if you’ve ever visited raleigh & dined at the rockford, you may already know the deliciousness that is an abc sandwich.

& while i don’t always feel like sandwiches require recipes, (i mean really, bread + filling = sandwich) i’ll bet the apple, bacon & cheese combination is not necessarily one of the first things that comes to mind, so it bears mentioning,  because it will easily become a favorite.

the flavor is somewhat unexpected, but it works so well.

this variation has a little more zest than it’s sweeter cousin at the rockford, with red onion mayo & sourdough bread, but it’s every bit as delicious.

red onion mayo makes about 6-8 servings

1 medium red onion, chopped
olive oil to coat
salt & freshly ground pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
sourdough bread (we found a yummy seeded sourdough at trader joes)
bacon, cooked crisp
sharp cheddar cheese, sliced
granny smith apples, cored & thinly sliced
butter

1.  preheat oven to 375°.  on a rimmed baking sheet, toss together red onion pieces, olive oil, salt & pepper.  toss in the oven for 25-30 minutes, stirringly occasionally, until the onion is very soft.  remove from oven & let cool.

2.  once the onion has cooled, place in the bowl of a food processor, or blender, & pulse until finely chopped.  add mayonnaise & process until smooth & fully combined.

3.  preheat a large skillet, panini press, or grill pan to medium.  assemble the sandwiches.  spread 2 slices of bread with red onion mayo.  top one of the slices with enough cheddar to cover the whole thing.  add bacon slices, apple slices, another layer of cheddar & top with the other slice of bread.

4.  butter the outsides of the bread & grill about 3 minutes on each side until everything is heated through, nice & gooey.  cut in halves & serve immediately.

from paula deen