Vegan Bacon BLT Grilled Cheese (Printable)

Plant-based BLT with smoky tempeh bacon, fresh vegetables, and melty vegan cheese grilled to perfection. Ready in 30 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Smoky Tempeh Bacon

01 - 7 oz tempeh, sliced into thin strips
02 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
03 - 1 tbsp maple syrup
04 - 1 tbsp olive oil
05 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
06 - 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
07 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
08 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Sandwich

09 - 4 slices sourdough or sandwich bread, vegan
10 - 4 slices vegan cheese
11 - 1 medium tomato, sliced
12 - 4 leaves crisp lettuce, romaine or iceberg
13 - 2 tbsp vegan butter or margarine

# How-To:

01 - In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce, maple syrup, olive oil, smoked paprika, liquid smoke, garlic powder, and black pepper. Add tempeh strips and marinate for 10 minutes.
02 - Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add marinated tempeh and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until browned and slightly crispy. Remove from heat and set aside.
03 - Spread vegan butter on one side of each bread slice.
04 - Place two slices of bread, buttered side down, on a clean surface. Top each with a slice of vegan cheese, half the smoky tempeh bacon, tomato slices, lettuce, and another slice of vegan cheese. Cover with remaining bread, buttered side up.
05 - Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-low heat. Place sandwiches in the skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, pressing gently, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
06 - Slice in half and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It delivers that salty, smoky, crunchy satisfaction you crave without any compromise.
  • The tempeh bacon crisps up beautifully and holds its texture inside the sandwich.
  • You get melty cheese, fresh crunch, and toasted bread all in one bite.
  • It comes together in half an hour, perfect for a quick lunch or casual dinner.
02 -
  • Don't skip the marinating time for the tempeh, those 10 minutes make the difference between bland and deeply flavorful.
  • Keep the heat medium low when grilling the sandwich or the bread will burn before the cheese melts.
  • Press gently with your spatula while grilling to help everything meld together without squashing the sandwich flat.
03 -
  • Press the sandwich gently with a spatula while it grills to help the cheese melt faster and bind everything together.
  • Use a cast iron skillet if you have one, it distributes heat evenly and gives you the crispiest, most golden crust.
  • Let the sandwich rest for a minute after grilling so the cheese sets slightly and doesn't all ooze out when you slice it.
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