.A. I hope you have a great time!
girl you continually crack me up! congrats on the trip-need a driver?? I am a Bama gal who can drive better than any texan! just let me at em, I have negotiated traffic on the Kennedy expressway and showed some yankees the hard way that if you get out of line in traffic in bama you DONT GET BACK IN TIL EVERYONE HAS PASSED!
I would love the coupons by the way. go check out my post about my cvs trip today
http://fillingamefamily.blogspot.com/
Hello, I’m a native Texan who can drive better than any Bama gal – just kidding you, Misti. I AM a native Texan, but I don’t really like big city (Houston) driving. I prefer small town and countryside roads! Much less stress and pretty scenery!
Jennifer – I also love breakfast for supper! Christy’s grilled cheese masterpiece looks yummy. I have plenty of fresh eggs from my chickens and will have to whip up a few and try this.
I have only eaten grilled cheese sandwiches grilled with butter or marg – never dry. I’m not sure if I will give that up!
My grandma always had bacon grease in a can on her stove, but my mother said no to passing on that tradition!
Best of luck to Christy! Knock um dead! (Not really)
My fav. grilled cheese is:
White American Cheese
Crispy Bacon
Tart apple slices (like Granny Smith)
ooooooo!! It’s soooo good!!
Bacon Mayo? I think I may have fallen in love! The sandwich looks GREAT! Enjoy your trip.
Dear California,
Soon you will be visited by a woman from Alabama who has never been out of the south (except for those times she has).
She will be driving on your freeways on this first time visit.
Please tell everyone to get the *&*#!&$ out of the way.
Thank you.
Love, Alabama.
LOL!
~shoots diet dr pepper out her nose~
LOL!
Oh yeah, I made the easy potato casserole you posted last week. I made it with cut up pork chops and green beans. I also added a bit of Parmesan cheese to it. I would have added Rosemary like another reader suggested but I forgot I was out.
Day before yesterday I made potato soup with chopped garlic, onions and melted several slices of Kraft Singles for some cheesy potato soup. It was pretty darn good!
I love these, but Ive never put the Baconnaise on mine! I will definitely have to try that! Have fun in Cali. I too have never been out of the Southeast!
My Gremma put bacon grease in dang near everything, and I follow her lead wholeheartedly! Eggs made in a pan with cooking spray taste like fish…don’t ask me how fowl turns to fish in the pan, but I de-clare it does happen! Now, eggs made in a pan with some bacon grease…mmm, now we’re talking! My grease, just like yours, sits on the back of the stove in a mason jar and is added to greens, beans, tators, and eggs. Now, my brother, who is a marvelous cook (man alive, can he make the best ever lasagna, and a gob of other smack your Mama goodies!!) refuses to use bacon grease in any of his dishes, and I believe that just ain’t right. He is 9 years younger than me, and by the time he came along, my Gremma’s kitchen (that I grew up in) was alot less productive than it was when I was “helping”. So his culinary skills came mostly from Jeff Smith on PBS, which is wonderful, but I don’t remember Jeff ever using Bacon grease. My goals are to get him to add (as you refer to it) the nectar of southern cooking to a dish and to find some finanical backing into a little business of making spray cans of bacon grease…lol! I believe I might be able to retire early!!
This looks delish. Nothing like some dirty eggs to start your day.
PS: Baconnaise? OMG! I need to find and purchase ASAP!
Grilled Cheese, Chicken Noodle Soup, a Dill Pickle and a nice big Dr. Pepper! Thats my favorite. That just might be dinner tonight! Thanks Christy!
Good Luck in LA! Watch out for those crazy Starlets and their side-swiping!
I have just recently stumbled upon your blog, and my land, it is just like gabbing with a friend!
your letter to cali had me literally LOL!
Ooh! Ooh! Pick me! We need some sliced cheese in this house…we’re running low.
BTW, there is NO WAY I could make that sandwich. Not because I’m a Yankee, but because Hubby hates mayo(he’s insane) and I can’t have pork. I’m allergic. Feel sorry for me…
Don’t think I’ve seen Baconnaise. I’ll have to look for it the next time I’m shopping. Have fun in Cali!
Christy,
That looks like a great sandwich to eat on the way to work in the am.
That looks soooooooo GOOD! =)
Mmmmm, Mmmmm! That sure does sound good. I feel the same way as you about bacon grease! Just about everything tastes better cooked in it.
