Blackberry Bacon Brie Grilled Cheese

It’s summer. In the upper South and Midwest, that means there’s not much to hunt, the lakes are packed with wakeboarders, pleasure boats, and personal watercraft, and it’s too hot and humid to enjoy being outside. About the only good things I have to say about this time of year is that each day gets us that much closer to hunting season—and the blackberries are ripe.

Add fresh blackberries to your next grilled cheese.

I love fresh wild blackberries. It’s one of the only things I don’t mind hosing myself down with bug spray and fighting the summer heat for right now. I use them for desserts, jams, jellies, even pan sauces for venison and pork. One of my favorite things to do with them is add a handful to a bacon and brie grilled cheese sandwich for a burst of sweet and fruity flavor that pairs well with the cheese and salty bacon.

The combination of nutty brie, salty bacon, and fresh blackberries make the perfect summer lunch.

Since this is a simple sandwich, I like to use really nice ingredients to make it: good bacon, fresh sourdough bread, and double cream brie from the local cheese shop. A tip that will brighten up any grilled cheese is putting a thin layer of mayo on the outside that adds a bit of zip and gives you a nice even brown on the toast. Don’t worry if you aren’t a mayo fan. It cooks into the bread and doesn’t taste like mayo at all. It just adds a bit of pep to the flavor. If you are dead set against it, don’t worry, the finished product will still be good.

A thin layer of Duke’s mayo on the sandwich adds zip and leaves a nice crust.

Start by frying up some bacon until nice and crisp. Move it aside, then take two pieces of sourdough bread and lay a few slices of brie on each.

Slice the brie.

Top the brie with 3-4 slices of crisp bacon for each sandwich. Drop on a handful of fresh-picked blackberries and cap with another slice of bread. Spread a thin layer of mayo on top and bottom (or don’t, I can hear the anti-mayo crowd arguing from here).

Layer cheese, bacon, and fresh blackberries on the sandwiches.

Place a skillet over medium heat and add a tablespoon or two of butter. Once the butter has melted and started to brown, give it a swirl to evenly coat the pan. Place the sandwiches in the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes before turning and browning the opposite side. It’s grilled cheese. You don’t need me to explain this part.

Like I said above, the blackberries give this sandwich a burst of flavor you don’t really expect from a grilled cheese. It’s the perfect summer lunch.