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Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich

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Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich
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A jalapeno popper inspired grilled cheese sandwich with roasted jalapeno peppers, cream cheese, jack & cheddar cheese and crumbled tortilla chips for a bit of crunch.

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April is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich month and that was all the excuse that I needed to try out some new grilled cheese sandwich recipes! Not too long ago, while I was devouring a batch of the ever so addictive jalapeno popper dip , I was thinking about other ways to enjoy that amazing flavour combination and the idea that stuck was the one for a jalapeno popper grilled cheese sandwich. As soon as I had that thought I knew that I would have to try it and this was the perfect time!

Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich
The basic idea was to incorporate the flavours and textures of jalapeno poppers in a grilled cheese sandwich and the first step was the jalapeno peppers themselves. I really could not see biting into a perfectly grilled sandwich with all of the melted gooey cheese and hitting hard raw jalapeno peppers and although pickled jalapeno peppers would likely have done the trick I decided to take the extra step and I roasted the peppers first. In addition to softening the peppers up, roasting them would add a nice hint of smokiness. Next up was the jalapeno poppers filling and I spread some cream cheese on one slice of bread and then I stuffed in as much jack and cheddar cheese as I could. One of the things that I like about jalapeno poppers is the crunchy bread crumb coating and although the buttered bread would get nice and crispy when fried, I was looking for something a little more. My first thought was to just add some panko bread crumbs to the inside of the sandwich but I did not think that they would still be very crispy by the time that I got to eating the sandwich. This one stumped my for a while but then inspiration struck, I could use crumbled tortilla chips!

Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich
This jalapeño popper grilled cheese sandwich turned out even better than expected! The buttery bread was perfectly crispy and it held in a torrent of melted cheese, the spicy jalapeño peppers and the crunchy tortilla chips! The cream cheese in these sandwiches was definitely a winner making the sandwich one of the creamiest and cheesiest grilled cheese sandwiches ever! All of that extra gooey melted cheese helped to temper the spicy heat of the jalapeño peppers. I served the jalapeno popper grilled cheese sandwich along with the remaining tortillas chips and some cool and creamy guacamole .

Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Don’t have time to roast some fresh jalapenos? Pickle jalapeno work as well!

Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Bacon makes a fabulous addition!

Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich

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Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Prep Time:34 minutes Cook Time:6 minutes Total Time:40 minutes Servings: 1

A jalapeno popper inspired grilled cheese sandwich with roasted jalapeno peppers, cream cheese, jack & cheddar cheese and crumbled tortilla chips for a bit of crunch.

ingredients
  • 2 jalapeno peppers, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
  • 2 slices sour dough bread
  • 1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup jack and cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 tablespoon tortilla chips, crumbled
directions
  1. Place the peppers on a baking sheet with the cut side facing down.
  2. 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.
  3. Place the peppers in a zip-lock bag or other sealable container, seal and let them cool until you can handle them, about 20 minutes.
  4. Remove the skins from the peppers. The skins should easily “pinch” off.
  5. Butter the outside of each slice of bread and spread the cream cheese on the inside. Sprinkle half of the cheese on the cream cheese of one slice of bread, top with the jalapenos, crumbled tortilla chips, the remaining cheese and finally the other slice of bread.
  6. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat.
  7. Add the sandwich and grill until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 2-4 minutes per side.
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  7. Karyn says

    April 6, 2011 at 2:30 am

    I just told my husband about this sandwich and he immediately made it. He would like you to know that this is by far the best sandwich that he has ever had…the only problem is that he only made one! He says that he will be having one for breakfast!

    Reply

  9. Laura Jeanne says

    April 6, 2011 at 3:18 am

    Kevin, this is genius… what a concept. I will absolutely be celebrating national grilled cheese month with this recipe. I love anything with jalapenos… obviously with my blog being ahealthyjalapeno.com.
    Thanks for the great idea 🙂

    Reply

  40. Claudia says

    April 7, 2011 at 5:29 pm

    Only one month for grilled cheese? I'll take a year. Yes, thoroughly agree on roasting the jalapenos first – now you have me thinking how many appetizers can I turn into sandwiches? Subway franchises look out! This is grand.

