Recipe Canadian Maple Bacon Grilled Cheese (100% Plant-based!)
June 22, 2021
The secret to this great grilled cheese sandwich isn’t the cheese. Surprisingly, it’s a dash of maple syrup! (And the sprouted whole grain bread, of course!) Perfectly balanced with a selection of vegan cheeses and vegan bacon, this truly Canadian combination is something worth celebrating. As a proudly Canadian, family-owned bakery, we wanted to showcase our favourite Canadian-made ingredients in our vegan Maple Bacon Grilled Cheese recipe. Perfect for Canada Day—or any day you want a delicious excuse to celebrate Canadian-made ingredients at home. Using Canadian ingredients isn’t a requirement for this recipe, but we think it tastes better this way!
Stuffed with sweet, crispy, gooey goodness, this vegan maple bacon grilled cheese recipe is a treat like no other. A creatively delicious take on a comfort food classic, one bite is all it takes to fall in love with this scrumptious sandwich.
With two ways to maple-ize your sandwich, (and even more ways to customize it!), this highly versatile plant-based Maple Bacon Grilled Cheese recipe could become your next favourite kitchen experiment. Mix and match vegan cheeses and vegan bacons to your satisfaction. Switch Squirrelly Bread for your family’s favourite Silver Hills sprouted grain bread. There are lots of ways to enjoy this delicious Maple Bacon Grilled Cheese sandwich.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp non-dairy buttery spread
- 2 slices Silver Hills Sprouted Bakery Squirrelly Bread™ (or your favourite Silver Hills Bakery sprouted whole grain bread), 1 slice buttered on one side
- 2 – 4 slices plant-based bacon (we used Yves Veggie Cuisine Veggie Bacon Strips, but tempeh strips or your favourite plant-based bacon work, too)
- 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup (or more, to taste)
- 2 – 4 slices dairy-free brie , thinly sliced (we used Nuts for Cheese)
- ⅓ cup dairy-free smoked gouda , finely grated (we used Daiya)
- 1 – 2 slices dairy-free mozzarella (or ¼ – ½ cups shredded vegan mozzarella), optional
Featured Product Squirrelly® Bread
Instructions
For the vegan maple bacon:
- In a frying pan, cook plant-based bacon until crisp, according to packaging directions.
- When bacon is crisp, remove the pan from the heat and add maple syrup to the hot pan. Stir or toss to coat the bacon and remove bacon from the pan immediately. (Maple syrup can burn very quickly! Watch the bacon closely during this step, and remove when caramelized but before the maple syrup begins to char.)
- Place directly on a plate (do not use paper towel to drain or you’ll have little bits of paper stuck to your freshly candied maple bacon!).
- Optional: crush bacon into bits, and mix well with grated cheese before step 2 below.
For the maple grilled cheese sandwich:
- Rinse out your pan (or use a fresh one) and let it warm up over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of non-dairy buttery spread (enough to coat the bottom of the slice when melted).
- Once butter is melted place one slice of bread into pan and top with grated smoked gouda.
- Turn heat to low and cover the pan with a lid for about 2 – 5 minutes until cheese starts to melt (because every dairy-free cheese melts a little differently, it’s important to keep an eye on this step—go by feel, not by time).
- Take off the lid and layer maple bacon (crumbled or strips) and sliced brie on top.
- Place your second Squirrelly Bread slice on top of the ingredients, buttered side up.
- Flip sandwich and cook until golden brown on each side. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Try these handy tips!
- For a more maple-y experience, drizzle or brush ½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of maple syrup (or to taste) on the opposite side of the buttered slice before you sandwich to dial up the maple flavour. Once sandwiched, cook for 20 – 30 seconds then flip.
- For a cheesier sandwich, add finely grated mozzarella. Mix it with your smoked gouda before adding it at step 2 for full-coverage cheesiness.
