Bacon Cheddar Guacamole Grilled Cheese

I just sent out a newsletter to readers who have signed up on the mailing list on my website. For those of you who received the newsletter, I apologize for a second posting of this recipe, but it got a lot of email response, so I wanted to share it with our MLK readers.

To prepare for the newsletter, I was thinking about new year's resolutions and, in the process, reading up on Mark Twain. The man was so brilliant. His words are famous. They make me laugh, think, even cry. Oh, to be that talented. What inspired me as I read was this quote:

"A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval. There is nothing more satisfying than that sense of being completely "at home" in your own skin. When you achieve that as a natural state of "being", then you can finally look beyond yourself and fully contribute all your talents to the world."

Oh, wow, do I ever want to achieve that state of comfort in my lifetime!!!

In the meantime, I seek solace in good food, good wine, good friends, and good books. (I think Twain did the same).

Also in the meantime, I was researching cheddar cheeses. Cheddar originated in the village of Cheddar in Somerset, South West England. Cheddar Gorge, a limestone gorge in the Mendip Hills near the village, is the site where Britain's oldest complete human skeleton (Cheddar Man, about 9,000 years old) was found in 1903. HOW COOL IS THAT FOR A MYSTERY WRITER TO KNOW?

Now, I'm not sure if Mark Twain liked cheese, but if he did, with his sharp tongue, I'd bet he would have preferred cheddar. So I've named this recipe (the one from the newsletter) after him.

BACON CHEDDAR GUACAMOLE GRILLED CHEESE

or The Mark Twain Special

Ingredients:

(serves 2)

4 strips of bacon, cooked crisply

4 ounces Cheddar cheese

2 ounces Unie Kaas Robusto (or other cow milk cheese)

Guacamole (recipe to follow)

4 slices bread

2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Cook the bacon as crisply as you prefer. Drain on paper towels.

Prepare the guacamole (according to recipe).

Butter the bread on one side. Heat a griddle on medium. Lay all four pieces of bread on the griddle, butter-side down. Layer with cheese and guacamole on one side and cheese and bacon on the other.

Cook the half-sandwiches until the cheese melts. Stack the two sides together and cover with a

lid or piece of foil to finish the melting process.

Serve warm and enjoy.

*Note: Because of the guacamole, this is a hard sandwich to slice. Prepare to get messy.

GUACAMOLE

Ingredients:

1 avocado

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon sour cream

Dash of white pepper

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

A trick for peeling the avocado. Slice in half, remove pit. Using a spoon, scoop out the contents.

Put avocado and other ingredients in a bowl. Whip together. Cover tightly to prevent air from getting to the guacamole until you are ready to use.

Note: This is gluten-free if you use gluten-free bread. ( I did. It was yummy.)

Also note: This guacamole would go great with chips for Super Bowl Sunday.

Enjoy and think positive thoughts!!!

******
A SNEAK PREVIEW of LOST AND FONDUE is now up on my website. Click here. If you'd like to know more about A Cheese Shop Mystery series and want to download a few other recipes from me (on recipe cards), click on this link to my website: Avery Aames. I've posted recipes in the "morsels" section. There's lots of other fun stuff, as well.

And sign up for the mailing list to get in on the next contest...coming every two weeks as I approach the launch of L&F in May.

Say cheese!