    Reply

  43. Anonymous says

    April 8, 2011 at 2:34 pm

    This sandwich looks amazing! It gives me the idea to try my favorite cheese snack – the fried mozzarella stick – in sammie form. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply

  45. Maria says

    April 8, 2011 at 11:54 pm

    I had a craving jalapeno poppers the other night and had just that for dinner! Would have loved this sandwich even more I think! Looks incredible.

    Reply

  46. Morgan says

    April 9, 2011 at 6:17 pm

    This sounds heavenly. I can't believe I never thought of adding jalapeños to a grilled cheese. I need to make this for my boyfriend one day, he'll think I'm the best girlfriend ever.

    Reply

  61. Yivinns says

    April 17, 2011 at 9:32 pm

    Wow, this was a delicious sandwich. However, for any possible jalapeno/hot pepper newbies out there, you might want to edit your post with a warning about how the capsaicin burns your skin like hellfire if you don't wear gloves. Not that I just learned this valuable piece of information from this recipe and am repeatedly soaking my fingers in ice water or anything… 😀

    Reply

  63. fajas colombianas says

    April 20, 2011 at 5:03 pm

    Anything with jalapeno's are an instant fave of mine. I made one a while ago but added bacon to it to give it a much more intense flavor and it still turned out great. Thanks for this share.

    Reply

  65. Joëlle Lemire says

    April 30, 2011 at 12:51 pm

    Wow, big shot!

    Kevin, you have created the ultimate, honestly is the best grilled cheese I've ever eaten … it's indecent lol! Crispy, creamy, spicy, sweet, everything is there in the same bite!

    Thank you Kevin!

    Reply

  68. Anonymous says

    May 8, 2011 at 1:42 pm

    Oh my I love those poppers and I love Jalapenos ! I am so trying this sandwich!!

    Would you mind me sharing your yummy recipe on my blog with a link back to you?

    bee blessed
    mary

    Reply

  69. Doesn't eat plastic says

    May 18, 2011 at 10:26 pm

    This recipe sounded so simple for a new cook like me…but I followed the instructions and put my broiled jalapeños in a zip lock bag…which melted the plastic onto the pepper. FAIL!! After my second attempt I decided to put them in a paper bag instead. It's a decent sandwich, but next time I'll add more peppers for a way spicier sandwich.

    PLEASE DON'T RECOMMEND USING A ZIP LOCK BAG!!!

    Thanks! 😀

    Reply

  70. Kevin says

    May 18, 2011 at 10:50 pm

    Doesn't eat plastic: I have been using zip lock bags for years for roasted red peppers, poblanos and jalapenos and I have never had one melt on me. Using a reusable container would be cheaper in the long run anyways!

    Reply

  74. Jen L. says

    July 8, 2011 at 1:50 pm

    Found the pin in Pinterest last week and I haven't stopped thinking about this sandwich! I got jalapenos at the store yesterday so I can make these sandwiches tonight. Can't wait to try them. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  90. Charnae Hutchings says

    December 29, 2011 at 9:31 pm

    I am in the middle of my pregnancy and have been craving anything spicy – especially jalepenos. And just about every other recipe on your site that is Texmex or Mexican. I especially love the idea of mexican eggs and salsa verde lasagna. Thanks for putting all the time into sharing your amazing discoveries.

    Reply

  91. CharlesR says

    January 4, 2012 at 6:01 pm

    Hi Kevin:
    Here's a new one to try!

    I was just over on "Life on Food"

    She likes Peanut Butter and Jam grilled Cheese sandwiches.

    I thought of you right away

    Charlie

    Reply

  93. Anonymous says

    January 17, 2012 at 7:37 pm

    "Assemble sandwich"? Can you elaborate? Maybe that's a dumb question but I'd like to know all of your steps so I can make this amazing looking sandwich!

    Reply

  94. Kevin says

    January 19, 2012 at 11:16 am

    Anonymous: I cleaned up the recipe text: Butter the outside of each slice of bread and spread the cream cheese on the inside. Sprinkle half of the cheese on the cream cheese of one slice of bread, top with the jalapenos, crumbled tortilla chips, the remaining cheese and finally the other slice of bread.

