Grilled Jarlsberg with Avocado Spinach and Bacon

This is the perfect grilled cheese with some added omega fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. What's not to love?

I have been a fan of grilled cheese since I was a little girl.  And I am not even a huge cheese lover but there's something about the buttery goodness of that toasted bread and melted cheese that gets me.

Every. Single. Time.  

When my kids leave the crusts or any remnant of their grilled cheese, I have to use all the restraint I have not to finish it. Even the boring crust that barely has any cheese on it, I would eat it in seconds.

Why do we do do that? Yes, I am speaking to my fellow parents.

Is its because we don't want to waste food or is it because we are so physically exhausted that we do not want to make a full lunch of our own so we eat our kids scraps? 

It's time to stop this nonsense and make our own, delicious, adult-only sandwiches. And these Grilled Jarlsberg with Spinach Avocado and Bacon totally fit the bill.

And that means you have my permission NOT to share with your kids. Let them have their own boring grilled cheese and we can have this one. Right?

I decided to add some avocados and spinach to this sandwich for some added nutrition and texture.  Jarlsberg melts perfectly and has a slightly sweet, buttery flavor.

I wasn't sure how I would feel with my sliced avocado next to my melted cheese (I typically eat avocados cold and not warm) but I loved it. It added a wonderful texture and lots of necessary, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

I also added bacon because, well do I need a reason?  It's bacon.  

And it's delicious.

It also adds a little crunch which I always love in a sandwich.

I used Boar's Head Nitrate Free Bacon which seems to be in most grocery stores. I promise you won't miss the nitrates and preservatives in this bacon, it's crazy delicious.

Grilled Jarlsberg with Avocado Spinach and Bacon

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Author: Lauren Kelly

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 slices of bread I used multi-grain ciabatta
• ▢ butter I used bout 1 teaspoon per slice of bread
• ▢ 4 slices Jarlsberg cheese
• ▢ 1 avocado sliced
• ▢ 4 slices of cooked nitrate free bacon I used Applegate Farms
• ▢ 1 ½ cups baby spinach

Instructions

• Spread butter on one side of each of the slices of bread.
• Spray cooking spray on skillet or grill pan and let preheat on low for a few minutes.
• Place two pieces of bread onto skillet, buttered side down.
• Top with slice of cheese, sliced avocado, slice of bacon, handful of spinach and then another piece of cheese.
• Top with another slice of bread, buttered side up.
• Press down with spatula and let cook for about 5 minutes.
• Gently turn over and cook additional 5 minutes on the other side until golden brown.
• Serve immediately!

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This post is not sponsored by Jarlsberg, but they were kind enough to provide me with the delicious cheese to create this recipe!

I used Jarlsberg deli fresh slices that were perfect for my sandwich. They melted just enough to be gooey and cheesy.

And look what else I found?  These little minis are the perfect portion controlled snack!

I am always on the hunt for new snack ideas and these babies have only 70 calories each! These make the perfect protein pack snack, great for right after a workout.

Great news cheese lovers, Jarlsberg is hosting an amazing giveaway! It's open to USA residents only. The Giveaway will run from Monday August: 4/2014 12:00am EST to Tuesday August 12/2014 12:00am EST.

Sorry, the giveaway has ended. Thank you to everyone that participated!

Jarlsberg Cheese Board Giveaway

See those other blogs that are also participating in this giveaway? They are pretty fabulous. Please go check them out too! You won't be sorry. 🙂

The Adventure Bite

Food Faith Fitness

Savory Experiments

Sweet Phi

Hungry Food Love

Good luck! Enjoy all of the cheesy deliciousness!

If you made this Grilled Jarlsberg with Avocado Spinach and Bacon or any of my other recipes, please come back and let me know. You guys know that I love to hear from you!

Thank you for stopping by and please come back again soon!