Vintage Cheddar + Slow Roasted Heirloom Tomato Jam Grilled Cheese Sandwich on "Toad in the Hole" Bread, Fried in Herbed Compound Butter

Vintage Cheddar + Slow Roasted Heirloom Tomato Jam Grilled Cheese Sandwich on
"Toad in the Hole" Bread, Fried in Herbed Compound Butter

So, rumor on the street is that April is "National Grilled Cheese Month". Okay, so maybe it's not a rumor, more like a scientific foodie fact. But, how did I not know this? Piece, Love, & Cooking is a blog that firmly believes in integrating sandwiches + grilled cheese into daily life. Yep, it's a serious commitment. This body over here, was built by grilled cheese, y'all. On another note, I had every intention of sharing my recipe for my over-the-top s'mores layer cake (like I promised)... but then, I made this uh-may-zingggg grilled cheese today and couldn't wait another minute, I just had to post it. My stance on melted, gooey, fried sandwiches is pretty simple. They all rock. I don't discriminate. I absolutely love crazy flavor combinations with sweet & savory ingredients, but I also adore a classic, perfectly executed grilled cheese with the best products you can buy. Fresh baked bread, thickly sliced, and fried in butter until crispy can't be wrong in my world. But then when you top it with tangy aged cheddar, nutty Parmesan cheese, & melty gruyere, well it can't be beat. As a kid, I lived off a diet of grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup on the side. It's a classic pairing that will never fade... kinda like PB&J's and Snooki & JWoww (too far?). So, I just knew I had to have a tomato element included... I started off with slow roasted tomatoes, and then finally arrived at the idea of making a homemade slow roasted heirloom tomato jam. This jam is the jam (too tacky?). But fo'reals, it is. It's chunky, like a marmalade, but smooth as can be, and utterly sweet & savory. This would be amazeballz on a burger, BLT, or a chicken parmesan sandwich (boom). My dreams are made of this jam... I would swim in a pool of it... slight exaggeration, but mostly true. What brings this grilled cheese over the top is the bread and how it's prepared. Did any of y'all love "toad in the hole" or "egg in the hole" when you were younger? I did, a whole lot. It's crispy bread, that is utterly buttery, with a runny egg oozing out of the middle (sign. me. up. stat). This makes it a perfect candidate for the bread component of a grilled cheese. And man, it was. Between the herbed butter, crispy bread, runny egg, sweet tomato jam, and three kinds o' cheese, there really isn't anything that can go wrong. Well, okay, maybe just one thing. You have to have everything ready before you start the cooking process. Get your Mise en Place ready (aka all of your components set up, so that it all runs smoothly). Seriously, Mise the heck outta y'alls Place (it can get more southern than that). Got it or do I gotta get all gangsta on you? No. Okay. GREAT. GRAND. WONDERFUL (<--all describing the grilled cheese, no worries)!! Enjoy :)

See? "Mise the heck outta y'alls Place". 

Crack that egg in the hole... 

Fry it up in some herbed compound butter... 

Cut the grilled cheese on the diagonal...

Watch that runny egg yolk ooze out...

And devour... immediately :)

For the Slow Roasted Heirloom Tomato Jam:

2 Dry Pints of Rainbow Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Sliced in Half

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, For Drizzling

Fresh Rosemary Sprigs

Salt & Fresh Cracked Pepper, For Sprinkling

¼C Sweet Onions, Minced or Finely Diced

3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

¼C Red Wine Vinegar

¼C Chicken Stock or Water

¼C Sugar

1-2T Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

Generous Pinch of Coriander, Ground Ginger, & Saffron

¼t Red Pepper Flakes

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Buttered Cheese Spread:

¼C Vintage White Cheddar, Shredded (get the best cheddar you can find)

2T Gruyere Cheese, Shredded

1T Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

2T Unsalted Butter, Extremely Soft

For the Grilled Cheese Sandwiches:

Herbed Compound Butter or Unsalted Butter, Extremely Soft (has to be easily spreadable)

Sourdough Bread, Center Removed with a Cookie Cutter

Fresh Eggs (preferably a smaller egg, but just make sure it’s not extra large or jumbo)

Prepared Slow Roasted Heirloom Tomato Jam

Vintage or Aged White Cheddar, Shredded

Fleur de Sel & Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. For the Slow Roasted Heirloom Tomato Jam: Preheat the oven to 225 degrees and line a baking sheet with a Silpat. Place the sliced tomatoes onto the prepared tray and drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add on the sprigs of rosemary. Roast the tomatoes for 3-4 hours or until the juices have reduced and the tomatoes have shriveled. Combine all the ingredients, along with your slow roasted tomatoes, in a pan, bring to a boil, and then simmer, stirring often until the tomatoes have dissolved and the jam is thick & glossy, about 15-20 minutes (making sure to mash up the tomatoes to a smoother consistency). Season it with salt & pepper to taste. Set it aside or refrigerate until ready to serve on the sandwich.

