Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese

Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese, do I have to say anything more to make you want to rush out and make this?  I love the idea of grilled cheese sandwiches, however every time I have them I feel that something is missing.  Once I thought about adding different ingredients to a grilled cheese I got excited!.  I enjoy Jalapeno Poppers, with the crunch of the breading, the hot melted cheese and the slow heat from the jalapeno.  These flavors were a perfect match for a grilled cheese sandwich.

I could not imagine biting into a grilled cheese sandwich with all of the melted gooey cheese and hitting a raw jalapeno pepper.  I thought the best way to have all the flavors at the same temperature and texture was to roast the peppers, also it would add a smokey taste to the sandwich.  This sandwich turned out wonderful!  The buttery bread was perfectly crisp and it held up to the melted cheese, and the spicy jalapeno peppers.  I am not the biggest fan of cream cheese, however it was the winning ingredient in this sandwich.  This is one of the creamiest and cheesiest grilled cheese sandwiches I have ever had!  I served this with a cold beer and a huge bowl of cool and creamy guacamole.


Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese
    makes one sandwich

2 Jalapeno peppers
2 slices of bread ( I used sour dough)
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded


Cut the pepper in half and scrape out the seeds.  Place the peppers on a baking sheet with the cut side facing down.  Place the baking sheet on the top shelf in the oven and broil until the outer layer of the skin has blackened, about 8-14 minutes.  Place the peppers in a zip-lock bag, seal and let them cool for around 15 minutes.  Remove the skin from the peppers.  The skins should easily "pinch" off.

Butter the outside of each slice of bread and spread cream cheese on the inside.  Sprinkle half of the cheese on the cream cheese side, top with the jalapenos, place the remaining cheese and finally the other side of bread.  Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat,  Add the sandwich and grill until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 2-4 minutes per side.

adopted from closetcooking.com