Sweet and Spicy Grilled Cheese

This recipe is the appropriate use of the phrase “it’s like a party in your mouth”, because of the flavor contrasts that come from the sweet and spicy pepper...

This recipe is the appropriate use of the phrase “it’s like a party in your mouth”, because of the flavor contrasts that come from the sweet and spicy pepper jelly and having the bread be crusted in jalapenos. This sweet and spicy grilled cheese is such a tasty twist on the classic grilled cheese sandwich. I personally love using fresh sourdough bread from the farmers market or from a bakery, so if it is accessible and affordable for you I highly recommend trying it with bread from those places. When sliced into strips or little triangles, this recipe tastes amazing served with some tomato soup or as an appetizer at a dinner party. The little details in this recipe will leave your guest impressed and wanting more! I will say, if cooking makes you nervous or just using the stove in general is not your favorite thing, this recipe may take a few attempts before you perfect the technique down. Do not let this discourage you from trying it because once you get the hang of it you can make so many of these quickly. There are a few main tips to keep in mind when making these grilled cheeses. First being that once you lay the cheese and jalapenos down to melt and place the bread on top of it, you do not want to keep touching it because it will mess up the crust that is forming on that slice of bread. Let it sit at medium heat and create that crust naturally while you add all the toppings on top of the toast. After flipping the bread on top of the second slice do not worry if the cheese in the middle is not melted. Because once you cover it with a lid the steam will not only bring moisture back to the bread so it is not overly crispy but will beautifully melt that cheese giving it that gooey texture that you desire in a grilled cheese. In terms of ingredients, do not worry if you can not find the exact pepper jelly I use. I love getting mine from Trader Joes but I believe that it is a seasonal item, so you can get any pepper jelly or sweet jelly (no citrus) from the grocery store and it should work just as great. I also love to sometimes swap out the jalapenos for slices of serrano peppers for something extra spicy and it tastes just as good! I hope you love this recipe as much as I do and my DMs are always open for any tips you may want/need…happy cooking!