Jalapeño popper grilled cheese sandwich with bacon

Even though sandwiches are things made on the fly, where we slap a few ingredients between slices for a quick lunch, I always like to go the extra mile and make something more special. This grilled jalapeño popper grilled cheese with bacon is just such a sandwich and it’s utterly delicious. It takes flavours from a jalapeño popper and blends it into a grilled cheese that melts into perfection between two slices of your favourite bread. You in?

I’ve been dying to make my version of this sandwich for a while now and since my fridge had an unusually large amount of cheese leftover from the weekend’s pizza party with the family, I thought to go for it today.

I used a combination of mozzarella for the meltiness and cheddar for the flavour. I then added cream cheese to help bind it all together and add extra creaminess, but not too much. You don’t want the sandwich to lose all self-control.

Bacon had to go in too, and I fried two slices of back bacon until very crispy. I used two fresh jalapeños which I grilled over a flame on my gas hob until charred. I’m a wimp when it comes to heat from a chilli, so I found these two worked perfectly to deliver an adequate bite without taking my roof off. I took the seeds out too. If you like things spicier, keep the seeds in the mix. 

I didn’t want to be so passé and stab a knife through the middle of my sandwich but in the end, it really held my melty stack together so well and made the image more impactful. #sorrynotsorry

Tips when making this Jalapeno popper grilled cheese sandwich:

• • I find melting the butter in the microwave before and then brushing it over the bread a good way to get a thin even layer. My kitchen is so cold at the moment and the out-the-fridge butter is like a rock.
  • Leave off the bacon to make this grilled cheese vegetarian.

Recipe makes 2 – 3 sandwiches depending on how cheesy you  want it or how big your slices of bread are:

jalapeño popper grilled cheese sandwich with bacon

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 - 6 slices of bread
• butter to spread
• 2 jalapeno chillis
• 2 slices of back bacon - or 3 - 4 slices of streaky
• 1 cup loosely packed grated/shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup loosely packed grated /shredded Cheddar
• 1/4 cup cream cheese

Instructions

• Char chillis over an open flame until blackened and then place in a plastic bag to sweat for 10 minutes. Remove and scrape off the back skin. You can also do this in the oven or under a grill but it takes longer. Remove the stalk and scrape out the seeds. Chopp very finely.
• While this is going on, fry the bacon until crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside to cool.
• In a bowl add the cream cheese, chopped chilli and bacon and mix well. Add the grated cheese and mix again until well combined. You will have a very thick paste.
• Heat your sandwich press or a non-stick skillet, and assemble the sandwiches. Butter the outside slices and cook until golden brown and all the cheese has melted in the middle.

Author: Sam Linsell

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