That looks sooooo good!!!! Didn’t know about that Baconnaise but I will be ordering it soon!!!! Have a good time on your trip.
Your grilled cheese looks delicious!! Good luck in LA and have a great time!!
PS I made your Dishpan cookies today and they turned out great. My 5 year old helped me and he was amazed at how big they turned out. Thanks for the great recipes!!
Oh My! Your sandwiches look so yummy! Where in the world did you find Baconaise??
Safe travels to the West Coast!
I was introduced to grilled cheese and bacon sandwiches when I went away to college in PA. Oh.My.Goodness.
Bacon, egg, and cheese on bagels is one of my favorite breakfast sandwiches…
I will be attempting your recipe soon!
Christy,
The grilled cheese looks wonderful! I can’t wait to try it. Hope you have a great time on your trip.
I love reading your blog! I always come away with a grin! I thought I had spent enough time in the South to have heard everything, but you suprised me with baconnaise. I must say that grilled cheese sandwiches have been a sanity saver (we know what a precious limited resource a mom’s sanity can be)in my house with my picky eaters.
I too love your blog! I grew up in Alabama and Georgia and with a mason jar of bacon grease sittin on the stove! It does make everything taste better! I always smile when I read your blog… so many memories of my “raisin”! This grill cheese is what I always order from Waffle House! Don’t know why I never thought to make them myself at home! We love Kraft singles around here and I have become an avid couponer thanks to Southern Savers! Thanks so much for brightening my day each day!:)
I thought everyone saved bacon gease. I use it to season green beans and when I make corn bread; in the batter and to grease the iron skillet. When I was in grade school, we lived close enough to go home for lunch and a grilled cheese sandwich was usually what I wanted. Enjoy your trip to California. Take care.
OMG OMG OMG!!!!
Oh man, that looks soooo good! The only thing that would make it better is if the egg was fried over medium so every bite has a bit of soft, creamy yolk in it. I think I know what I’m having for lunch tomorrow.
So funny that you’ve never seen a real mountain. Here in Salt Lake, I see mountains any time I look out a window. And we have some stacked highways here too – don’t worry, they freak me out too, but aren’t really all that bad once you get used to them.
Those have got to be the most decadent, incredible grilled cheese sandwiches I have ever seen. They look incredible! Baconnaise has it right – everything should taste like bacon.
Christy, When I think about you driving in California, I think about the time you backed into my truck IN YOUR DRIVE WAY! :0)
Good luck California!! LOL Have a good time!
Ya need to tell me more about that lil accident Stacey!
Trust me, Bill. People quickly learned not to park behind me…
(after I had three such incidents in my parent’s driveway)
~smiles sweetly~
Just send that comment to Calif. and maybe the roads will be empty for you likd they were for OJ!! LOL
love to have a coupon for cheese thanks
I hope you have a great time in LA with all the Cheese!! American singles has always been a favorite family food of ours in Texas.
Oh.Mah.Gosh!!!
I think I have died and have landed in bacon heaven!!! Baconnaise??? How can this BEEEEE???? I must have some right NOW!!!
Thansk for the recipe, Christy! My arteries can’t wait to eat this sammy! LOL *wink*
Ya’ll have fun in LA. The grilled cheese looks wonderful. I’ll have to try it soon!
I love this sandwich!!! So yummy!!
Congratulations and good luck driving in LA……grilled cheese looks scrumptious…..
That looks amazing. I know you haven’t invested in the Smell-o-vision yet but that picture was so good I could almost taste the melted cheese. I was looking for a quick easy dinner for tonight (because there’s nothing in the world I want less to do than go grocery shopping today) and this is it. My husband will love you forever for this one! Good luck in L.A., the traffic reminds me of D.C. and Atlanta combined- fast and relatively courteous. My family drove through there in January on our way to see the Redwoods. One thing, you absolutely have to go to an In and Out Burger if you’ve never been. BEST fries I’ve ever had. And their shakes are amazing. I can’t wait to hear what you think of it. =)
I can’t wait to get to the store and look for the Baconaise…that sounds intriguing! I have to say your grilled cheese sandwich looks WAY more interesting than mine ever did, so I am going to trust you and get some of that stuff…hope they sell it out here in Kansas!
only one word……yummmmmmmmmmm!
