Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese
with pear and celery slaw
This spicy, creamy grilled cheese is like a jalapeno popper in sandwich form. Serve it with a fresh, crunchy slaw on the side that will help to balance the creaminess and heat.
Smarts: If you want to keep the spice to a minimum, slice the jalapenos lengthwise and remove the seeds first. If you want even more spice, keep the seeds in and try these sandwiches with spicy pepper jack cheese.
Ingredients
- Cheese, white cheddar or provolone - 8 oz, shredded (sub pepper jack for even more spice)
- Garlic - 2 cloves, chopped
- Jalapenos - 4, thinly slice; cut in half lengthwise and remove seeds before slicing for less heat
- Butter - 2 Tbsp
- Bread, sliced sourdough - 8 slices
- Cream cheese - 2 oz
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Celery - 3 stalks, julienned
- Pears, Asian - 1, julienned
- Lemon juice - 1 Tbsp
- Vinegar, apple cider - 1 Tbsp
- Mustard, Dijon - 1 tsp
- Maple syrup - 1 tsp
Nutrition Facts
Prep
-
Cheese / Garlic / Jalapenos - Prep as directed. (If you’d like more heat in the jalapenos, leave the seeds in. For less heat, cut in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds before slicing into thin pieces.) Store separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
-
Make slaw - Combine celery, pears, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, and some salt.
Unlock this meal along with hundreds of smart meal plans and never stress about "What's for dinner?" again
Try for freeLearn More
Make
-
Butter one side of all slices of bread. Lay out bread on a sheet pan or cutting board, buttered-side down.
-
Next, warm cream cheese in the microwave just until soft, ~30 seconds. Stir in garlic and cheese. Spread cheese mixture evenly over half the slices of bread. Set aside.
-
Heat a large griddle or skillet over medium heat. Add cooking oil and then jalapeno slices in a single layer. Sear jalapenos until tender and starting to brown in spots, 3 to 4 minutes. Season lightly with some salt and then flip and sear on the other side.
-
Spread cooked jalapenos out on top of cheese mixture, leaving griddle on medium heat.
-
Top sandwiches with remaining slices of bread, buttered-side up.
-
Place sandwiches onto heated surface and cook on both sides until the bread is golden and the filling is melted, pressing down gently throughout the grilling process. It should take 4 to 5 minutes per side, depending on the heat of the pan.
-
Serve sandwiches with slaw on the side. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
Most Helpful
My 5 year old wanted to tell the person who made this recipe “I love those sandwiches of yours. They’re the best. Mmmmmmm 💕😁💕😁✅✅👍👍”
1 Helpful25 reviews
I thought these were awesome! So creamy. Great idea to grate the cheese and mix with cream cheese. I may use that technique for regular grilled cheese. Tasted just like poppers!
0 HelpfulCooked the jalapeños with some chopped bacon. Mixed that in with the cheese. Yum! 2 (instead of 4) jalapeños was a bit too spicy for kids, although they were large. Skipped the slaw because raw celery. Roasted asparagus instead.
0 HelpfulLoved this one! So good and simple. But elevated from the grilled cheese we’re all used to. I’m thinking a favorite, for sure. Maybe I’ll do a version with green chilies and dip it in green chili.
0 Helpful