Hot Chile Grilled Cheese
This deconstructed version of a chile relleno turned sandwich packs some heat and an ooey-gooey filling. We like the flavor of sourdough, but any kind of bread will work well. Serve with coleslaw and sliced pineapple.
This deconstructed version of a chile relleno turned sandwich packs some heat and an ooey-gooey filling. We like the flavor of sourdough, but any kind of bread will work well. Serve with coleslaw and sliced pineapple.
- Carbohydrate 39.6039478726909 g
- Cholesterol 15.60375 mg
- Fat 6.42634394665025 g
- Fiber 2.29318054242497 g
- Protein 12.8844504998419 g
- Saturated Fat 3.60617825616359 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (148g)
- Sodium 559.761316605088 mg
- Sugar 37.3107673302659 g
- Trans Fat 0.413619188167693 g
- Calories 263 calories
Step-by-step
- Place peppers in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap and microwave on High until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Let stand, covered, until cool enough to handle.
- Meanwhile, combine beans, salsa and salt in a medium bowl. Mash the beans with a fork until they begin to form a paste (some can remain whole). Combine cheese, yogurt, scallions and cilantro in a small bowl.
- When the peppers are cool enough to handle, slice each one in half lengthwise and remove the stem and seeds.
- Heat a panini maker to high. (No panini maker? See Stovetop Variation, below.)
- Spread 1/3 cup of the bean mixture on each of 4 slices of bread. Top with a heaping tablespoon of the cheese mixture. Place 2 pepper halves over the cheese. Cover with the remaining slices of bread.
- Grill the sandwiches in the panini maker until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Cut in half and serve immediately.
Standard recipes rarely warn that poblano peppers carry wildly unpredictable capsaicin levels until the heat hits your palate. Roasting them quickly in a microwave-safe bowl trapped under plastic wrap creates steam that softens the tough outer skin without requiring an open flame, making it drastically easier to peel away bitterness before assembling.
- Mash the canned pinto beans until they reach a thick paste consistency, which acts as a structural anchor to prevent the bread from sliding apart during pressing.
- Shred fresh Monterey Jack or cheddar yourself instead of using pre-bagged varieties coated in anti-caking cellulose, ensuring a properly unified melt.
- Heat a panini maker to high or weight down a skillet with heavy cans to achieve uniform golden-brown crunch across the sourdough in approximately four minutes.
- Substitute jarred roasted green chiles if fresh poblanos are unavailable, though fresh peppers provide a brighter vegetal bite that contrasts against the creamy cheese.
Pressing the sandwich uniformly ensures the internal cheese melts before the exterior bread burns. Serve immediately while the interior remains molten.
