Monday, May 7, 2012

Totally Outrageous Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

IMG_3994eFor this month’s Crazy Cooking Challenge the participating bloggers were challenged by our hostess Tina, of Moms Crazy Cooking to find the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich and I’m telling you, I found it.  This is no ordinary grilled cheese sandwich, this is an over the top totally outrageous Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich.  Let me explain the challenge a bit and then I’ll get to the sandwich.  The way that the Crazy Cooking Challenge works is that each month there is a dish that our hostess Tina challenges the participating bloggers to make.  We all go out searching non-celebrity blogs looking for what we think is the ultimate recipe for that dish and once we find it, we make it and then all on the same day we do our post featuring the recipe and the blog where it was found.  As I said, this month the challenge was to find the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich and I was excited because though I’m not a real sandwich lover, I have always adored grilled cheese sandwiches.  Honestly, school cafeteria grilled cheese and tomato soup was my absolute favorite when I was growing up.  Can’t say that you’d get me to eat it today but oh, the sweet delicious memories.

When I started searching blogs for grilled cheese inspiration my first thought was to do a more grown up version of my childhood favorite, maybe mini grilled cheese sandwich croutons floating on creamy roasted tomato soup but then decided that I needed to leave my childhood behind so I ventured out into a whole new world of grilled cheese sandwiches.  I found so many fabu grilled cheese sandwiches the choices were overwhelming.  I drooled over a gorgeous pepper jack cheese, bacon, avocado & apple grilled sandwich as well as a caprese sandwich with pesto, tomato & fresh mozzarella, but I make an open faced version of that so I thought I’d move on.  I was tempted to make a pizza grilled cheese on rosemary focaccia as well as a very unique and delicious sounding goat cheese, strawberry & watercress sandwich.  Then I happened upon Kevin’s Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich and I knew I had found my sandwich because I am a jalapeno popper lover and I knew that by using his sandwich as inspiration I could create popper grilled cheese nirvana…and I did. 

 IMG_3961eI started with a mini jalapeno cheddar loaf which I had sliced thin.  I then spread the bread liberally with soft, room-temperature salted butter.

IMG_3962eI laid half the slices of bread, buttered side down, in a cool cast iron skillet.

IMG_3964eI added a generous layer of shredded Fiesta Blend Cheese.

IMG_3968eTopped the cheese with crispy bacon bits.

IMG_3972eBack after our final summer harvest of 8 million jalapenos, I stuffed some of them with cream cheese and froze them to be used later.  I pulled a few of them from the freezer and baked them from frozen at 500F for 20 minutes, until they were cooked through and delicious.  Thankfully I made more than I needed as I couldn’t resist eating a few and man were they delicious and really got me even more excited about the sandwiches I was making.  So after I popped a few of the hot poppers in my mouth I added the cooled down ones to the sandwiches.

 IMG_3974eAfter the poppers another layer of cheese was essential.

IMG_3977eI then topped all the deliciousness off with the remaining slices of buttered bread.  I then started cooking the sandwiches over a medium low flame.

IMG_3978eAs the sandwiches were stuffed so full I decided to press them a bit and one of my pot lids worked perfectly.

IMG_3983eUsing a medium low flame so that all the cheese would perfectly melt, I cooked the first side until golden delicious and then carefully flipped to cook the other side.

This sandwich is not for the faint of heart and don’t even ask how you can turn down the heat on it because it ain’t gonna happen.  This is hot, cheesy, creamy, bacony, buttery, crispy over-the-top deliciousness.  And see all those crispy little bits of cheese in the pan and attached to the sandwiches?  Yep I ate every last piece.

