The Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese is an ingenious way to incorporate jalapeño poppers into a classic grilled cheese sandwich, instantly turning an ordinary grilled cheese into a gourmet meal that’s ridiculously easy to make while satisfying all the cheesy flavorful indulgence that you want!
This grilled cheese is packed with crispy bacon slices, gooey cheese and chunks of stuffed cheesy jalapeño poppers, it’s a creaminess that’ll leave you wondering why you never tried this addictive combo before!
Serve your Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese hot from the skillet with extra stuffed poppers or french fries on the side. If this next level grilled cheese sounds like your jam, you may also love our jalapeño popper chicken casserole, our candied jalapeños, or even our chicken bacon ranch casserole.
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Why You’ll Love Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese:
- This recipe takes the classic grilled cheese sandwich and turns it into a gourmet meal with the easy addition of jalapeno poppers!
- Adapt these jalapeno popper grilled cheese sandwiches by using different grated cheese, your favorite bread, or other sandwich ingredients when assembling the sandwiches.
- These grilled sandwiches are not spicy hot thanks to the use of fresh green peppers – great for serving to the entire family, even young kids.
🥪 Ingredients:
- Cream Cheese – I’ve used an 8 oz. package of cream cheese. Allow the cream cheese to soften for easier mixing of the jalapeño popper cream cheese mixture.
- Pepper – I’ve used coarse black pepper but you could use ground pepper instead. For an added kick of heat, consider some cayenne pepper.
- Green onions – Only use the green parts, sliced. We mix these into the cream cheese filling. Chives would also work.
- Garlic – Minced garlic or garlic paste can be used. You could also use garlic powder if you prefer.
- Cheese – Freshly grated medium cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese. Always grate the cheese yourself instead of using pre-shredded cheese for the best taste.
- Jalapeno peppers – You’ll need 10-12 medium peppers for this recipe.
- Sandwich ingredients – You’ll need 20 slices of bread to make 10 sandwiches. I’ve used cracked wheat sourdough but feel free to use your favorite bread for these grilled cheese sandwiches (Wheat bread, white bread or a sour dough bread are some great suggestions). Apart from the bread slices, you’ll also need softened salted butter, 20 slices of cooked bacon, and sliced cheese (medium cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese or the cheese you used in the popper filling).
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use white, brown, or rye bread for these jalapeno popper grilled cheese sandwiches. You can even make gluten-free grilled cheese sandwiches by using gluten-free bread. Cracked wheat sourdough is my favorite for this recipe.
- I’ve used Monterey jack cheese and medium cheddar cheese in the jalapeño cream cheese stuffing and for the grilled cheese centers. Go ahead and use any other type of good melting cheese such as Sharp cheddar, Swiss, Mozzarella, or Gruyere.
- Chopped bacon or cooked bacon bits can also be added to the cream cheese filling for a yummy bacon jalapeno popper.
- Ordinary butter is spread on the outside of each grilled sandwich. A compound butter that contains herbs would be a delicious option!
- Instead of baking the stuffed peppers in the oven, make air fryer jalapeño poppers.
🔪 Instructions:
PREP: Soften the cream cheese so that it mixes easily with the other filling ingredients.
Step 1: In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, minced garlic, pepper, green onions, and a cup of shredded cheese. Set aside.
Step 2: Rinse the fresh jalapenos and pat dry. Using gloved hands, slice the peppers in half lengthwise. Use a small paring knife or spoon to scrape out the seeds and white membrane from the center of the peppers.
Step 3: Place jalapeño peppers on a baking sheet. There is no need to leave space between them so fit as many as possible on the sheet pan.
Step 4: Use a small spoon to fill each pepper half with the cream cheese mixture.
PRO TIP: Wear gloves while working with the raw jalapeños to avoid skin irritation. Also be careful not to touch your eyes after working with the peppers.
Step 5: Bake the stuffed jalapeño peppers for 20 minutes at 400°F.
Step 6: While the pepper poppers are cooking, prepare the sandwiches to grill. Spread softened butter onto one side of each slice of bread. Then flip the butter side of the bread down.
Step 7: Layer the slices of cheese onto each bread slice. I put a slice of jack cheese on one side and a slice of cheddar cheese on the other, but you can mix it up.
Step 8: On top of one side of the bread, stack two jalapeño poppers. On the other side, set two slices of bacon.
Step 9: Carefully flip the two sandwich halves together. Heat a large skillet (a square skillet works great for multiple sandwiches) over medium heat. Place the sandwiches onto the skillet and cook on each side.
Step 10: Grill until the cheese inside is melted and the outsides are golden brown. Adjust the heat so that you don’t overcook the outside before the middle of the grilled cheese is heated.