2. For the Buttered Cheese Spread: In a small bowl, mix together the shredded cheddar, shredded gruyere, grated parmesan, softened butter, salt, and pepper. Mix together until everything is completely incorporated and smooth. This should be enough for one really cheesy grilled cheese or two regular grilled cheese sandwiches (so if you are making more than 1 or 2, then you need to double the amount).

3. Prepping the Grilled Cheese: Heat a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Place a fine strainer over a custard cup, small ramekin or bowl. Crack one egg into it and let the egg sit, undisturbed, for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the strainer (with the egg still in it) and pour out any accumulated thin white from the cup. Carefully tip the egg into the cup. Repeat with the other eggs and another cup if making more than one grilled cheese (if you have two small strainers, you can do the two eggs simultaneously). Using a cookie cutter (any shape will do, but I liked a medium sized heart shaped cookie cutter), cut a hole from the center of one slice of sourdough bread. With another slice of bread (uncut), spread one side with some herbed butter, flip it over, and begin layering the sandwich. Smooth out a thick layer of the buttered cheese spread followed by a smear of homemade tomato jam and more grated cheddar cheese, while making sure to season each layer with some salt & pepper. Set this slice to the side while you begin frying the egg filled bread first.

4. Cooking the Grilled Cheese: Spread one side of the cut bread with some softened, herbed compound butter and place it buttered side down and fry the bread lightly for about 1 minute. After the initial cook time, drop a small amount of butter into the hole, let it foam slightly, and gently slip the egg into it. Season the egg with some salt & freshly cracked pepper. Cook the egg until it is lightly golden brown about 1-2 minutes. Flip the egg bread and cook for another minute. Gently remove this slice from the skillet and place onto a cutting board while you cook the other prepared slice. Increase the heat of the pan to medium-high heat and fry the other piece of bread (buttered side down) for 3-5 minutes, making sure that all of the cheese has melted and the filling is hot. Gently invert the rested "egg in the hole" bread on top of the bread with the melted cheese. Carefully press the sandwich together to ensure everything has adhered to each other. Continue cooking until the sandwich is well browned about a minute or so until it is perfectly crispy & melted.

5. Sprinkle the sandwich with some minced fresh herbs, cut in half, and enjoy immediately!!

"The Mexican Mess" or Herbed Jalapeno-Cornmeal Waffles with Chorizo Gravy, Blackened Heirloom Tomato Salsa, Fried Eggs, & Fresh Cilantro

"The Mexican Mess" or Herbed Jalapeno-Cornmeal Waffles with Chorizo Gravy, Blackened
 Heirloom Tomato Salsa, Fried Eggs, & Fresh Cilantro

Hey guys... guess what? It's brunch time again. The best part of any week, by far. Well as far as we're concerned. So what do I have to share with y'all? Waffles. Savory Waffles. Savory Mexican Waffles. All I can say is that these would be the perfect hangover meal following your celebration of Cinco de Mayo. Yep, put this one in your back pocket, it'll be crucial in recovery. It starts off with my favorite waffle base, but adapted a slight bit. I added coarse cornmeal along with cumin, cilantro, chives, and jalapeno. You could just slather this waffles with butter and eat them like cornbread, just do it. I won't judge you. After these Mexican waffles have been stacked they are doused with a spicy, creamy chorizo gravy. Southerners love gravy, but we also like our shit spicy too, ya'hear? The gravy has this delightful pink-tinged color that makes me smile, maybe it'll make you smile too. That's debatable though because you could be hungover while eating this, and if that's the case, you won't be smiling, which is a-ok with me too. Once the waffles have been covered in gravy, the rest is really up to you & what you are feeling. We topped ours with fried eggs because well, we're fried egg junkies. And then some of my Homemade Blackened Heirloom Tomato Salsa was poured all over the top. But, ya know, I wish I had made some corn salsa for garnishing too (so y'all add that and make me proud). All that's left to do is to sprinkle on some fresh cilantro and you've got it made. Serve it warm with a cold Michelada and you don't need anything else!! Enjoy :)

fried egg perfection.

