Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese is a delectable combination of baked cream cheese-filled jalapenos, gooey cheddar, Monterey Jack cheese, and crispy bacon. It is sandwiched between two slices of thick, hearty white bread and grilled to perfection.
Do you like grilled cheese? I absolutely love them. Grilled cheese is the ultimate comfort food. In fact, it is a formidable contender, even against mac n cheese. However, you do have to like a little heat to partake in this beauty. If picked properly, jalapenos can be very flavorful with relatively mild heat. Please be sure to read my section on choosing the right jalapenos.
How do you make Jalapeno Grilled Cheese?
First, using plastic food handling gloves, cut the jalapenos in half and remove the seeds and membranes—stuff each half with a little mound of cream cheese. Now place them on a cookie sheet and bake until the peppers are semi-soft, the cheese is bubbly, and they start to brown.
Place one slice of cheddar cheese on two bread slices. Place one slice each of Monterey Jack on two bread slices. Each sandwich will have both kinds of cheese. Slice the cooked stuffed jalapenos into bite-size pieces. Divide the jalapeno slices between the two slices of bread with cheddar. Add the four slices of bacon to the slices of bread with Monterey Jack. If desired, add chopped cilantro to one side. Combine the slices of bread to form 2 sandwiches.
Top each sandwich with several pats of butter. Place in skillet over medium-low heat, butter side down. Top with more pats of butter. Now grill each side until lightly browned. Cheese should be melted and gooey.
How do you choose mild jalapenos?
With just a little patience and understanding, you, too, can pick jalapenos that are flavorful yet mild. Look for the younger peppers that are smooth and green all over with no striations or blemishes. These young green peppers are less stressed and milder. Stay away from peppers with white lines, flecks, and red ones, as these peppers are older and hotter. Take your time picking the peppers.
To reduce the heat once cut in half, use gloves and scoop out the veins and seeds. There is quite a bit of heat in those veins and seeds. If you like your jalapeno poppers hot, leave the seeds and veins in or leave a portion of them.
Recipe notes and helpful tips
- Use gloves to cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds. Wash your hands thoroughly after working with these peppers, as they can be irritating if you touch your face.
- A small amount of cream cheese mounded in the pepper works best. If too much is in there, it will cook out.
- If you like your jalapeno poppers to be less soft, reduce the cooking time by ten minutes.
- Use good quality smoked nitrate-free bacon.
- This sandwich is worthy of thick bakery-style white bread, Italian bread, or European Artisan Bread.
- Use excellent quality, fairly thick slices of cheese, as the cheese should be the star of the show.
This Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese is one of the best I have ever had or made. It truly is a work of art and perfect for those of you who like lots of flavor and a little heat.
Other sandwich recipes for you to enjoy
Jalapeno Popper Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 Jalapenos sliced lengthwise seeds and membranes removed
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 4 slices bacon crispy cooked
- 2 slices monterey jack
- 2 slices sharp cheddar
- 4 slices Italian bread
- Cilantro chopped optional
- Pats of butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Stuff each jalapeno half with approximately 1 ounce of cream cheese. Bake stuffed jalapenos on a baking sheet for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven.
- Place 1 slice each cheddar cheese on 2 bread slices. Place 1 slice each Monterey Jack on 2 bread slices. Each sandwich will have both kinds of cheese. Slice the cooked stuffed jalapenos into bite-size pieces. Divide the jalapeno slices between the 2 slices of bread with cheddar. Add the 4 slices of bacon to the slices of bread with the Monterey Jack. If desired, add chopped cilantro to one side. Combine the slices of bread to form 2 sandwiches.
- Top each sandwich with several pats of butter. Place in skillet over medium-low heat, butter side down. Top with more pats of butter. Now grill each side until lightly browned. Cheese should be melted and gooey.
Video
Notes
- Use gloves to cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds. Wash your hands thoroughly after working with these peppers, as they can be a real irritant if you touch your face.
- A small amount of cream cheese mounded in the pepper works best. If too much is in there, it will cook out.
- If you like your jalapeno poppers less soft, lessen the cooking time by ten minutes.
- Use good quality smoked nitrate-free bacon.
- This sandwich is worthy of thick bakery-style white bread, Italian bread, or European Artisan Bread.
- Use excellent quality, fairly thick slices of cheese, as the cheese should be the star of the show.
Nutrition
On the hunt for more delicious recipes? Follow Small Town Woman on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
Helen Gynell
Wondering why not put the cream cheese in after the jalapeno has baked? Can’t imagine it adds any flavor during baking . . .
Beth Pierce
You certainly could if you wanted to. The grilled cheese is a twist on jalapeno poppers.
Rebekah
I made this sandwich for my husband and I about a month ago, and we’ve been talking about it ever since. We’re huge sandwich snobs, if you will, and this sandwich easily hits our top 3 at-home sandwiches. I mean, who doesn’t love bacon, jalapeño, and cream cheese?! I would’ve never thought to put them together in a sandwich, but I’m glad that you did, Beth. You’ve changed my life. Lol.