My one piece of advice if it is at all possible eat here:http://www.farmerboys.com/ It’s a Southern California chain that started in my hometown and they are sooooo good. Okay that wasn’t my only piece of advice but had to let ya know. Have fun and relax. If you’ve driven in downtown Atlanta you should be good on the freeways. Also I’m not sure how Athens drivers make their turns but I know ’round here people have a tendency to get on the left side of the lane to turn right and vice versa but Californians don’t do that. And also at least as of 14 years ago restaurants don’t serve sweet tea which isn’t an issue with you and my mom swears Dr. Pepper tastes different out there.
Good luck in LA. The sandwich looks great!!!
My Granny was the best cook around and she always kept her bacon grease. She had a tin can that sat on the back of her stove and she seasoned everything with it. Can you say YUMMY?
I have never seen Baconaise; can’t wait to look for it. Your sandwich looks like my breakfast one of these mornings:)
I would have never thought of that combination. We will have it tomorrow night for supper. It looks great.
Wow. That looks absolutely delicious.
I’m drooling now… my hubby’s gonna look at me funny soon, I’m sure.
Land o Goshen!! I have been away from my South waaay too long. BACONNAISE?!?! It would seem as if I had died and gone to heaven if there ever was such a product. I know it “aint” sold here in the northeast corner of the U.S. Heck, they don’t even have Waffle House, Krystal or Checkers here! I have to hug my mason jar of bacon grease from time to time to bring memories of grandparents, southern meals with family and actual red juicy tomatoes. My friend Christy will have to ship some to me, overnite delivery (hint), for me to believe it really exists and isn’t a retouched picture, tee hee.
A big ole CONGRATS to Christy for Kraft hunting her down as a judge and a “heads-up” to California, cuz there’s a whirlwind headed their way called SP Christy. I know the drivers in that state don’t want her driving as she multi-tasks while on the phone, I’ve heard, and anything could happen. I LOVE KRAFT PRODUCTS!! Go KRAFT!
Never thought I’d say this, but I miss Checkers and Waffle House TOO!!
OMGosh this sounds (and looks) wonderful! I had never heard of Baconaise…will definitely have to find some to try.
Yay for LA. You’ll have a blast. Yes, there’s traffic, but it’s pretty courteous for the most part.
Please let me know if you need any traffic tips or help or advice or anything. Weather-wise, it’s been super hot here the last few days.
Oh and get some fish tacos while you’re here! They’re awesome. We have two chains, which I mention bc I don’t know where you’ll be staying – and of the two, Wahoo’s is tastier than Rubio’s. Be sure to put lots and lots of lime on it.
Ok I just looked up the event location. It’s in Downtown LA. I hate driving in downtown, there are too many one way streets and not enough parking. I am sure you can handle it but if they offer to drive you…it might be easier.
Looks yummy! I’ve never head of or seen the Baconnaise in my local stores though.
This looks like this weekends breakfast! Thanks!
Christy, I just ordered some Baconnaise, and the seasoning from QVC. Can’t wait to get it to try. And the funniest part is they said it’s not made from bacon. Your sandwich looks really good.
I hope you have a fantastic time in LA. See and do as much as you can. Wow, since I joined your site, you have become quite famous.
Well keep it up.
Hope you enjoy your new house too.
Hmmmm, Grilled cheese with a slice VIDALIA onion & a slice or 2 of a big juicy ripe tomato,a dash of salt and pepper,and a bowl of tomato soup(NO, that is not too much tomato)!!! and a glass of sweet tea!!!! Ain’t nothin’ better!
Nancy that is my kinda meal!
Nancy, Grilled cheese and a bowl of tomato soup was a frequent meal in my childhood! I am 59 now and still love it.
A glass of sweet tea with it – perfect!
You are so right – Ain’t nothin’ better!
Leave off the onion and call me over!!
Girl you are crazy!!
Congrats! Have fun in CA.
Baconnaise!! Who knew?? Holy Cow. My DH would die if I made him those egss…..he just doesn’t understand!! :::Sigh::: He won’t eat gravy either…..but I still love him.
Have tons of fun in Cali…..be safe and check in if you can!! We’ll be sitting on the edge of our seats!! :::smiles:::
my mouth is watering!!
You know how I cook bacon? I lay it all flat out on a large baking sheet and cook it in the oven at 400 degrees. It fries and sizzles but doesn’t pop and make a mess. I swear it comes out perfectly flat and crisp.
Christy-way to go girl! Are you sure L.A. is ready for you? You will have them eating out of your hand with your wonderful recipies.