See the pink chorizo gravy? Love it.

And that, my friends, is why it is called The Mexican Mess

For the Herbed Jalapeno-Cornmeal Waffles:

1 ½C AP Flour

½C Cornstarch

½C Coarse Cornmeal

1t Baking Powder

½t Baking Soda

1t Salt & Sugar

¼t Black Pepper

Pinch of Chili Powder & Cumin 

1C Milk & Buttermilk

2/3C Vegetable Oil

2 Large Eggs, Lightly Beaten

2-3T Fresh Cilantro, Minced

1T Fresh Chives, Minced

1 Fresh Jalapeno, Minced

For the Chorizo Gravy:

½lb Ground Chorizo, Cooked into Crumbles (discard the grease)

4T Unsalted Butter

3TAP Flour

2-3C Whole Milk

Pinch of Chili Powder

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Mexican Brunch Waffles:

Herbed Jalapeno-Cornmeal Waffles, Cooked until Crispy

Chorizo Gravy, Warm

Fried Eggs

Homemade Blackened Heirloom Tomato Salsa

Fresh Minced Cilantro, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. For Herbed Jalapeno-Cornmeal Waffles: In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, seasonings, herbs, and minced jalapeno. Whisk together to blend. In another mixing bowl, beat together the whole milk, buttermilk, oil, and egg. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and whisk just until incorporated and few lumps remain. Set aside to rest for 30 minutes. Preheat a waffle iron. Fill waffle wells and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The waffles should be crisp and golden brown. Keep them warm until you are ready to serve.

2. For the Chorizo Gravy: Fry the ground chorizo in a hot, deep skillet. Once crispy and crumbled, remove the chorizo and fat from the pan. Melt the butter, and then combine the fat with the flour in a skillet, continuously whisking, cook on medium heat for a couple of minutes until a roux is formed. Add the milk slowly to the skillet and mix the roux using a whisk. Turn the heat down to low and continue stirring until he mixture is thickened, 2-3 minutes. Add in salt and a lot of pepper to taste (and any other seasonings you would like to add). If the gravy is too thick for your taste, you can thin it by adding more milk, a tablespoon at a time. Add in the cooked chorizo until combined. Keep warm until ready to serve.

3. For the “Mexican Mess”: Stack the waffles on the plate and then pour on some of the hot chorizo gravy. Top the stack with a fried egg and garnish the plate with the blackened heirloom tomato salsa and fresh cilantro.

4. Enjoy while they are still warm!

Croque Madame Waffle Napoleon with Overnight Yeasted Waffles, Gruyere Cheese, Honey Glazed Ham, Fried Eggs, & Béchamel Sauce

Croque Madame Waffle Napoleon with Overnight Yeasted Waffles, Gruyere Cheese, 

Honey Glazed Ham, Fried Eggs, & Béchamel Sauce

Springtime is Brunch time. I don't know why exactly, but we look forward to Sunday every weekend, just so I can whip up some pancakes or doughnuts or waffles in the case of this recipe. We are waffle-crazed people ever since I bought us a fancy schmancy waffle maker last year. And hey guys, what's more brunch-y than a Croque Madame Sandwich? I mean, it has ham, cheese, a glorious cheese sauce, and a big fat friggin' fried egg on top. Sign us up, we're totes there. But, we couldn't just make a classic sandwich, we don't know how to do classic in this house. Why not a Croque Madame Waffle Napoleon with overnight yeasted waffles in place of bread? Perfection. This stacked "sandwich" is made for a man, but trust me, no woman could do this down. The waffles have this wonderful yeasty beer taste, and then when it's paired with sweet ham, nutty gruyere cheese, and extra runny fried eggs... you're in hangover food paradise. We would know, we're hungover a lot. After everything is all layered and stacked, you get the utterly satisfying vision of watching the Béchamel Sauce cascade/waterfall over the waffles. And in Piece, Love, & Cooking land, fried eggs make everything better. Oh hey, fun fact, did you know that eggs actually help you feel better when you're hungover? There's something called "cysteine" that break down toxins in the body. So, drink as much alcohol as you want, as long as you eat eggs afterwards... that's right, right? Yep. Be fancy, make a stack of waffles, call them a Napoleon, and cure your hangover all at the same time... that's our motto!! Enjoy :)

More Eggs... Less Hungover

Oh-so-many yeasted waffles

This is the cascading waterfall that I was talkin' about...