IMG_3993eTotally Outrageous Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich

  • thinly sliced jalapeno cheddar bread
  • salted butter, room temperature
  • Fiesta Blend Cheese 
  • bacon bits 
  • cream cheese filled jalapenos, roasted and cooled

Generously butter one side of each slice of bread and place half of the slices buttered side down in a cool cast iron skillet or heavy bottomed pan.  Add a generous amount of shredded cheese to each slice of bread.  Top the cheese with desired amount of bacon bits.  Add the roasted jalapenos and more cheese.  Add the remaining buttered slices of bread, buttered side up.  Turn on the heat to medium low and using a press or a pot lid, press the sandwiches a little.  Cook sandwiches until the bottom is golden brown and then carefully flip the sandwich and cook until the cheese is completely melted and the remaining side of bread is golden.  Allow to sit for a minute or two before slicing.

Enjoy!

My previous Crazy Cooking Challenge entries:

Blueberry Muffins Challenge:  Skinny Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Spaghetti with Red Sauce Challenge:  Tomato Sauce with Onion & Butter 
Chocolate Cake Challenge:  Double Chocolate Meyer Lemon Mousse Cake 
Chicken Noodle Soup Challenge: Thai Chicken Noodle Soup 
Fudge Challenge: Biscoff Fudge 
Mashed Potato Challenge: Aloo Tikki 
Chocolate Chip Cookie Challenge: Chocolate Chip Gingersnaps 
Mac & Cheese Challenge: Velvety Mac & Cheese

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17 comments:

  1. HOLY COW your sammie looks amazing!!

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  2. This sandwich must be good! Love how you used your pot lid as a press, so smart.

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  3. This looks delicious, then again, what doesn't look delicious when you prepare it!

    On the subject of peppers. I just planted a new variety that I'm anxious to try provided I don't kill it :)It is called a Trinidad Scorpion. If I can get it to produce I'll send you some seeds. You may already be familiar with it.
    From what the farmer told me and from what I have Googled - it's going to be a HOT one!!
    peace
    fm

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  4. I make jalapeno popper grilled cheese a LOT. We're kind of jalapeno monsters in this house. I love how you made yours an actual jalapeno popper grilled cheese though and it looks like a much simpler version than the one I make. Gotta try it ASAP!

    Stopping by from CCC #7 - stumbled, pinned, Fb'd, tweeted, and voted for your grilled cheese!

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  5. Are you kidding me? The hubs gets sandwiches in his lunchbox every day, so making grilled cheese for a meal gets me some nasty looks... This, however, would make me the heroine! I've never made poppers (ummmmm -- just the ones in a box from Costco, if you could count that...) but I would grow some just for this incredible sandwich!

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  6. We chose the same thing, Lisa! ... though I love how you stuffed the jalapenos with the cream cheese ... I didn't do that. My cream cheese layer was studded with green onion and spread on the bread itself. Wasn't this sandwich just sooooooooo delicious??
    Tracey @ The Kitchen is My Playground CCC #48

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  7. totatly outrageous..LOVE it!!!
    I am your newest follower..pls follow back if you can.
    I am so making this.

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  8. YUM! I love jalapeno poppers and this sandwich looks completely delicious. How hot are the jalapenos? Mmmm. I want one now!

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  9. Genius to use actual jalapeno poppers! I love your photo too and that you can see the insides of the poppers!

    Desi
    #17

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  10. Drooling is the only word that comes in my mind looking at these lovely Bites. Wonderful attempt to a new style of Sandwiches.

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  11. I just love the Jalapeno combination for your grilled cheese, Lisa!

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  12. Those are some amazing looking jalapeno popper grilled cheese sandwiches!

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  13. Wow that looks so good! I love the use of jalapeno cheddar bread!

    Jen #40

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  14. Hi Lisa,
    Thank you for posting the Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwiches recipe.
    I’ve been looking for this recipe since forever! LOL. :D
    I’d like to invite you to submit the pictures of your Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwiches to http://www.foodporn.net so other chefs can make the same creation. :)
    You know it’s fun to make others hungry. :D
    Can’t wait for your recipe. :D

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  15. Too hot for me, but it sure does look good.

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  16. As someone who is a huge fan of grilled cheese and jalapeno poppers (separately),and always looking for something new to make with my family, this recipe has really appealed to me! I'm definitely saving it and giving it a go when I have more free time! Thanks for sharing...it looks positively delicious!

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