Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese
This Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese is a flavorful and easy sandwich to make on the griddle or in your skillet. Add smoked or rotisserie shredded chicken for a hearty sandwich, and use the leftover mixture to make awesome pinwheel appetizers!
Servings: 4 sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1 chicken breast cooked and shredded
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 4 oz shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 jalapeños, cooked to tender seeds removed
- 8 slices bacon cooked and chopped
- 8 slices jalapeno cheddar loaf bread or substitute your favorite bread
- mayonnaise or butter to toast the bread
Instructions
- Dice the cooked and seeded jalapeños, or substitute jarred jalapeños. See notes section below.
- Preheat griddle on low.
- In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, diced jalapeños, chopped bacon, and shredded chicken. Mix until well combined.
- Spread about ¼ of the cream cheese and chicken mixture on a slice of bread. Top with second slice of bread to form a sandwich. Repeat for the other 3 sandwiches.
- Add about ½ tablespoon of softened butter or mayonnaise to the top bread slice of each sandwich. Then, place the sandwiches on the preheated griddle, buttered side down to begin toasting. Add an additional ½ tablespoon of butter or mayonnaise to the top of the second slice of bread, now facing upwards.
- Allow the sandwiches to cook on the first side until golden brown, then flip to the second side and continue to cook until golden brown and cheese is melted. For best results, cook on low heat so that cheese can melt and the sandwich can toast fully before the bread burns.
- When sandwiches are done, remove from the griddle and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
Options for the jalapeños:
- Smoke whole jalapeños on a grill or smoker at about 250 degrees for one hour to tenderize them. Then, allow the peppers to cool, cut in half, and remove the seeds before dicing.
- Cut whole jalapeños in half and remove the seeds. Place them cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet, and broil in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the skin is slightly charred. Allow to cool, then dice.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. De-seed and dice fresh jalapeños. Add a drizzle of oil to the heated skillet, and saute the diced peppers until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Substitute jarred pickled jalapeños.