Sweet and Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwich
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A homemade jalapeño jelly adds a sweet and spicy twist to this grilled cheese sandwich made with pepper jack cheese, slices of apples and salty bacon on crisp sourdough bread. The sandwich is cooked until the exterior is buttery, crisp and golden brown while the cheese is melted inside. I like to sandwich the other ingredients between layers of cheese for the best gooey grilled cheese possible! I’ve also included some of my top tips for making the best grilled cheese sandwiches.
Sweet and Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Table of contents
About Jalapeño Jelly
A combination of jalapeños and bell peppers are boiled with sugar and apple cider vinegar until a sticky jelly forms. The sweet and spicy jelly is the perfect accompaniment to the pepper jack cheese and tart apples in the sandwich. I don’t make my jelly with pectin (which preserves it) but it can certainly be added to extend the shelf life for canning. The jelly can also be served simply with cheese and crackers, or over cream cheese on a bagel!
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
In the Jelly
- Jalapeño – I remove the membrane and seeds from the jalapeños. This cuts down on some of the spice, leaving you with a great jalapeño flavor. I pulse it with the bell pepper to create a finer grind for the jelly. Jalapeños come in between 2500 and 8000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), meaning they are hotter than poblanos but more mild than serranos.
- Bell pepper – Bell peppers are sweet with a mild flavor. They don’t have any heat but add a sweet flavor which helps to round out the flavor of the jalapeño. The colors of bell pepper differ based on maturity – it comes down to the time of harvesting. The green bell pepper can be substituted with another color in this recipe as the difference is subtle.
- Apple cider vinegar – Apple cider vinegar is made from crushed apples, yeast and sugar. It helps to balance the sweetness of the sugar and the heat of the jalapeño in the jam.
- Sugar – The peppers sit in granulated sugar to macerate them (soften the peppers by drawing out the sugar). The sugar boils with the juice released from the peppers and vinegar and forms the jelly.
In the sandwich
- Bacon – Slices of cooked bacon add a salty touch to this sandwich and helps to balance the sweet and spicy flavors.
- Apples – While you can choose your favorite apples I like adding slices of sweet gala or honeycrisp apples. They offer a great crunch.
- Bread – I love the tangy flavor of sourdough bread. The sourdough starter and fermenting the bread gives it that signature airy, fluffy texture and more complex flavor. You can easily substitute with your favorite white bread or country bread.
- Mayonnaise – Mayonnaise has a higher smoke point than butter as well as egg yolks to create a golden brown crust on the grilled cheese.
- Butter – I melt butter in a pan to cook the grilled cheese. Combined with the mayo it makes for a perfectly crisp grilled cheese with buttery flavor.
- Cheese – Pepper jack cheese is Monterey Jack cheese with the addition of red pepper. The cheese has the buttery taste and creamy texture of Monterey Jack with the addition of some spice making it a great flavor combination.
How to Make a Sweet and Spicy Grilled Cheese
Step 1: Dice peppers.
Finely dice or use a food processor to pulse the bell pepper and jalapeño until finely diced. Use a paper towel to squeeze out excess liquid.
Step 2: Add jelly ingredients to pot.
Add the peppers, sugar, apple cider vinegar and salt to a medium pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
Step 3: Boil jelly.
Continue to boil, stirring occasionally until the mixture begins to thicken, about 10 minutes (the temperature should read 220ºF / 104ºC).
Step 4: Store jalapeño jelly.
Remove from heat and pour into a clean jar. Let the jelly come to room temperature, then seal and refrigerate until ready to use. The jelly can be made up to 2 weeks in advance. This recipe makes approximately 25 ounces of jelly.
Step 5: Spread mayo on bread.
Thinly spread one side of each bread slice with the mayonnaise. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-low heat, add the butter and allow to melt.
Step 6: Assemble sandwich.
Place half of the slices of bread, mayo-side down, on the pan or griddle. Divide the cheese evenly on top of the bread slices.
Step 7: Close sandwich.
Top each with 3 tablespoons (55g) of the pepper jelly, slices of bacon and spread apple slices over the jelly. Top each with a second slice of bread, mayonnaise side up.
Step 8: Cook the grilled cheese.
When the underside is golden brown, about 3 minutes, use a spatula to flip the grilled cheese and continue to cook. Gently press down on the sandwich to encourage browning and continue to cook until the cheese has melted and the underside is golden brown, about an additional 3 minutes.
Step 9: Cut and serve.
Remove to a cutting board and cut each sandwich in half. Serve immediately.
Tips and Tricks for This Recipe
Tips for the Best Grilled Cheese
- Mayo + butter. The key is spreading mayonnaise on the outside of each piece of bread! The grilled cheese is then cooked at a low heat in butter until perfectly golden brown and crisp.
- Low heat. Cooking the sandwiches at a low heat ensures the cheese melts at the same rate the exterior browns. You don’t want a crisp outside with cold cheese inside.
- The pan. I recommend using a pan that evenly conducts heat like a cast iron skillet or non-stick sauté pan or griddle. This works to perfectly toast the bread while melting the cheese.
Swaps and substitutions
- Easily swap the sourdough with another favorite bread like a crusty country loaf or white sandwich bread.
- Omit the bacon for a vegetarian version of this grilled cheese.
- The pepper jack cheese can be substituted for another melty cheese like Monterey Jack.
How much jelly does this recipe make?
Enough to fill approximately 1 (25-ounce) jar of jelly.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this spicy grilled cheese with apples recipe, check out some of these and follow me on Instagram for more updates:
Sweet and Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients:
For the pepper jelly:
- 1 medium green bell pepper, seeds removed
- 8 medium jalapeño peppers, seeds removed
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the grilled cheese:
- 4 ½”-thick slices sourdough bread
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 slices deli-sliced pepper jack cheese
- 6 slices cooked bacon
- 1 medium gala apple, cored and thinly sliced
Instructions:
For the pepper jelly:
- Finely dice or use a food processor to pulse the bell pepper and jalapeño until finely diced. Use a paper towel to squeeze out excess liquid.
- Add the peppers, sugar, apple cider vinegar and salt to a medium pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
- Continue to boil, stirring occasionally until the mixture begins to thicken, about 10 minutes (the temperature should read 220ºF / 104ºC).
- Remove from heat and pour into a clean jar. Let the jelly come to room temperature, then seal and refrigerate until ready to use. The jelly can be made up to 2 weeks in advance.
For the grilled cheese:
- Thinly spread one side of each bread slice with the mayonnaise. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-low heat, add the butter and allow to melt.
- Place half of the slices of bread, mayo-side down, on the pan or griddle. Divide the cheese evenly on top of the bread slices.
- Top each with 3 tablespoons (55g) of the pepper jelly, slices of bacon and spread apple slices over the jelly. Top each with a second slice of bread, mayonnaise side up.
- When the underside is golden brown, about 3 minutes, use a spatula to flip the grilled cheese and continue to cook. Gently press down on the sandwich to encourage browning and continue to cook until the cheese has melted and the underside is golden brown, about an additional 3 minutes.
- Remove to a cutting board and cut each sandwich in half. Serve immediately.
DID YOU MAKE THIS?
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Made this for dinner last night and wow! So easy and delicious! A perfect fall go-to that will now be on repeat here! I almost skipped the bacon here and so glad I a did not. The salt adds the right balance to the sweet pepper jelly. This one is a keeper!
So happy to hear it!!! The bacon totally balances it!! Plus I just love bacon! Thanks for sharing Jennifer!