Name: Monterey Melts
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese; 1/4 cup pickled jalapeño slices, minced; 8 slices hearty white sandwich bread; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted; 8 slices deli turkey; 12 strips bacon (cooked); 16 slices avocado

Why This Recipe Works

In our Monterey Melts recipe, the right ingredients ,coupled with the proper technique gave us perfect sandwiches. Buttering the bread—not the pan—gave our sandwiches the most even browning. Cooking the sandwiches over medium-low heat allowed the cheese to melt evenly and the bread to brown deeply. For a sandwich the California flavors, we combined Monterey Jack cheese with avocado, bacon, sliced turkey, and pickled jalapeño chiles. For a crisp crust, we pressed the Monterey Melts with a cake pan to mimic a panini press.

Before You Begin

Turkey, bacon, and avocado flavor this California classic.

Instructions

Combine cheeses and jalepeños in bowl. Brush top side of each slice of bread with melted butter. Flip 4 slices over, layer with 1/4 cup cheese mixture, 2 slices turkey, 3 strips bacon, and 3-4 slices avocado. Cover with remaining bread slices, buttered side up.

Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Place 2 sandwiches in pan and weight with round cake pan, pressing lightly. Leave cake pan on top and cook until first side is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip sandwiches, press again with cake pan, and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining 2 sandwiches.

Cooking For a CrowdGrilled cheese sandwiches are best cooked two at a time. If you want to keep the first batch hot, place a baking sheet in the oven and heat the oven to 250 degrees. When the first batch is done, slide the sandwiches onto the hot baking sheet to keep them crisp and warm.