I looove grilled cheese sandwiches-have them all the time for lunch. I can see I have not been doing them right. Tomorrow the works for me. It looks so yummy.
Have a great time in CA but from what I hear you need a driver.
Hugs
Ann Marie
Oh that looks so good! That is definitely going to be my new favorite grilled cheese!
Baconaise?? I’ve never heard of it. I’ve never seen it in the stores. Is it a regional thing? I’d love to try it. It just might take the place in my heart for Miracle Whip. My kids and I grew up on grilled cheese and tomato soup. We would sit at the table at lunch time and have such a good time. Yes, I did grow up with my kids.
And PLEASE send me a coupon for Kraft Singles. Another fav!
Have fun in California. But if I had a choice, I would not drive. Too much to look at to pay attention to driving. I would want to look at EVERYTHING, and that does not go with driving very well.
Christy, you mention Rich and the tute on seasoning a skillet. I asked a question on that on that post that was never answered. Maybe you could do me a favor and ask him how to handle an old tea kettle. You wouldn’t season it in the same way would you?
I am so sorry, I have been watching to make sure I answer/answered all the questions on Christy’s site. Please check your original question and I’ll see what I can do. Sorry again,
Rich
Christy,
have great fun in Cali, she´s a nice lady!
This sandwich looks sooooooooo good!
I am hungry!
Love, Verena
Being from California, I have to say, I’ve eaten quite a number of grilled cheese sandwiches using Kraft but never something like this! It looks great! I can’t wait to try it this weekend. And good luck on those LA highways. I’m from the San Francisco Bay Area and when I went down there…my god! 3 hours to go 30 miles! I vowed never to drive down there again.
Have you ever tried French Toast grilled cheese? That’s a personal favorite of mine: cinnamon french toast, melted cheese…and pass the honey over please! That plus a side of eggs…although now you’ve inspired me to toss that *into* the sandwich.
Enjoy sunny Southern California…hope you’ll get the chance to come back and visit us “NorCal” people next time!
I know what we are having for dinner tomorrow night. Thanks for the post. We have a busy afternoon at the ballpark tomorrow night and the grilled cheese will be perfect. Have an AWESOME/SAFE trip to Cali. I cannot wait to see the pics!
Its almost midnight and now I want me an egg and cheese sandwich. I would love to have free cheese we eat more cheese around here than mice, we put it on everything. I can’t wait to look for that baconnaise stuff either, sounds like a sandwich in itself.
Oh Christy! I totally understand your apprehension at driving in LA!
Now here in Perth our freeways are about 4 lanes at most, but for the most of the length it’s probably 3 lanes. We don’t have stacked freeways.
So for me even thinking about driving in the US scares the hell out of me, even with GPS because our roads are just not that busy. Not to mention keeping the whole driving on the other side of the road thing into consideration.
I love your sandwich, that’s one of my favourite toasted sandwiches – egg, cheese and bacon. Yum!!!!!
Geez, lady, I know you love grilled cheese sandwiches and everything but would you please calm the @#$% down?! You act like a spokesperson for Kraft on methamphetamines.
Incidentally, if you live in Alabama, you’re probably not going to want to go anywhere near LA, because it’s not anything like Alabama, I’m sure. You’d feel totally alien there, just like you apparently feel alien about the concept of actual mountains, having never seen one before. Is Alabama flatter than a pancake or something?
And way to go on using baconnaise AND bacon. Could you be any more redundant? Like maybe throw some bacon salt in there too?
You are being really rude. Why even bother to leave a comment?
Ditto Su. I always love this website for the food, fun and lightheartedness. Looks like BillGent is on it though. We LOVE Christy!!
Heh, They mess with Christy, they mess with all of us. Southern Plate readers protect their own.
Indeedy! If he was a fish, I’d throw him back!!!
Goodness doppelheathen.. You’re going postal about grilled cheese? I truly hope nothing heart wrenching happens in your life such as calling a wrong number or Walmart running out of your favorite popsicle.
It must be horrible to be you… So victimized, so put upon, beat up.. so deprived of flavored frozen treats..
What do you think made you so angry and volatile? Was it the minute you realized that Malibu Ken didn’t return the love you felt? Were you attacked by a giant plate of nachos? Were you horribly disfigured by a cheese grater?
Now, calm down and eat something.. like..a grilled cheese sandwich.. get revenge on that dirty, dirty cheese!