Beth Pierce
That is awesome Rebekah! I am so glad that you and your husband like it. You made my day!
Janet Cordell
I have a question: can you use a panini sandwich maker for these sandwiches?
Beth Pierce
Yes you sure can!
Kim Romine
So good. Only change we made was to add taco seasoning to the cream cheese. Just because I do that for my poppers. Excellent sandwich, my honey raved about it.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Kim! So glad that you and your honey liked the sandwich!
Angie
I rate this recipe a 15🙌🏼 AMAZING!!! We finally have garden jalapeños & added some avocado. Definitely going to be a regular in our dinner rotation!!!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Angie! That is so sweet. We love this sandwich too! So delicious!
Victoria Smith
This sandwich is amazing! The two things I did differently were:
1) I didn’t use cilantro, I don’t care for it;
2) I cut the jalapeno peppers into half-moon sections, mixed the cream cheese with them & warmed them in a small pan (I preferred this so when I took a bite I didn’t get a whole pepper out, it was spread throughout the sandwich. Then I just thickly spread it on one slice of bread for each sandwich.
Lif S
I’m glad to see you prepared the jalapeno peppers + cream cheese the way you did. I, too, don’t want to deal with whole peppers sliding out of the sandwich with each bite and while I was reading through the comments I was wondering if anybody else had a way around that.
Emma
This recipe was the reason I’ve bookmarked your site. It was fantastic, thank you for sharing! I honestly have to say it’s one of the best sandwiches we’ve had. I used sourdough bread, with slices of mozzarella cheese and gouda cheese, and these delicious stuffed jalapeños in the middle. Then I buttered the bread and crisped them up in the pan. It was crunchy, gooey and spicy. We dipped them in a home made tomato soup. Yum!! I will try this next time but with eggs and pastrami for breakfast 🙂
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Emma! I love that sandwich too. Eggs and pastrami plus jalapeno poppers sounds heavenly to me.
Marrla Moor
Have made these twice now. Oh boy! Something fun to try is adding a small amount of liquid smoke to cream cheese and a sprinkle of ” Everything But the Bagel”. Stir into cream cheese before filling jalapeno. An added depth of flavor. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us.
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine! Thanks for the tips! My readers love tips!
Allie
What is the best kind of bread to use for this recipe?
Beth Pierce
I like sourdough or there is a European whole grain from the bakery down the street that is delicious as well.
Ashley B
My picky, man-child of a husband LOVED this grilled cheese! And it was a great way to use my garden jalapeños. Thank you so much for this recipe 🙂
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Ashley! I completely understand being married to a man-child. I have one of those too!
Priscilla Kostura
I recommend adding cooking bacon to the recipe preparation steps to have a realistic idea of the steps and time it takes to cook the sandwich. This recipe utilized two pans and a cookie sheet to clean. It takes lots of dishes to prepare the sandwich. I thought it tasted ok. It was hard to realize the significant calorie content you’re eating in one sandwich. The thick-sliced cheese and the scooped cream cheese, plus the bacon on a buttered sandwich, will pack on the pounds. It was different, and I ate it. I used sweet peppers on my sandwich because I wouldn’t say I like jalapeños.
Esther
Are you using four slices of bread for this sandwich ?
Beth Pierce
No. It is a double stack in the picture.
Deacon Mitch
Put some fried eggs & tomatoes on it too !!
Maur
Let’s not leave out the avocado! 😋
Carolyn Torbet
I love jalapenos. Thank you so much. This recipe is incredibly delicious.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Carolyn! So glad that you liked it! It is one of our absolute favorites.
Heather
This was so yummy! I cooked the jalapeños in butter with the bacon, and added a fried egg. Didn’t have Jack cheese so I used regular medium cheese. Thanks for the recipe! So creamy and delicious!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Heather! So glad that you liked it!
Melanie Morado
I used candied bacon. Bacon goes in oven with brown sugar and kosher salt. Sweet and salty. It’s the best taste combo.
Emma Davis
I love jalapeno cheese. Thanks for the recipe.
Karen Quintieri
I have made these many, many times. They are so delicious.😋 I vary the cream cheese with stir-ins as the mood or refrigerator dictates. I have used chive cream cheese. I’ve added in chopped green chilis, or salsa, or cumin and cilantro, or…
I fire roast the jalapenos and remove the skins first but still stuff and bake them to combine the flavors, just not for as long.
The other change that I generally incorporate is pepper jack cheese instead of the plain Monterey Jack.
I totally agree with using sharp cheddar, the stronger flavor is needed to pair with the jalapenos. This is, absolutely, the best grilled cheese sandwich ever!! Thank you so much for the recipe. 😊😊
Beth Pierce
Thanks Karen! So glad that you like it and thanks for the all the tips! I love a good cook that can improvise.