While browsing through a hundred-year-old cookbook, I came across a recipe for Open Cheese and Bacon Sandwiches, and decided to give it a try. I was intrigued because this toasted bacon and cheese sandwich recipe called for a topping made of soft cheese (I used pureed cottage cheese) and eggs, plus a little ketchup, paprika and cayenne red pepper which gave the topping a bit of a zing. The cheese and the bacon worked well together, and made a delightful sandwich that was a nice change from the typical grilled cheese and bacon sandwich.
Here’s the original recipe:
I decided to use cottage cheese when I made this recipe since it would have been readily available a hundred years ago. I put it through my Foley mill to make it smooth.
I’m not exactly sure what the old cookbook is referring to when it calls for table sauce, but when I made this recipe, based on the previous suggestions of some readers, I decided to use ketchup.
I skipped the salt since the bacon and cheese already contained salt, and I didn’t want an overly salty sandwich. I cooked the bacon until it was lightly crisped before assembling the sandwich since I thought that it would be too greasy if I put the bacon on top of the cheese without cooking it. I put the sandwich under the broiler to cook.
Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:
Open Cheese and Bacon Sandwich
8 – 12 slices of bacon (cut in half) (If the slices are wide use 8 slices, if narrow use 12.)
3 eggs, beaten
12 ounces soft cheese (cottage cheese, chevre, feta, Brie, ricotta, etc.), grated or pureed ( I used cottage cheese, and put it through a Foley mill to make smooth.)
1 1/2 teaspoon ketchup
1/2 teaspoon paprika
dash cayenne (red) pepper
8 slices bread
Put the bacon in a skillet; arrange so that each piece is flat. Using medium heat, cook until lightly crisped, while turning frequently. While cooking, periodically press the pieces with a spatula or back of a spoon to flatten and make thinner. When lightly crisped, remove from the heat and drain on paper towel towels.
In the meantime, put eggs, soft cheese, ketchup paprika, and cayenne pepper in a bowl; stir to combine.
Put the bread slices on a baking sheet, and put under the broiler until lightly browned. Remove from oven/broiler, and flip. Spoon the cheese and egg mixture on the bread, and spread to the edges of each slice. Top with 2 – 3 slices of cooked bacon, and put back under the broiler until the cheese is melted and the bread is lightly browned. Remove from oven/broiler and serve.
A Hundred Years Ago 
Well, as a Brit, I can’t entertain anything other than a plain bacon toasted sarnie: no cheese please!
I think we’ve identified another difference between the U.S. and Britain. Bacon and cheese sandwiches are fairly popular here – though they aren’t typically made using a soft cheese.
This is probably better for you, but I like the bite of sharp cheese. It made interesting reading.
Both types are good, they are just different.
That is a very interesting sandwich. It would work for any meal.
My husband and I actually had this for two meals because I made more of the topping than needed. The first meal (the one where I took the photo for this post) included bacon in the sandwich as described in the old recipe. For the second meal, I put the cheese topping on the bread – but skipped the bacon. The sandwiches were good both ways.
An unusual sandwich, but it sounds really delicious! Many possibilities here Sheryl!
It was a nice alternative to the typical bacon and cheese sandwich.
I sure enjoyed reading this original recipe, Sheryl, and I pondered what “table sauce” might be, just as you did. This looks so delicious to me, how can you go wrong with toast, cheese and bacon?
I agree! You can’t go wrong with toast, cheese, and bacon.
I’ve never heard of this. VERY interesting! I’d give it a try too. It looks and sounds delicious!
It was yummy. Until I saw this recipe, I never would have thought of using a soft cheese to make a toasted cheese and bacon sandwich.
Hehe! I always equate the open faced sandwich with end of the month stretching of the paycheck!!
I never really thought about this before, but somehow open-facded sandwiches often seem a little fancier than sandwiches made with two slices of bread to me, though I definitely can see how these sandwiches could be a way to stetch a paycheck.
Sounds like a wonderful sandwich! Pizza sauce works good in place of ketchup,I’ll have to give ketchup a try.
Good idea, pizza sauce would work well in this recipe.
We used to do a similar open-faced sandwich – without the eggs. Good old cheese and bacon. Yum.
Bacon and cheese sandwiches are yummy.
mmmm…bacon and cheese!
It’s tasty.
I could taste it as I read through the recipe. That way I was spared the sodium!
I’m glad you were able to spare the sodium. 🙂
I think that table sauce in many instances was akin to Worcestershire sauce. There was a brand called Halford Leicestershire Table Sauce dating back to I think the late 1800’s.
Thanks for the info. It can be challenging sometimes to decipher old recipes. Worchestershire sauce sure has been around for a long time.