Amy highly recommended the grilled cheese sandwich with bacon and pear, and it was, true to Amy’s suggestion, fabulous! The sweet pear worked beautifully with the bacon and sharp cheddar. A great combination. Bartlett pears are just now finally making a show at the markets and I made these sandwiches for the family this week. We also tried them with ham, in place of the bacon. The bacon won. There is a debate here as to whether gruyere would do well in place of the cheddar. “No, no, no, it would overwhelm the pear.” We haven’t tried that combo yet, but if you do, please let us know how it goes! Alternatively, you can mimic a panini press (albeit without the ridges) by heating a smaller cast iron pan on a separate burner. Use the weight of this pan to press down on the sandwich from above. The sandwich is done when the sides are toasted and the cheese is melted. Cut in half and serve.