This has been a public service announcement. We will now return to our regularly scheduled program…
Your response was very amusing, but a bit off the mark. I wasn’t attacking cheese or Kraft singles. I was attacking the apparent spokespersonish fanaticism I felt, like she’s a mouthpiece for Kraft singles.
Anyway, thanks for making me laugh.
Dear doppelheathen,
As I sit and ponder upon your post, I must admit my confusion. Why would someone so enthusiastic about truly showing their miniscule level of intelligence continue to deprive everyone else on earth of the extra oxygen? In case you truly are as ignorant and unintelligent as you seem: my point is SHUT-UP! Its real simple, if you don’t like somebody (or their website) don’t go there. Just leave, never come back, and make all of us SOOOO much happier. Didn’t your Mama tell you, “if you can’t say anything nice…….”? Everyone alse loves this site, the great woman, and her fun nature. So if you must continue to be a butt hole, do it where we don’t have to deal with your stench. Thanks sincerely for your time.
P.S. If you’re gonna cuss, don’t be a 12 year old and use the goofy @^%#$ stuff.
Your friend, wait…scratch that
Sincerely, nope……
Bite me, Clint Anderson
He obviously has nothing better to do than troll.
My 5 year old grandson thinks Krafts Singles come with the refrigerator! My daughter grew up with Krafts cheese. The singles were an estravagence, but my daughter didn’t like cheese after it was unwrapped! In the long run it was cheaper than throwing cheese away!
Well, it’s 2:45 AM and now I want a grilled cheese sandwich (Bama style)! I have never heard nor seen Baconnaise and last time I checked North Carolina was still a part of the South!
I’ll hafta get my Ingle’s Supermarket manager to order us up some! Sounds pure tee heavenly! I bet that stuff would rock in some tater salad. Never, never, never fry eggs on high heat – I can’t stand that “lace” that gets on them when they’re fried on high heat! YUCK! I agree with you, fry’em low and slow!
Enjoy LA – I’ve never been but I hear it’s a great place to visit. I just couldn’t stay too long as their are only so many “bean sprouts” a girl can eat.
Christy:
As a Los Angeles resident, I must say, welcome to Southern California. But allow me to provide some gentle warnings.
If you are driving, you might want to actually stay away from the junction of the 110 and 105 freeways, it is the scary one. I believe the tallest ramp is well over 200 feet high (20 story building — yeah, that would not surprise me). That’s one of the few that’s so high though. The “four level” in downtown is probably only 60 or 70 feet high.
Other than that, get ready for some long term idling in stop-and-go traffic. Also, traffic jams can happen at any time, even late at night, and suddenly clear up for no reason that you can discern.
If you want to fit in, you must call the freeways “the 5″, “the 101″ and “the 10.” Not “Interstate 10″ or, even worse, “highway 10.”
Allow me a gentle correction also: that whole thing about So Cal people eating raw sprouts and wheat germ is a big overblown myth. There’s only a small subset of the population (some of the “beautiful people”) who are like that. The rest of the population (working folk) are cramming down giant hamburgers and huge burritos like anyone else.
In fact, Southern California is the origin point of McDonald’s, Jack In The Box and Carl’s Jr., plus we even have hamburger chains they don’t have in other regions (Fatburger, In-N-Out Burger). And also the origin point of Wienerschnitzel, the world’s largest chain of hot dog restaurants.
Finally, the event is being held at a park (former railroad yard, they are still working on fixing it up) just north of downtown which has a fantastic view of the downtown skyscrapers. There should be plenty of room for folks. It’s also public transit (train) adjacent and right next to Chinatown if you want to try some Chinese food.
Look for me at the event, because I will be one of your competitors!
Good luck!
Sincerely,
Scott Mercer
As a third generation native Southern Californian, I thank you Scott for the advice you gave Miss Christy. I’ve been transplanted to the SF Bay Area where even after 11 years I cling to my use of “the” before freeway numbers.
I’d take the car and driver, that way you can just sit back and take it all it without worry, and experience that part of the Hollywood life.
In addition to In-N-Out, since you’re in LA try to get to one of the following: Tommy’s (chili cheese burgers to die for), Pink’s Hot Dogs, The Hat (I recommend the original Alhambra corner walk up I have a pastrami here each time I go home for a visit) or Felipe’s near Dodger Stadium (the home of the beef dip). The list goes ON and ON and ON… Thankfully many of these places are open long hours because you’ll need to eat every couple of hours if you want to get it all in… never know when you’ll be back out for a visit.
