Grilled cheese sandwich is a comfort food. It is quick, easy and fuss free to make and tastes delicious. My recipe is not your ordinary grilled cheese recipe its fiery, sweet and spicy. It has a generous layer of homemade spicy Schezwan chutney, scallions and of course cheese.
My sandwich recipe isn’t loaded with cheese but you can feel free to add more as per your liking. Even if it isn’t gourmet it tastes absolutely delicious, got flavor and a kick. What’s not to love about melty cheese and Schezwan chutney sandwiched between two buttery toast bread, right? Serve this sandwich with some Indochinese soup or salad for a quick easy meal.
If you don’t have Schezwan sauce you can use Red chili sauce .
Ingredients:
- Bread: I have used Whole Wheat bread in this recipe for a slightly healthier version. Alternatively you can use a multigrain bread for a nutty texture. The best bread to make grilled cheese is certainly artisan bread, sourdough, white sandwich bread, rye, ciabatta or English muffins. Whichever variety you choose make sure its little sturdy and thick sliced to hold up a sandwich.
- Cheese: I have used mild shredded cheese as we aren’t a big fan of sharp cheddar. You can combine cheddar with another cheese based on your liking. Alternatively, you can use American cheese as its pre sliced and more convenient. I prefer using shredded cheese as it melts more quickly and evenly than sliced cheese.
- Butter/ Ghee: I use ghee as it gives deep flavor and a crispy crusty texture to the toasted bread. If using butter make sure you melt it as cold butter tends to tear the slices of bread while spreading it. Waiting for it to soften requires patience and pre planning which I clearly lack. Hence I just use ghee as its easy, spreadable and just as effective as soften or melted butter.
- Schezwan Chutney: This is the star ingredient of this recipe. I use my homemade Schezwan chutney aka sauce which is a perfect balance of fiery and sweet flavors. If you don’t want to make sauce at home feel free to use store bought Schezwan sauce. Its easily available in Asian grocery.
- Scallions: I use finely chopped scallions as they have a sharp, spicy and peppery flavor which amps up the taste of the sandwich. Alternatively you can use spring onions or yellow onions.
Tips to make a perfect grilled cheese sandwich:
Here are a few tips on how to make a crispy, golden brown and perfect grill cheese
- Cook over medium-low to low heat: Low and slow…..the grilled cheese gets a beautiful golden brown crust on both sides and the cheese gets super melty. If using American cheese slice cover the cast iron skillet to ensure the cheese melts.
- Melt the butter: If using butter, make sure you melt it as cold butter tends to tear the slices of bread while spreading it. Also make sure you generously butter the toast covering the edges for a golden brown crust.
- Shredded cheese: Make sure you shred the cheese or use shredded cheese as it melts more quickly and evenly compared to pre sliced cheese.
- Sturdier bread: I use brown bread from Trader Joes as its perfectly thick in texture plus healthier than using white bread. I feel this bread soaks up ghee better resulting in a beautiful crust.
- Skillet: I prefer using cast iron skillet. You can also use non stick pan or panini press.