For the Overnight Yeasted Waffles:

½C Warm Water

1 Package of Active Dry Yeast

2C Buttermilk, Warmed

1 Stick Unsalted Butter, Melted & Cooled Slightly

1t Salt & Sugar

2C AP Flour

2 Large Eggs, Lightly Beaten

¼t Baking Soda

For the Béchamel Sauce:

3T Unsalted Butter

3T AP Flour

2C Whole Milk

12oz Gruyere Cheese, Grated

½ C Parmesan Cheese, Finely Grated

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Freshly Grated Nutmeg, To Taste

For the Croque Madame Waffle Napoleon:

Prepared Overnight Yeasted Waffles, Cooked until Golden Brown & Crispy

Dijon Mustard

Thinly Sliced Honey Baked Ham, For Layering

Shredded Gruyere Cheese (the remaining that is leftover from the sauce)

Prepared Béchamel Sauce

2-3 Fried Eggs per Stack

Minced Chives, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. For the Overnight Waffles: Combine the water and yeast in a large mixing bowl and let stand to dissolve for 5 minutes. Add the buttermilk, butter, salt, sugar, and flour to the bowl. Whisk until well blended and smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it stand at room temperature overnight. When you’re ready to make the waffles, preheat the waffle iron. Also, preheat the oven to warm and place a baking sheet in the oven. Just before making the waffles, whisk the eggs and baking soda into the batter until smooth (the batter will be very thin). Fill the waffle wells and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions, or until golden brown & crispy. Transfer the finished waffles to the baking sheet in the preheated oven to keep warm.

2. For the Béchamel Sauce: Heat butter in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook, whisking, until smooth, about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer until slightly reduced and thickened, 6–8 minutes. Add ½ cup of grated Gruyere and the Parmesan, and whisk until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

3. Assembling the Stacks:Heat broiler to high. Place 2 waffles on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and spread 1 tbsp. mustard over each. Top with 2 slices ham, some Gruyere, and a fried egg. Repeat this process again by stacking another waffle spread with mustard, ham, and cheese. Broil until cheese begins to melt, 1–2 minutes. Top with one last waffle, then pour a generous amount of béchamel on top of each sandwich. Broil until cheese sauce is bubbling and evenly browned, about 3–4 minutes.

4. Garnishing the Stacks:Once the cheese has melted, remove the stacks from the oven and top them with one last fried egg and garnish with a little salt and fresh cracked pepper, as well as some fresh chives for color.

Spicy Fried Egg BLT’s with Tomato Confit, Sorghum Glazed Bacon, Butter Lettuce, Chipotle Mayo, Fried Egg, & Pepperjack Cheese on Bacon Fat Fried Bread

Spicy Fried Egg BLT’s with Tomato Confit, Sorghum Glazed Bacon, Butter Lettuce, Chipotle Mayo, 

Fried Egg, & Pepperjack Cheese on Bacon Fat Fried Bread

This is my hangover sandwich. Does it need any further explanation besides that it comforts me the day after I have drank too much. Okay, that might sound bad, but it is essential to life. Yesterday, the weather was just too gorgeous not to enjoy, so we decided to have some friends over and have a good ole Southern chicken fry. While the chicken was frying, we drank (heavily) and played beer pong in the garden. It was a great day and an even better night. Don't you just love those kind of weekends? I do... well, at least until Sunday. I woke up this morning with a gnarly headache, a grumbling stomach, and body aches. I mean, they don't call it the Margarita Flu for nothin'. Everyone has their own cure for a hangover... mine requires a lot of fluids, quality nap time, lifetime movies, and this sandwich. It has everything that you would want from a sandwich... a runny egg, crispy bacon, buttery bread, acidic tomatoes, spicy mayo, and creamy cheese. It doesn't get much better than that. Some people might recognize the idea behind this sandwich because it comes from the movie, Spanglish. If you haven't seen it, I urge you to watch it just so you can see him make and enjoy it. You'll want to run out immediately at the movie is done and get all the ingredients to make this BLT, I guarantee it. I put my little twist on it by glazing the bacon with sorghum molasses, making it spicy with some pepperjack cheese + chipotle mayo, and frying the bread in bacon fat. And hey, even if you aren't hungover, this sandwich still hits the spot!! Enjoy :)

For the Tomato Confit:

Barely Ripe Roma Tomatoes, Sliced ¼inch Thick

Olive Oil

Fresh Rosemary Sprigs

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Sorghum Glazed Bacon:

