Many years ago, Mr. L&C and I shared a Harvest Apple Sandwich from one of the local food trucks, and it was amazing! Sadly that truck is no longer in operation, so I decided to try and recreate the bacon, cheddar, apple grilled cheese goodness on my own. While it may not be exactly how we remembered, this grilled cheese is a delicious Autumn treat!

I have always loved a sweet and salty combination – the best of both worlds. When building the sandwich, apple butter is spread on the inside of a slice, then topped with bacon, cheddar, apples and more cheddar, then cooked and drizzled with honey. The honey is totally optional, but I love that added touch.

Sweet, salty, creamy, crunchy all combine to create the perfect Fall sandwich. I bet you could even add some caramelized onions for a great flavor combination. You can also choose the sweetness of apples – Honeycrisp, or similar, if you want a sweeter apple; Granny Smith if you want that crisp, tart bite. Either way, they are both delicious.

Make sure you have a good cheddar! None of that individual plastic-wrapped cheese please. go to your deli counter and get the best cheddar you can, or head to the refrigerated section and pick up a brick and slice your own.

When it comes to cooking, I am thoroughly impressed with this Swiss Diamond Cookware Double-Burner Griddle. I can cook multiple grilled cheese sandwiches at the same time, and it makes breakfast a breeze with the surface area for pancakes and French toast! Head to the Swiss Diamond Facebook page for more recipe information.

Wednesday Recipes:

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I first fell in love with the traditional Monte Cristo back in college. My friends and I frequented a restaurant, and the Monte Cristo was always the menu item I chose. While I love the traditional sandwich and its flavors, I don’t always have the time to fry it, like the original. My grilled cheese version is much easier and even more delicious.

You can’t start a sandwich without quality bread, like Pepperidge Farm® from Walmart. I love Farmhouse Oatmeal bread because it is hearty, delicious and uses wholesome ingredients. Hillshire Farm® Thin Sliced Honey Ham is slow roasted for hours, has the perfect amount of sweetness with premium quality honey, and has no artificial flavors or by-products.

Did you know you can use Hellmann’s® Real Mayonnaise on the outside of your bread to make a perfect grilled cheese sandwich? Hellmann’s® Real Mayonnaise is made with real, simple ingredients, like eggs, oil, and vinegar. I love using Hellmann’s® Real Mayonnaise to amp up my sandwiches by mixing it with fun flavors too.

Swiss cheese is one of those cheeses I have to be in the mood for. I like it on Monte Cristo sandwiches and prefer Lacey Swiss or Baby Swiss for their milder flavor. You can use whichever kind of Swiss Cheese you like best.

I always serve my Monte Cristo sandwiches with either a raspberry jam or raspberry sauce. The tart-sweet combination works perfectly with the savory sandwich. Dust with powdered sugar for a restaurant-worthy presentation!

Monte Cristo Grilled Cheese Sandwiches are perfect for a weeknight when you are in a time-crunch but want a delicious meal. Here are more creative sandwich ideas from Pepperidge Farm®.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 04 mins.
Total time: 6 mins.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

I grew up in Miami, and even though I am not Cuban, I LOVE Cuban food – yes, so much that it needed to be in all caps! I could seriously eat it all, morning, noon and night. One of the most delicious breakfasts is Tostada Cubana – Cuban bread that is sliced, pressed and buttered, then you can dip it into your Cafe con Leche – simple and amazing.

Croquettes and Pastelitos are perfect any time of the day. Cuban Sandwiches, Pan con Bistec, and Medianoches are perfect for a lunch break along with an order of Mariquitas or Yuca Fries. Dinner can be Vaca Frita, Ropa Vieja, or Churrasco and of course Maduros, Black Beans and Rice. I am seriously hungry right now!

Let’s get back on track. I was craving a Cuban Sandwich a couple days ago and decided to make one with my panini press. Hillshire Farms Naturals lunchmeats were the perfect option for my sandwich. The ham tasted great, with a little bit of sweetness, and perfectly complimented my shredded pork. Instead of the usual sliced pork, I used some shredded pork that I had made the night before for barbecue (barbecue sauce left off, of course). I made a sandwich for Mr. L&C and my Dad, who each had Swiss Cheese. I chose White American because I like that flavor better – I know, not the traditional cheese, but I like it.

I was very surprised, but Toddler L&C loved the Cuban Sandwich. She kept coming up to me and taking bites off of mine. She loves pickles and cheese, but I didn’t know how she would do with the mustard and ham. She loved it so much that she had Hillshire Farm Naturals Ham the next two days during lunch – which made this Mommy very happy.

Hillshire Farm Naturals lunchmeats are crafted to be both 100% natural and 100% delicious, which is why they will provide a 100% refund for every package of meat that a consumer is not satisfied with – that is some seriously good customer service! The lunchmeat is always select cuts of meat and slow roasted in their own juices, creating a natural goodness. There are also no artificial ingredients or preservatives as well as no added nitrates or nitrites. You can learn more about Hillshire Farm Naturals here.

Pressed Cuban Sandwich
A Love and Confections original recipe
Click here for a printable recipe

Pressed Cuban Sandwich Ingredients:
– 1 large Loaf of Cuban Bread
– Butter, room temperature
– Mustard
– Dill Pickle Slices
– 1 package Hillshire Farm Naturals Honey Roasted Ham
– Prepared Pulled Pork
– Swiss Cheese slices

Pressed Cuban Sandwich Directions:
The amount of ingredients is your own personal preference.
1. Heat your panini press according to manufacturer’s directions.
2. Slice Cuban Bread into 6-8 inch sandwich pieces, then slice each piece in half horizontally. Spread a thin amount of soft Butter on the bottoms of the sandwich before you build them.
3. Spread a thin amount of Mustard on each open-faced sandwich. Place a piece of Cheese on the bottom half. Place Hillshire Farm Naturals Ham Slices on the bottom half, followed by the Pulled Pork, then pickles and another slice of Cheese. Replace the top of the sandwich and spread with Butter.
4. Heat in the panini press until the sandwich is heated throughout and the cheese has melted. Slice in half and enjoy!

#spon: I’m required to disclose a relationship between our site and Hillshire. This could include Hillshire providing us w/content, product, access or other forms of payment.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!