Popper Grilled Cheese Recipe Tips
- The Jalapeno popper filling is enough to make about 20 medium to large jalapeno poppers (which equates to about 10 sandwiches worth). You’re free to halve the filling ingredients for fewer poppers although there’s nothing quite like enjoying a few stuffed poppers while you assemble the sandwiches, in which case, make sure to utilize the full quantities of ingredients listed!
- I know that some prefer to cut the jalapeño poppers into pieces but I’ve found that leaving them as prepared in the oven makes it easier to keep the sandwich intact while you cook it and eat it.
- These sandwiches are not spicy since I use fresh, green jalapeños. If you’re wanting to kick up the heat then I suggest that you use more mature jalapeños (they are traditionally more spicy jalapenos) that are starting to turn red or leave in some seeds and ribbing when preparing the peppers.
Fun Fact
While the concept of combining cheese with bread was around as far back as ancient times, it’s believed that grilled cheese as we know it today first made its appearance in the United States around the 1920s.
The first grilled cheese was more aptly known as ‘melted cheese’ and ‘toasted cheese’ as it was essentially an open sandwich with grated processed cheese on top. As it grew quickly in popularity due to the inexpensive ingredients, local grocery stores started to offer the grilled cheese alongside their new stocking of Kraft Singles in 1965 and added another piece of bread, making this cheesy delight a closed sandwich!
To date, there are many variations to the original grilled cheese, including this Jalapeno Pepper Popper Grilled Cheese, and boy, am I glad for it!
Recipe FAQs
Leftovers can be wrapped with parchment paper, plastic wrap, or a ziploc bag and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Reheat the grilled cheese sandwiches in the oven, on a heated skillet, or in an air fryer.
This grilled cheese has enough sandwich substance to make it a meal by itself but if you’d like to add some sides then consider French fries, potato wedges, a creamy coleslaw, potato chips, a light green salad or serving slices of this grilled cheese alongside a delicious tomato soup base such as Chicken Tortilla Soup or Homemade Tomato Bisque.
No, they are on the milder side of spiciness. I’ve removed the seeds when preparing the jalapeno peppers and the rest of the grilled cheese sandwich ingredients mask any heat well. There’s a slight kick of jalapeño flavor, but not much heat. If you want extra heat in your grilled sandwiches, leave the seeds in the jalapeno popper halves and mix cayenne pepper into the cream cheese filling.
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If you tried this Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese sandwich recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
Jalapeno Poppers Ingredients
- 8 oz. package cream cheese softened
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1-2 sliced green onions green parts (about 3 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic or garlic paste
- ½ cup medium cheddar cheese grated
- ½ cup monterey jack cheese grated
- 10-12 jalapeno peppers medium
Sandwich Ingredients
- 20 slices bread we used cracked wheat sourdough
- 8-10 tablespoons salted butter softened to room temperature
- 10 oz. Monterey Jack cheese sliced
- 10 oz. Medium cheddar cheese sliced
- 20 slices cooked bacon 2 per sandwich
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Use a spatula or wooden spoon to mix together cream cheese, black pepper, sliced green onions, garlic, and grated cheese.
- Slice each jalapeno in half lengthwise and remove seeds and ribbing (if you want more heat from the poppers, leave some of the ribbing and/or seeds.)
- Place jalapenos on a baking sheet, open side up.
- Use a small spoon or a piping bag to fill each pepper half with the cheese filling mixture.
- Bake for about 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and browned on top.
- Meanwhile, butter one side of each slice of bread. Place face down on a plate or sheet of parchment paper.
- For each sandwich, cover one slice of bread (the non-buttered side) with jack cheese and the other slice of bread with cheddar cheese.
- Top the cheese on one slice of bread with two slices of cooked bacon and the other slice of bread with two cooked jalapeno poppers.
- Flip the two sides of the sandwich together and cook over medium heat in a skillet. Cook until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown and then carefully flip the sandwich over to cook the other side. Turn the heat down if you notice that the bread is browning too quickly before the cheese has a chance to melt.
- Repeat for the remaining sandwiches. Serve hot with a side of extra jalapeno poppers.
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Notes
- The Jalapeno popper filling is enough to make about 20 medium to large jalapeno poppers (which equates to about 10 sandwiches worth). You’re free to halve the filling ingredients for fewer poppers although there’s nothing quite like enjoying a few stuffed poppers while you assemble the sandwiches, in which case, make sure to utilize the full quantities of ingredients listed!
- I know that some prefer to cut the jalapeño poppers into pieces but I’ve found that leaving them as prepared in the oven makes it easier to keep the sandwich intact while you cook it and eat it.
- These sandwiches are not spicy since I use fresh, green jalapeños. If you’re wanting to kick up the heat then I suggest that you use more mature jalapeños that are starting to turn red or leave in some seeds and ribbing when preparing the peppers.
- Wear gloves when preparing the peppers to keep the oils off of your hands.
Nutrition
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