Slices of Thick Applewood Smoked Bacon

Sorghum Molasses, For Brushing (high quality maple syrup can be substituted as well)

For the Chipotle Mayo:

½C Mayo

1 Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce + 1t Adobo Sauce

Pinch of Chili Powder

Lime Zest + Fresh Garlic Paste, To Taste (just add a little bit at a time)

Salt & Pepper, To Taste (I also like a pinch of sugar)

For the Spicy Fried Egg BLT’s:
Homemade Rustic Bread Slices or Sourdough Slices, Fried in Bacon Fat until Golden Brown

Tomato Confit Rounds

Sorghum Glazed Bacon (we liked 4 slices per sandwich)

Prepared Chipotle Mayo

Slices of Pepperjack Cheese (two pieces of cheese per sandwich)

Butter Lettuce Leaves

Fried Eggs, Cooked to Your Preference (sprinkled with a touch of salt & pepper)

Directions:

1. For the Tomato Confit: Preheat the oven to 225 degrees and lay the slices of tomato onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with the fresh rosemary. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt & pepper. Bake for 4 hours until shriveled around the edge, but still maintaining their juice. If you have leftover tomatoes, simply cover the leftovers with olive oil and place into the refrigerator.

2. For the Sorghum Glazed Bacon:Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lay the bacon slices on top of a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or a Silpat. Bake the slices of bacon for 15-20 minutes or until crispy. Remove them from the oven and brush them heavily with the sorghum molasses (or maple syrup if you are substituting it), and then return them to the oven for another 5 minutes or so, or until the maple syrup is slightly sticky. Set aside until you are ready to layer them onto the sandwich.

3. For the Chipotle Mayo: Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and puree until a smooth mayo has formed. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and check for any other needed additions. Refrigerate until you are ready to use.

4. Assembling the Sandwiches: Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and fry the slices of bread in rendered bacon fat until they are lightly golden brown in color. Remove them from the oil and spread both slices of the bread with a generous amount of the chipotle mayo, and then lay on the two slices of pepperjack cheese on top of both pieces of bread. Toast the bread in an oven until the cheese has just melted. Remove them from the oven and begin layering. We did this by laying down the sorghum glazed bacon, tomato confit rounds, butter lettuce leaves, and then the fried egg. Top the assembled sandwich with the other slice of toasted bread. Cut the sandwich in half and enjoy the happiness of a runny yolk dripping down your sandwich. Eat immediately while it’s still warm.

The Ultimate Fried Chicken Biscuit with a Homemade Black Pepper-Buttermilk Biscuit, Spicy Fried Chicken Breast, Smoked Cheddar Cheese, Red Eye Glazed Bacon, & a Fried Egg

The Ultimate Fried Chicken Biscuit with a Homemade Black Pepper-Buttermilk Biscuit,
Spicy Fried Chicken Breast, Smoked Cheddar Cheese, Red Eye Glazed Bacon & a Fried Egg

Way back from my days at the University of Alabama, my Mountain Man & I would always make a mammoth breakfast sandwich right as we woke up. This kept us full until lunchtime tailgate food and it also became a superstitious tradition that had to be repeated every game day Saturday. Well, back then, it was all store-bought ingredients, but dang, it was still pretty darn tasty. I finally got around to revamping that boring 'ole lucky breakfast sandwich into something even greater. The bagel changed into a Homemade Black Pepper-Buttermilk Biscuit that is perfectly flaky and buttery. I added a fried egg, so that the runny yolk would add some richness and moisture. Then, I made a spicy battered chicken breast, very similar to Chickfila, so it gives a a yummy spiciness to burn the tongue a bit. I wasn't quite sure what cheese would complement all these flavors, but I eventually picked a smoked cheddar because I thought it would balance these strong components and bring them all together. But what's the best part, you ask? Well, it's the Red Eye Glazed Bacon. I know some of y'al might not know of Southern Red Eye Gravy, but it's delicious and certainly a staple at breakfast down here in the South. So, I thought to myself, "why not reduce down some red eye gravy and turn it into a glaze?" Well, I did and it was awesome. I first cooked up the thick cut bacon until crispy, and then used a brush to cover the bacon slices all over. They became sticky-icky, sweet yet salty, but candied in nature. And what's not good about candied bacon? I declare that candied bacon should be on each + every dish in America. Okay, that's slightly extreme, but I'd probably do it in my household... that's for sure!! Well, I hope y'all enjoy this Ultimate Fried Chicken Biscuit because we sure did :)

Runny Fried Egg

Lots of Red Eye Glazed Bacon

There's everything just slightly peaking out...

