Italian Elvis Sandwiches–too weird not to try.
I was at a doctor’s appointment when I first saw this recipe. Just some magazine in the lobby. I saw it, and I thought, literally, “Okay, that is too weird not to try!” I snapped a quick pic of it with my phone and vowed to make it.
And I did. And it was deliciously weird. And weirdly delicious.
Now, I’ll be honest….we don’t make this very often. It’s very rich and I dare you to finish a whole sandwich on your own. Seriously. Rich.
But it’s just such a strange flavor combo that, I mean, come on….you have to make it, right?
The Italian part is the mascarpone cheese component. And can I please take a moment to share a pet peeve? It’s not MARS-ca-pone, okay? It’s mah-scar-POH-neh. Please, for the love of all that is holy, stop saying MARScapone.
Also, Nutella is from Italy.
Okay, anyway.
The Elvis part is in reference to the king’s favorite sandwich–grilled peanut butter and banana (rumor has it, sometimes with bacon). For Italian Elvis Sandwiches, we are replacing the peanut butter with Nutella.
So, just try it, y’all. I mean, why not? Just don’t have a heavy dinner before you serve this for dessert. Maybe a salad?
Italian Elvis Sandwiches
- August 23, 2021
- 4 sandwiches
- Print this

Ingredients
- 8 slices sturdy white bread*
- 6 strips of crispy bacon, in bit sized pieces
- Nutella
- 1 ripe banana
- 8 ounce tub of mascarpone cheese
- softened butter
- lots of napkins
Directions
- Step 1
- Heat a griddle or skillet to medium-low heat (like you are making a grilled cheese sandwich, cuz well, you are!).
- Step 2
- Place the banana on a dinner plate and mash it well with a fork. Empty the tub of cheese on top of the mashed banana and use the fork to incorporate the two together. Set aside.
- Step 3
- Butter one side of a slice of bread. Place this butter-side down on another slice of bread. Then carefully spread Nutella on top of the slice that’s face down with butter. About 1/8″ thick is fine–it’s up to you how much you want. Now place the bacon pieces on top of the Nutella. (Each sandwich has about 1 1/2 strips of bacon.)
- Step 4
- Carefully lift just the Nutella slice of bread and place it butter side down on your griddle or skillet. Immediately drop some scoops of your banana/cheese mixture on top of the Nutella/bacon and carefully spread it out (it will be about twice as thick as the Nutella).
- Step 5
- Place the other slice of bread on top (you know, the one you used earlier). Using your flipper/turner/spatula device, gently press down on that top piece. Then carefully spread some butter on it.
- Step 6
- When the bottom slice is golden brown, VERY carefully lift and turn it over to cook on the other side. All that gooey goodness might make this step a little challenging, but stick with me….it’s worth it.
- Step 7
- Once the other side is done, lift it out carefully and place it on a flat surface to cool for a minute or two before slicing and eating.
- Step 8
- NOTES
- Step 9
- Regarding the bread*–super soft white bread will not hold up well to the spreading of Nutella and tends to flatten too much during cooking. I recommend something like Pepperidge Farm breads, which are delicious and stand up well to this recipe.
- Step 10
- How many sandwiches this recipe makes will depend a lot on how thick you spread the ingredients on the bread slices. The amounts listed above reflect my family’s preferences and you may need to adjust the recipe based on your own preferences.
- Step 11
- Where to find mascarpone cheese? In my grocery store, it’s found in the deli department, but if you can’t find it, just ask someone at the store.
- Step 12
- Yes, you do need to have the bacon in pieces. If you just lay 3 half-strips on bacon down, those suckers will slide right out of the sandwich when you take a bite. Also, my family prefers it crispy
- Step 13
- yours may like it chewier (in which case it’s even more important that the bacon be in pieces).
- Step 14
- Why lots of napkins? You obviously haven’t tried to eat one yet. Go make one, eat it, and then we’ll talk.
[…] I am kind of on a weird food roll, right? I mean, did you see last week’s recipe? […]