Jalapeño Popper Sourdough Grilled Cheese
There’s nothing wrong with serving grilled cheese for dinner. However, if you want to spice it up, literally, you’ll love this jalapeño popper sourdough grilled cheese. It’s comfort food at its best: cheesy, with a bit of heat with crusty and delicious bread.
Jalapeño Popper Sourdough Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
- 4 thick slices artisan sourdough bread
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 jalapeños seeded and finely diced
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
Optional Add-Ins:
- 4 slices crispy bacon
- 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
Instructions
- Mix. In a bowl, combine softened cream cheese, diced jalapeños, garlic powder, and salt. If using bacon or chicken, fold it in now.
- Assemble. Spread butter on one side of each bread slice. Flip two slices over and spread with the cream cheese mixture. Top with sliced cheddar. Put bacon slides on top
- Close. Place remaining bread slices on top, buttered side up.
- Cook. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Place sandwiches in skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes until golden brown.
- Flip. Carefully turn the sandwiches over and cook another 3-4 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and the bread is crispy.
- Rest. Let sandwiches rest for 2 minutes before cutting.
Notes
- For extra-melty cheese, cover the skillet with a lid while cooking. And if you’re adding chicken, warm it slightly before adding it to the sandwich.
- Bread tip: A rustic sourdough or country white bread works perfectly here- you want nice thick slices that can hold up to all that cheese!
Nutrition
The key is in the layers. The cream cheese mixture as the base helps control the jalapeño heat and stops the bread from getting soggy. And if you’re tempted to skip one of the cheeses, DON’T. Having both the sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack gives the perfect balance of flavor and melt.
Don’t use that flimsy cheap bread from the store. You want thick-cut sourdough bread to take this from a good sandwich to a GREAT one. Those thick slices will stand up to all the filling without getting soggy and give a nice golden crust. Make this with my jalapeño cheddar sourdough bread if you want even more flavor.
Tips for Success
Press down gently on the sandwich while it cooks, but don’t smash it – you want it compact enough to hold together but not so flat that all the filling squishes out.
Look for the cheese starting to melt at the edges before flipping – that’s your signal.
If your bread is browning too quickly but the cheese isn’t melty enough, lower the heat and pop a lid on the pan.
Let it rest for those full two minutes before cutting – this helps everything set nicely.
Ingredients and Equipment
Bread: Sourdough or country white from the bakery section – not the pre-sliced sandwich bread. Look for an unsliced loaf so you can cut thick pieces.
Cream Cheese: Regular, full-fat block cream cheese (not whipped or low-fat). It should be very soft before you start.
Jalapeños: Fresh ones from the produce section. Look for firm, bright green peppers with smooth skin. Avoid any that are wrinkled or have soft spots.
Sharp Cheddar: Regular block cheddar, not pre-shredded. Yellow or white both work equally well.
Monterey Jack: Again, get a block and grate it yourself. It melts better than pre-shredded.
Skillet: A 10 or 12-inch skillet with a heavy bottom. Cast iron is perfect because it holds heat so well, but any heavy nonstick pan works, too. If your pan is lightweight, the bread tends to burn before the cheese melts.
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Make It Your Own
- Swap the jalapeños for diced green chiles if you want milder heat
- Try pepper jack instead of Monterey Jack for extra spice
- Turn leftover filling into a hot dip – bake until bubbly
- Add crispy bacon
- Mix in some shredded chicken
This sandwich is the perfect comfort food and doesn’t take much longer than a basic grilled cheese. Double the cream cheese mixture – you’ll want it for bagels or crackers later.
By Katie Shaw
Katie lives in Virginia with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens. She loves creating simple tutorials for sourdough, bread, and soap. Her recipes, articles, and YouTube videos reach millions of people per year.