BACON-WRAPPED GRILLED CHEESE ROLL-UPS

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BACON-WRAPPED GRILLED CHEESE ROLL-UPS

We served this with a salad, however, it would make a good and filling appetizer as well.  I would be tempted to cut them in half if they are going to be
served as appetizers.  Make them ahead of time and reheat gently in the oven or microwave oven.

UPDATE:  Now with all the lovely low-carb breads available, this recipe is easier than ever! What a treat!










Ingredients:

8 slices Jiffy Plain bread, (see recipe below) OR
  use commercial low-carb bread, finally readily available
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese (250 mL)
8 slices bacon
  (cooked but still supple – use microwave),
  OR use pre-cooked store-bought bacon
1/cup butter (60 mL) 

Instructions:

Jiffy Plain Bread: Prepare Jiffy Plain bread in recipe shown below as a variation of one of my favorite homemade low-carb, gluten-free breads - Jiffy Cinnamon Raisin Bread.  Add 1/2 tsp (2 mL) unflavored gelatin to the wet ingredients (I didn't do this before but I am doing it here for this recipe...you could use xanthan gum instead). Allow bread to cool enough to slice in half.  You will 8 slices of bread without crusts.

Roll bread with rolling pin…don’t roll thin…just smoosh it a bit.  Spread 2 tbsp (30 mL) Cheddar cheese over top of the bread.  Gently roll up bread to center and then once more.  Wrap one piece of bacon around the roll-up and secure with toothpicks.  Set aside and repeat with the remainder of the ingredients.

In nonstick pan, over medium heat, melt about 1 tbsp (15 mL) butter.  Using tongs, dip top and bottom ends in butter to coat and then fry a few in the butter (adding a little more as necessary) on all sides until turning golden brown. Set aside and once the second batch is done, serve immediately.

Helpful Hints:  The bread needs to be freshly made for the rolling process to work best.  The bread may crack slightly.  You can pinch it closed with your fingers, but if not very successful, don’t worry about it as you can secure it nicely with the bacon.  If you prefer, for the plain bread, you can simply use salt instead of onion salt.  Be careful not to use the sweetener.  That would taste weird!  By the way the Jiffy Cinnamon Raisin bread is addictive - incredibly bread-like and is good as bread or toast.  I love it!

Yield:  8 roll-ups
1 roll-up
275.1 calories
14.8 g protein
22.7 g fat
1.0 g fiber
2.4 g net carbs 



JIFFY CINNAMON RAISIN BREAD
  It is soft, flavorful and bread-like.  In addition, it toasts well.  If you decide to use the cheese, keep in mind it simply adds to the texture and is not detectable in the bread.  However, I think the mayonnaise option is fantastic – lovely soft bread that is great as bread as well as toast! 

NOTE:  Please see the variation - JIFFY PLAIN BREAD  - For our purposes use finely grated cheese in the bread.  I'm not sure how the mayonnaise version (maybe it is better - I don't know the answer) will work with regard to rolling the bread up as I didn't try that option.

7 tbsp ground almonds (105 mL)
31/2 tsp coconut flour (17 mL)
31/2 tsp oat flour (17 mL)
1 tsp baking powder (5 mL)
1/2 tsp cinnamon, OR to taste (2 mL)
1/4 tsp salt (1 mL)
2 to 3 tbsp raisins, snipped (30 to 45 mL)
  in half
3 eggs
41/2 tsp heavy cream, OR almond milk, OR (22 mL)
  coconut milk
Liquid sweetener to equal 4 tsp sugar (20 mL)
11/2 tsp olive oil (7 mL)
2 tbsp mayonnaise, OR (30 mL)
  3 tbsp finely grated Monterey Jack cheese OR Mozzarella cheese, optional,* OR (45 mL)
  skip both these options for a lower calorie bread

Spray an 8-inch (20 cm) square, glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.  In medium bowl, combine ground almonds, coconut flour, oat flour, baking powder, cinnamon to taste and salt.  Stir in raisins.  In small bowl, with fork, whisk eggs, heavy cream, liquid sucralose, OR SPLENDA® Granular, olive oil and mayonnaise (if using) together.  Make a well in center of dry ingredients and pour in egg mixture.  Sprinkle with cheese, if using (skip mayonnaise if using cheese); mix everything together well until the mixture thickens slightly.