Ahhh, the first bite is so good

Homemade Black Pepper-Buttermilk Biscuits:

2 ½C AP Flour

½T + ¼t Baking Powder

2t Salt

4T Butter, Cut into Cubes & Chilled

½C + 6T Chilled Buttermilk (you might need a little more depending on the texture)

Extra Butter, Melted (for brushing)

Fresh Cracked Pepper, For Garnishing

For the Spicy Fried Chicken:

4 Chicken Cutlets (season them with paprika, cayenne, chili powder, & Cajun spices)

1 Egg

½C Milk

1T Hot Sauce

¾C AP Flour

¼C WW Flour

1T Dry Milk

1T Powdered Sugar

1t Paprika

¼t Baking Soda & Dry Mustard

For the Red Eye Glazed Bacon:

8 Slices of Thick Cut Applewood Smoked Bacon

½C Coffee

¼C Coca Cola & Beef Broth

1T Honey

Salt & Pepper (if needed)

Splash of Water (if needed because the flavor might be too strong for some people)

 

For the Ultimate Fried Chicken Biscuits:

Prepared Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits, Warm

Spicy Fried Chicken Cutlets, Warm

Prepared Red Eye Glazed Bacon

Slices of Smoked Cheddar Cheese

Fried Eggs (or they can be cooked any way you like, scrambled eggs would be great too)

Directions:

1. For the Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits: Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Put the flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk well to combine. Add the cold butter and, working quickly, coat in flour, and then using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until it is coarsely blended and the flour-butter mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs, but small pieces of butter still remain. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Stir quickly, just until the dough is blended and begins to mass. The dough should be soft and a bit sticky and there should not be large amounts of unincorporated flour in the bowl. If dough is too dry, add a few tablespoons more buttermilk. Turn dough immediately onto a generously floured surface, and with floured hands knead briskly 8 to 10 times until cohesive dough is formed. Gently flatten the dough with your hands so it is of an even thickness. Then, using a floured rolling pin, roll it out to a uniform thickness. With a dinner fork dipped in flour, pierce the dough completely through at 1/2-inch intervals. Lightly flour a large biscuit cutter and stamp out rounds. (Do not twist the cutter when stamping out biscuits.) Cut the biscuits from the dough as close together as you can for a maximum yield. Arrange cut biscuits on a heavy, ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheet so that they almost touch (I throw away the scrapes and don’t re-roll them because they become tough in texture). Brush the biscuits with melted butter and sprinkle heavily with fresh cracked pepper. Bake in upper third of the oven for 8 to 12 minutes until crusty golden brown. (Check about 6 minutes into baking and rotate pan if needed to ensure even cooking.) Remove from the oven and brush with more melted butter. Serve hot.

2. For the Spicy Fried Chicken: Place each cutlet between plastic wrap and pound until they are about ¼inch thick. Season the chicken heavily with spicy seasonings (you can make them as spicy as you like). Next, you have to set up a battering station. I use 2 pie tins. For the first station, I whisk together the eggs, milk, and hot sauce. For the second station, I mix the AP & WW Flours, dry milk, powdered sugar, baking soda, dry mustard, paprika, salt, and pepper. Meanwhile, heat about two inches of peanut oil to 325 degrees in a skillet. Working in batches, dip the chicken into the egg mixture, turning to coat, then dredge in the flour mixture, making sure to shake off any excess flour. Fry the chicken in the hot oil until golden brown and crispy, about 4-5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

3. For the Red Eye Glazed Bacon: In a saucepan, heat the coffee, cola, and honey on medium high until the mixture simmers. Reduce the heat just enough to maintain a simmer. Cook this mixture for 30 minutes or until it is a thick syrup (add a splash of water or seasonings if needed). Pour into a jar and let it cool completely (to plain taste, this might not be the most amazing glaze, but when brushed on bacon, it really brings it over the top, just trust me on this one). Cook the bacon in a skillet until golden brown & crispy. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate and let them drain of excess oil. Repeat with any extra bacon slices. Once the bacon is cool enough to touch, remove the paper towels, and brush heavily with the red eye gravy glaze (on all slides). It is important to make sure they are completely glazed. Next, immediately layer onto the biscuits.

4. Assembling the Biscuits: Cut a buttermilk biscuit in half and top the bottom biscuit slice with a piece of spicy fried chicken, smoked cheddar cheese slice, red eye glazed bacon, and a fried egg. Enjoy immediately while still hot.