Be sure to bring your sunscreen and make time to dip your toes in the ocean.
Have a great time… Wish I was there to meet you!
Have a great weekend, Christy! We will all be here at home, waiting IM-patiently for your posts.
Christy, you are a hoot…love your posts….I read them every day that you post one. California is going to LOVE you. I was checking out that yummy grilled cheese southern style sammy…it’s to die for! I’m so glad you save your bacon grease too….I don’t know how people season their food without it!!! My mother grew up in Austria during WWII….she told me that at times they ate bacon grease on bread with slices of onion….that’s a little much for me, but when you’re hungry, you’re hungry.
Love ya, Kathi
A woman after my own heart! I was thinking before I even saw the rest of the post that a great grilled cheese sandwich must start with bacon – great minds think a like. AND, I ALWAYS cook my eggs in the bacon grease…and your’e right, low and slow baby – low and slow!
Oh Christy I am so excited for you and for us too! I live here in Southern California and a friend of my hubby’s was in this challenge last year. It was a hoot! You will have such fun and see such craziness that you will have plenty to post on when you get home. Hopefully we will be able to stop by and say “Hey” and get you to sign your cookbook! Have fun and just think of our freeways as an “experience” LOL!!!! God Bless and hopefully we will see you there!! (Kraft is a way of life in our house!)
Mary from Cali
Hey Mary! I’m busy cleaning my house and packing today (moving is madness, I swear) but I wanted to pop in and holler at you! (holler being figurative!). I’d love a chance to meet you! Shoot me an email at christy@southernplate.com and I’ll send you my cell phone number so we make sure we don’t miss each other!
Gratefully,
Christy
P.S. Same goes for any other SP readers who are out there! lol YAY!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this!! I’ve never tried it with the Baconnaise (never heard of it actually!) I do use Mayonnaise and oh my lucky stars is it ever good!
Looks and sounds delicious! I love to add a thick slice of homegrown tomato.
I’ll gladly take a coupon. Love me some Kraft singles! Have a wonderful and Safe trip!
The more I read your stories and drool over your recipes and laugh with you and your fans,especially Bill Gent, I have this strange yearning to move South.
Your grilled cheese looks & sounds wonderful, can’t wait to try it, I don’t have any Baconnaise tho :>( but mayo will do just fine! Have fun in Cali & be safe. They are in for a treat, & will never be the same after they fall in love with your recipes. My favorite is the “Good & Easy Cake!” I love it with peach pie filling, & it makes a great gift. Gotta go……I’m off to the store for some Kraft singles!!
OMG! That looks so good. I wish you could take your poor, pitiful sister-in-law with you! You are going to love L.A! (and I don’t mean Lower Alabama) It is a great city. I am so jealous! Have fun.
Hey Christy!
I remember grilled cheese and tomato soup from my childhood. (In fact we had that for supper last night!) There were 7 of us kids and we all loved grilled cheese and soup night! We had no clue that it was probably the most economical choice for mom! It was just good food! Well that AND Peanut Butter and Honey sandwiches!! YUMMY!
Ever made a fried bologna egg and cheese sandwich?? HEAVENLY
Good luck in California…don’t worry there are actually very nice people there…not like the South (No place on earth compares) but they are nice enough! OOH…but one thing – if you ask for SWEET tea they will look at you and point to the little blue or pink packs on the table – blech…THAT is not SWEET TEA!!
Take care,
Tonia
Girl – we are true southern sisters – I have been making bacon, egg & cheeses since I was big enough to stand at the stove a scramble an egg. But I’ve never seen the baconaise! I have had tomato mayo a couple years ago and it was great on a burger especially in the winter when tomatoes are the pits!
Christy,
When you are driving the great California highways, keep a smile on your face and remember Walt Disney’s quote “If you can dream it, you can do it”!
Christy,
Another great cheese sandwich that you may like is so very simple:
I cook up some “large, thin” sausage patties that will fit my white bread slices. On one slice of bread, layer a slice of cheese, the sausage,another slice of cheese and then the other piece of bread. Saute in butter until lightly browned on both sides and cheese is melted. Not a very “healthy” sandwich, but one of the best you can imagine!
christy have fun! I need to go get some baconise – never heard of it. I should not have read this post at work because now I want one of these sandwiches.
Where the heck do you find baconnaise?? I’ve never seen it! Can you make it with bacon grease and duke’s?