Pour mixture into prepared pan.  Spread out evenly.  Microwave on high 2 minutes and 50 seconds (Your microwave might need different timing.  Mine is a Panasonic Inverter, 1200 watts).  Remove from microwave oven and immediately cut a cross in the bread, dividing it into 4 quadrants.  Take each piece and flip it over to allow the undersides to dry out a bit.  When cool, slice each piece in half horizontally so that you have 8 slices of bread that are more or less the size of a slice of store-bought raisin bread.  Place in the toaster and toast until nice and brown. Spread with Cinnamon Butter, page 85 or peanut butter or low-sugar preserves.

Variations:  Jiffy Plain Bread (great for toast):  Omit raisins, cinnamon, sweetener and salt.  Instead use 1/4 tsp (1 mL) onion salt.  This recipe makes nice grilled cheese sandwiches in a grilled cheese sandwich maker. Preheat the appliance.  Butter two slices of bread on the outsides and put lots of cheese in the middle. Yield: 8 slices, 1 slice: 103.6 cal; 5.2 g pro; 8.2 g fat; 1.7 g net carbs

CroutonsCut only 4 thick slices (i.e. don’t slice them horizontally to make thinner slices) and cut each slice into 36 little squares (6 x 6). In skillet with 3 tbsp (45 mL) butter, melted, add 2 slices, cut up and sprinkle 2 tsp (10 mL) Parmesan cheese over all.  Stir fry quickly to soak up butter.  Place on cookie sheet and bake in 300°F (150°C) 10 minutes, stir and bake another 10 minutes, or until nicely browned.  Keep in sealed tin at room temperature and use within 2 to 3 weeks. For 9 cubes: (0.9 g net carbs)

Breadcrumbs:  Toast 2 thin slices of plain bread version in a regular toaster and then blend finely in a food processor or blender. 2 slices, crumbed
(3.4 g net carbs)

Dairy-Free Jiffy Bread Options:  Use almond milk, OR coconut milk and mayonnaise options or skip the mayonnaise, although the bread is lovely and soft with it.  I have, Esther (Rosethorns), from lowcarbfriends.com to thank for this version.  She actually uses 3 tbsp (45 mL) mayonnaise in the recipe.  The carbs won’t be significantly different with almond milk or coconut milk versus heavy cream.

French Toast: Sally (Salamander) from lowcarbfriends.com says: I used 2 thin slices for the French toast. I mixed up one egg, a splash of heavy cream and a drop of EZ Sweetz (liquid sucralose). Soaked each slice briefly and put in the greased pan. The bread really soaked up the egg but I had extra mix in the bowl, so I just poured it over the slices. I thought it was delish!”

Helpful Hints:  *Without cheese or mayonnaise, the calories drop to 89.9 and 93.7 respectively and the carbs remain the same. One can mound this batter by 1/4 cupfuls (60 mL) in a greased muffin top pan and make 4 bun shapes instead (double the carbs).  Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven 12 minutes. 

*The nutritional analysis with Monterey Jack cheese:  Yield: 8 slices (with cheese), 1 slice, 2 tbsp (30 mL)/3 tbsp (45 mL) raisins: 111.7/115.1 calories; 5.5/5.3 g protein; 8.2/8.2 g fat; 3.5/4.4 g net carbs

Yield:  8 slices (with mayo)*
1 slice, 2 tbsp/3 tbsp raisins
114.0/117.8 calories
3.9/3.9 g protein
9.1/9.1 g fat
3.6/4.6 g net carbs