Shhhhh. There’s a secret ingredient in these sliders that’s virtually invisible, yet it “makes” these sandwiches.
It’s chili oil…brushed on the outside of the bread.
I learned this little trick from a local pizza place. One of the waiters divulged to me that the kick of flavor I couldn’t get enough of was actually a drizzle of chili oil on the pizza crust. It’s amazing what a difference it makes – it brings in a little bit of heat while enhancing the overall flavor of the dish. As I contemplated different sandwich ideas to celebrate Grilled Cheese Month, I thought chili oil would be just the thing to (literally) spice things up.
I didn’t stop there. To make things even spicier I shredded a blend of jalapeño pepper jack cheese and some nice, stretchy mozzarella. I made the sandwiches slider-sized a) because sliders are cute and b) just in case anyone was wary of spicy food and just wanted a little taster. A little tomato bisque on the side was just the right complement for this lunch with a kick!
Spicy Grilled Cheese Sliders
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
4 ounces shredded pepper jack (I used Tillamook)
4 ounces shredded mozzarella
1 sourdough baguette (a larger one, about 3″ diameter, is great), sliced crosswise into 1/2″ slices
Chili oil for brushing
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the panini grill to medium-high heat.
In a medium bowl, combine the pepper jack and mozzarella cheeses. Lay out half of the baguette slices. Place about half a handful of cheese on each baguette slice. Place the remaining baguette slices on top to form each sandwich. Brush a little bit of chili oil on top of each sandwich (give the oil a quick taste to gauge the amount of heat).
Place the sandwiches on the grill (depending on the size of your grill, you may need to work in batches). Grill for 3 to 4 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden grill marks appear. Serve immediately and enjoy!
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Who knew grilled cheese could look so good?
As always, so impressed with your creativity!
Kristen´s last blog ..Bertolli Prize Package Date Night Giveaway
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Comfort food in one little bite!!!
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I love Tillamook’s Pepper Jack Cheese! It has the perfect amount of spicy flavor without being too much. What a yummy combo!
Cookie´s last blog ..Can You Guess What’s in This Chili?
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Such a simple idea but soooo wonderful! I will have to give this a shot.
Sarah´s last blog ..The Puffins: beautiful little pancake muffins
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I just found your blog and can’t wait to try some of your recipes! I am totally a sandwich girl
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Kathy Reply:
April 13th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
Thanks so much, Kristi – glad you found me!
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very cute!
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The brush of chili oil is so simple but sounds so awesome. Such a great little addition that probably adds so much flavor to this grilled cheese. Your pictures are making me so hungry. I love sourdough!
GrilledShane´s last blog ..Preparing for the 1st 8th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational
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I never think of using my cookie cutters to make slider-sized sandwiches. In my house, anything spicy will be eaten first, so there will be lots of competition for these!
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Tried this w/just gruyere. Really great!!!
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what a great tip! do you make your own chile oil, or buy it somewhere? i bet it would be easy to make your own…
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Kathy Reply:
April 16th, 2010 at 10:48 am
I did buy mine (near the other oils at the grocery store) but I bet it wouldn’t be hard at all to infuse your own.
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yyyyum! i would love that little kick of spice- unfortunately i don’t think that my mini-chefs would. sigh. great idea to do sliders, too.
nice to find your blog, kathy! thank you for stopping by tribeca yummy mummy today. xoxo
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and oh no! i missed the grilled cheese pageant entry deadline. guess i’ll be waiting around till next year… testing out various grilled cheeses of course.
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Kathy Reply:
April 19th, 2010 at 10:17 am
Sorry we missed you, Cate! I’ll be launching the Pageant tomorrow – there’ll be a whole lot of grilled cheese inspiration.
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Yum! Have you submitted this to the Grilled Cheese Academy yet? http://www.grilledcheeseacademy.com/submitrecipe
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I’ve totally been on a mini food kick. These look totally cute.
Culinary Cory´s last blog ..Artichoke & Roasted Red Pepper Focaccia
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That looks delicious. I bet this would be a bangin’ sandwich with a little truffle oil on the bread….especially paired with a nice gruyere. Mmmmm…..
Shelly´s last blog ..Probably not so brief update
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