I second this question Angie! I haven’t seen it on the shelves around where I am so I’m hoping to just make some on my own…
I swear, everything is a little better when you add cheese and bacon to it!
Dh & I went to LA a couple of summers ago for my job and we stayed in Long Beach. It was absolutely beautiful … the weather was so mild and nice in the middle of July compared to the miserable humidity of Alabama. I can see why people want to live there – I don’t know how people *afford* to live there, but I can see why they would want to! And I didn’t think the driving (or the airport) was any worse than Atlanta! Good luck and have a fabulous time …
Christy…DO NOT DRIVE in California. No matter how good a driver you are you won’t be able to handle it. And don’t ride with the friend from Texas either! (No insult intended. I am a Texan) If you want to truly enjoy the experience, get a ride.
My husband is a grilled cheese fanatic and will add just about anything in the world to them….including BBQ sauce. I made one very similar to yours the other day and added avocada. He LOVED it. And I must admit it was pretty good.
Hey Christy! Have fun in Cali…wish I could go, be sure to take lots of pictures and post them!!
I love, love to keep bacon grease! I have an old metal bacon grease keeper that I have NO idea where it came from but am sure it was my mothers,grandmothers, or great-grandmothers. It has a contraption on the inside to filter the bits! Why?? Oh well, I can’t even tell ya where that is cause I don’t filter my grease..I get really upset when I pull it out of the fridge and have very little grease left to use for: green beans, bean soup, cornbread, eggs…yummmm
Have a great visit..and have you named your house yet?? When are you moving?
Laura
Ok….that’s it….I’d love to challenge you to a cheesy/bacon/egg sandwich throw down!! Wouldn’t it be nice if we could meet like …..say in Atlanta….and just go at it. We could call a TV station and get media coverage even. lol
I will warn you though…I would be bringing my side iron…my trusty Griswold fry pan!!! Is that someone shaking in her boots…that I hear??
Ü
Ewwwwww… be afraid..be VERY afraid!! Sounds like a showdown to ME…….on neutral grounds. I will come JUDGE the offerings!! Yummmmmmmmm
Yet another great looking recipe! I wish you the best of luck in LA this weekend and please be careful driving!:)
Great looking sandwich, and I have Never heard of Baconnaise, I will be looking for it next time I go to the store.
Have a great time in CA!
This makes my mouth water…yum, but you need to use my secret for cooking bacon that will not shrink. Dredge it in flour, shake off the excess and fry as usual. You may be able to use less to make this masterpiece!
ok how do I get entered for the KRAFT CHEESE?
I love KRAFT CHEESE and just happen to be out of it!
I cannot wait to read about your adventures in LA! HAVE FUN GIRLY!
HIGH FIVE!
Love the bacconaise I just checked out their website and laughed over the bacon flavored lip balm. I had to send the link to Paula Dean because you know she loves bacon too.
http://store.baconsalt.com/
Bacconaise !!!! Never heard of it here in Pennsylvania. It sounds delicious on everything, tomatoe sandwiches, grilled cheese, etc. I love bacon, so I know I will love this, YUM YUM.
I immediately found the website and order it already. Seems they do not sell it in PA. I’m working on getting that changed too.
Thanks Cristy, love your site, love the recipes and love your little stories. Your the highlight of my day!
baconnaise… Lord have mercy! How could they get that much good in one jar? I like to fix my bacon in the oven, about 425 or so. less shrinkage and less watching. also, patting some brown sugar on it before you throw it in the oven makes it even more wonderful, all caramel-y and glazed. love your blog, it sounds like me and my girlfriends talking. i’m a fourth generation Texan but my mama was from Tennessee so we got hit with the Southern stick on both sides.
I think that is what we will have for supper! Thanks!
Christy -
I jst LOVE you!! You are so funny and so WISE!! As you ca see by the name, I m from Texas (and I don’t know if I would get the car – I have ridden with my husband driving in LA and it was SCARY!!! (and he drives a LOT better than I do!)
But, all these years I have been making grilled cheese sandwiches with just cheese and bread – who knew? I CANNT WAIT to try your version – ist a complete meal (and so very healthy!!)
Ohhh that looks soooo yummy!
Have a great time in Cali, but hurry back to us, ya hear?! Will be keeping up with ya over on Twitter! Take care.
What a great trip for you, and an honor as well! I’d be so nervous driving in California, so Good luck!
That is some grilled cheese sandwich, one my husband would love!