    Reply

  98. Cashew says

    February 1, 2012 at 9:20 pm

    I made these last night. Let me tell you, they are NOT health food. But people are going to think I'm a hero when I make them on Sunday for the Superbowl. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  103. ATasteOfMadness says

    March 2, 2012 at 4:03 am

    This looks utterly delicious. I love anything grilled cheese. Melted cheese tastes good with everything, but this has just kicked it up a notch. I want it right now

    Reply

  104. tdreusser says

    March 18, 2012 at 2:59 am

    My attempts at home-cooking in my apartment are usually unsuccessful, but this turned out AMAZING. I'm so stuffed! To make it a little easier though, I used pre-sliced jalapenos and cooked them in the oven for a short while (not enough to brown them, though). Thank you so much for this wonderful concoction!

    Reply

  107. Theresa says

    March 20, 2012 at 12:16 am

    I made these for the second time tonight, only this time I skipped the chips and added fresh cooked bacon and used cheddar pepper jack cheese from Kraft and they were FANTASTIC!!!

    Reply

  111. cute_red27 says

    April 18, 2012 at 12:09 am

    It past 2am over here and my mouth is watering! I write my grocery list right now and look forward to cook this delicious grilled cheese later on!

    Thank you!!!

    Reply

  112. Steven Yackel says

    April 29, 2012 at 7:41 pm

    Fantastic! I made this one for lunch today and it was absolutely perfect. This is pure genius between two slices of bread. Poppers are an appetizer I crave, and now I crave more of this sandwich.

    Reply

  113. Anonymous says

    May 3, 2012 at 9:52 am

    OMG, this is sooo delicious! The first time that I made this jalapeno popper sandwich, I used the shreaded cheese but it didnt really care for it because I felt that it needed that creamy cheese flavor. So this second time I used the same ingredients but I used half shreaded cheese and half of the american cheese and my goodnes.. This is the best grilled cheeses sandwich that I've ever made! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!

    Reply

  116. Anonymous says

    July 4, 2012 at 4:53 pm

    I hate to say this, but my sandwiches did not wow me. They had no jalapenos at Fortinos the day I made this,so I used Serranos instead…maybe they didn't have the immpact of the jalapeno? I found they were much improved when I put a big spoonful of hot salsa on them. It was like the ketchup to the regular grilled cheese! Might try them again next time I buy sme jalapenos.

    Reply

  117. Kim says

    July 11, 2012 at 12:43 pm

    My husband (the picky eater) took one look at the photo of this sandwich and he said, "I'll eat that!" Looking forward to trying this recipe.

    Reply

  118. Jennifer and Greg says

    August 8, 2012 at 11:53 pm

    I NEVER post comments online but I have to for this one… it was AWESOME! I didn't add the chips but I might next time. I agree that a little crumbled bacon might send it over the top. A++++

    Reply

  124. Rebecca D. says

    April 18, 2013 at 6:32 am

    I'm going to make these with gluten free bread. I haven't had a jalepeno popper since going GF. And I'm so ready for one. Thanks for making it possible! I'm sure this is way better than deep fried anyway! Woo Hoo! I can't wait!

    Reply

  126. kevin says

    April 29, 2013 at 4:53 pm

    Anonymous: Yes you could definitely roast the jalapenos ahead of time. I would bring them back up to room temperature before using them.

    Reply

  127. What a Dish! says

    May 26, 2013 at 2:01 pm

    Just made this for lunch- amazing! I make my grilled cheese in the oven though, and maybe that's why my tortilla chips lost their crunch. It was still SO good though; I'll just leave them out next time. I used picked jalapeno slices and need to add more next time because I loved biting into one of them! You should open up a grilled cheese restaurant! Love your recipes- just made your carnitas for the second time yesterday. Yum.

    Reply

  128. Lauren Hartman says

    July 3, 2013 at 1:18 am

    Oh. My. God.

    This was the most amazing grilled cheese sandwich ever. End of story.

    If you love jalapeno poppers you can't not love this sandwich.

    You did it 100% – roasting the peppers, genius. And I was skeptical about the tortilla chips but NO KIDDING it's the perfect crunch to mimic the breading.

    I could die happy right now.

    Reply

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