Chorizo and Jalapeno Grilled Cheese Sandwich
I don’t like to brag, but last week I made the best grilled cheese sandwich, filled with spicy chorizo, roasted peppers, fresh plum tomatoes, and three delicious cheeses. It satisfied all our spicy, cheesy cravings. And, it was so simple to make and so easy to clean up, that I was in and out of the kitchen in no time that night. Although this is a quick and easy meal, it actually took me three tries, on three different days, to get this sandwich just right.
The Ingredients
- The Bread- The first time I made this grilled cheese, I baked my own bread, which was a soft, eggy bread. But, we decided this sandwich called for a rustic, bakery-sliced peasant or sourdough bread. You could also use regular, supermarket white bread.
- The Chorizo- For this grilled cheese sandwich you will need to buy the raw, Mexican chorizo that you can find near the ground beef in your supermarket. While it’s delicious, you don’t want the hard Spanish chorizo, which is in the salami section of your supermarket.
- The Cheeses- The first time we made this, we used just pepper jack cheese, and it produced a boring grilled cheese. You definitely need multiple cheeses for this sandwich.
- The Peppers- I was looking for poblano peppers, but couldn’t find them, so I ended up using Anaheim chilies one night, and jalapenos the next. Any of these three peppers will work in this recipe. Be sure to wash your hands well after touching them, because the spicy oils will irritate your eyes, mouth, and ears if you touch them while cooking.
How to cook your Chorizo and Jalapeno Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- I started this recipe by roasting my peppers on a foil lined baking sheet. Some people broil or grill their peppers, but I find baking them is a method that allows me to walk away and let them cook without supervision.
- Next, I cooked my chorizo. Make sure you do not burn your chorizo. I start with medium heat, and then turn it down to low, stirring frequently.
- Lastly, I grill the sandwich. The trick here is to make sure the cheese melts, so you want to cook the sandwich on medium heat, but be ready to turn it down to low if the bread begins to cook more quickly than the cheese does.
I hope you’ll try this Chorizo and Jalapeno Grilled Cheese Sandwich on a night when you’re looking for a quick dinner to prepare. I would serve this with a simple salad, or a soup in colder weather. We all need to give ourselves time to relax and rejuvenate, and easy dinners like this really help give us a little break.
Chorizo and Jalapeno Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 4 jalapeno peppers
- ½ pound ground chorizo
- ¼ pound pepper jack cheese
- ¼ pound muenster cheese
- ¼ pound cheddar cheese
- 2 plum tomatoes, sliced
- 8 slices peasant bread
- 4 tbsp. butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Roast the jalapenos on a baking sheet for 30 minutes. Then, peel the peppers and remove the seeds, and chop them in small pieces.
- Meanwhile, in a skillet on medium heat, cook the chorizo, about 7 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
- Heat a grill pan or skillet. Build your sandwiches by layering first the cheese, then the meat, and then the vegetables.
- Melt half the butter and grill 2 of the sandwiches until the cheese is melted and the bread is browned. Repeat with the rest of the butter and sandwiches.