First – I love your letter to California! As a Southern Gal who has spent some vacations in Cali, I promise they are nice and it’s a neat place to visit.
Second – Congrats, so cool that you’re being sent there for the Grilled Cheese Invitational – mmm!
Third – BACONAISE? Holy Moly that sounds so good I can’t focus on anything but buying some right now (of course it will mean a million hours at the gym but who cares, it’s bacon and mayo!)!!!
Good Luck!
WOW, I can taste it already! The only thing that would make it better is a slice of red tomato. YUM!!
Have a nice trip…and do ALABAMA proud!
Wow what a sandwich. Think I would like to throw some of those together on Sat. mornings before heading out to yard sales instead of a sausage/biscuit or the bacon,egg, and cheese ones that we normally just grab at the corner convience store. I would have never thought to make it like you have. I have made and egg and cheese sandwich where I just butter the inside of the slices and add salt and pepper and make it with white bread. For grilled cheese sandwiches I also like to add a slice of ham to the basic sandwich. For as much southern cooking I know of, sometimes it is like you have reinvented the wheel and makes cooking and food a new joy all over again. Thanks and my prayers go with you on your trip. For as hard as you work to make us feel special, I am glad that Kraft has choosen you to go and to be able to make you feel special in return. Definitely in life what goes ’round comes ’round.
HAVE SO MUCH FUN! I used to live in LA and, when you go, you must stop by THE GROVE! It is amazing… great shopping and there is also a farmers market on the right-hand side that has a ton of food and produce and small little stands where you can get things to eat. You will not be disappointed!
Mmmmmmm, that one looks almost better than Rachels! Why am I so plain?! Eggs? Yum-o!! I can’t wait to see you this weekend and see more crazy ingredients hitting these sandwiches!
- no need to sign me up for the contest
I LOVE grilled chees with bacon and tomato and mayo!!! One of our favorites! Have a great time in CA! Don’t get lost like we did, it was horrific!!
Wouldn’t you know it, my lunch is cooking while I read this post but now all I want is a grilled cheese sandwich ala Christy!
Good luck in L.A.
This sounds awesome…I have never heard of Baconaise, but you can bet I am going to be searching the stores here. Make grilled cheese and bacon alot but don’t do the eggs often. And we butter the bread. BF likes his smashed.
I am a Texas gal,married to a California man. He already thinks that Texas cooking is a heart attack,wait till he gets a load of that “Alabama girls” grill chesse.I cant wait to get that on the table.
Love the site. Your humor is really “all southern”!!!Have a great time in Ca. The GBEC sandwich sounds delicious.
The sandwich sounds delicious. Good luck and have a great time in Ca. I have never seen Baconaise, but will have one in my possession as soon as I find some. Bacon grease is one of my family’s prized possessions. My son’s wife threw his out one time while cleaning out the fridge and he was furious.
Girl!! You have a fabulous time in LA! I’ve been a couple of times & it’s a very fun place to visit. I can’t wait to hear all about your adventures. Southern girl gone Hollywood. Have fun! And yes, that samwich sounds wonderful.
The Baconnaise inventors were on Oprah today – there isn’t any bacon in it, only bacon flavor, so it’s actually kosher!
Can y’all believe they actually came up with a bacon flavored lip balm???
That grilled cheese is so completely drool-worthy…
“Stacked highways ?” How funny , I have never heard them given that name . I live near San Diego but don’t like driving in to the “city”. I have driven in LA traffic but prefer not to . We live in the country , don’t even have many sidewalks out here . You are right about the melted cheese sandwich— too many artery clogging ingredients for me . But it does seem to be yummy .
Oh my, now that looks like an amazing twist on grilled cheese! I’m heading to the kitchen now to give it a try.
YUM – we love grilled cheese around our house- my daughter especially. I am always up to win free cheese!
Christie
Do you buythe Baconnaise online or do you get it locally? I live in Athens(Alabama). Gotta get me some!
Thanks!
[...] for Betty was meeting a great online friend… in real life! Christy Jordan, who can grill up a wicked grilled cheese sandwich in her own right, was representing Alabama with all the Southern charm, wit and grace one might [...]
I make this all the time for bfast. I even use sausage in replace of the bacon sometimes.
The only difference I don’t scramble my eggs.
The picture looks good just like mine always look.
Thks.
I don’t drink coffee, but my husband is a big coffee drinker. He drinks all day and all night up until bed time. He wakes up and gets his cup before doing anything else.