Mexican Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Mexican Grilled Cheese Sandwich

This isn’t your average grilled cheese sandwich! We are combining 4 different cheeses with a flavored butter spread and an irresistible mayo to create a grilled Mexican cheese sandwich.

We live right by the mountains and have been loving grabbing the kids and heading up to the mountains to eat and hike or watch a movie. A full-of-flavor soup, like taco stew, is one of those hit-the-spot soups that warms you from the inside out but don’t stop there! Why not go crazy with a Mexican style grilled cheese full of cheese, a killer roasted jalapeno mayo and you guys, the cheesy butter spread on top… I may never leave my kitchen again!

What is soup if you don’t have something to sop up all that deliciousness with?! Taco stew, meet Mexican Grilled Cheese. Let’s fall in love.

Ingredients for Mexican Grilled Cheese

Get ready for all the cheeses, cheesy butter and roasted jalapeno mayo! Here is a list of all the ingredients you will need to make these indulgent sandwiches:

Sandwich: sourdough bread, Oaxaca cheese, cheddar cheese, Chihuahua cheese, and cotija cheese

Butter: unsalted butter, mayonnaise, cotija cheese, cheddar cheese, cilantro, and chili flakes

Mayo: mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion powder, jalapeno, and red bell pepper

How to Make Mexican Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Making these sandwiches to gooey perfection is a little bit like a dance, so let’s get to the kitchen and start shaking a leg!

First, mix all the ingredients for the flavored butter together and set it aside. Then mix all the ingredients for the mayo together and set it aside. Then we will jump into assembling the sandwiches. This works best if you have all the cheese sliced and ready to go.

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat and butter one side of a slice of the bread with the butter. Put the buttered side of the bread down on the skillet.
2. Spread some of the mayo all over the other side of the bread.
3. Top with half of the cheeses.
4. Take another slice of bread and smear the mayo on one side. Put the saucy side of the bread down on top of the cheeses and butter the outside of the bread.
5. Flip the sandwich once the side that is down on the skillet is golden brown. Let it cook on the second side until the cheese is all melty.
6. Repeat these steps with the other two slices of bread and the remaining cheeses.
7. Serve with soup!

What Kind of Bread is Best for Grilled Cheese?

We are all about a good quality sourdough bread like The Rustik Oven brand. It is so soft and chewy but also hearty enough to handle all the goodness packed into this grilled cheese sandwich. If you aren’t a sourdough lover, then a good white bread or french bread also work great.

What is Oaxaca Cheese?

Oaxaca cheese is also called quesillo or asadero cheese. It is a white cheese originating from Oaxaca, Mexico that is similar in flavor to Monterey Jack cheese but more like mozzarella in texture. The flavor is buttery and slightly salty and it is great for melting. It balances the spicy flavor often found in Mexican food.

It has become more and more popular and can usually be found in large grocery store chains, but if you can’t find it, decent substitutes include mozzarella, Monterey jack, or Muenster.

What is Chihuahua Cheese?

Chihuahua cheese is made from cow’s milk and has a salty, mild and slightly sour flavor. It is great for cooking because it melts well and gets extra gooey. It originates in the Chihuahua region of northern Mexico.

I’ve actually had the most luck finding it at Costco, and occasionally I find it at Walmart and Kroger stores. If you can’t find it, medium cheddar cheese or Muenster are good substitutes.

How to Roast a Jalapeno

I am not a fan of spicy, but I am a huge fan of the flavor that jalapenos add to a dish so one way to calm the heat in a jalapeno is to roast it. Reduce the heat by heating it…makes no sense! But it works! You can roast jalapenos in the oven or on the stovetop.

Oven

1. To roast in the oven, move your top rack to the very top position in your oven so that your baking sheet will be 3-4 inches from the top.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Clean and then dry your peppers and brush them with a little bit of canola oil. Sprinkle them with a little salt and then place them on a baking sheet.
4. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and turn them every 4-5 minutes until they are charred on all sides.
5. When they are charred all over, remove the peppers from the oven and immediately stick them in a plastic bag and seal the bag closed to steam them. Let them sit for at least 15 minutes.
6. Remove the peppers from the bag. The skins should be easy to remove. Then you can remove the seeds if you want and proceed with your recipe.

Stovetop

1. To roast on the stovetop, you must have a gas range.
2. Clean and dry your peppers and brush them with a little canola oil. Sprinkle them with a little salt.
3. Turn one burner on to medium heat and using tongs and an oven mitt, rotate each jalapeno over the flame until it chars and blisters on all sides.
4. Place the charred peppers into a plastic bag to let them steam for at least 15 minutes.
5. The skins on the peppers should then be easy to remove. Remove the seeds if desired and use in your recipe.

What to Eat with Grilled Mexican Cheese Sandwiches

You could eat this grilled Mexican cheese sandwich all on its own, but why would you do that if you can dip it in a delicious soup?! A few of our favorite soups for dipping this grilled cheese sandwich with a Mexican makeover are our taco stew (like I mentioned at the beginning), our cheesy southwestern chicken tortilla soup, our classic chicken tortilla soup or our enchilada chili.

If you want to go with a lighter side dish, try our grilled Mexican street corn (elote) or our elote corn salad.

Can Grilled Mexican Cheese Sandwiches Be Made Ahead of Time?

This is one of those meals that is best eaten fresh and right off the pan. The cheese is melty and gooey. The bread is crunchy on the outside and saucy on the inside. It doesn’t save well, so eat it hot!

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Grilled Mexican Cheese Sandwich

This isn't your average grilled cheese sandwich! We are combining 4 different cheeses with a flavored butter spread and an irresistible sauce to create a grilled Mexican cheese sandwich.

Course Fixing Lunch with Sandwich Recipes that Aren't PB&J, Over 500 Family Dinner Recipes Ideas

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword cheese, grilled cheese, mexican, mexican food, sandwich

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 2

Calories 1270kcal

Author Sweet Basil

Ingredients

• 4 Slices Sourdough Bread
• 4 Slices Oaxaca Cheese
• 4 Slices Cheddar Cheese or pepper jack
• 1/2 Cup Chihuahua Cheese shredded, or Mexican cheese blend, shredded
• 2 Tablespoons Cotija Cheese

For the Butter

• 6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter softened
• 2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
• 1/4 Cup Cotija Cheese
• 3 Tablespoons Cheddar Cheese shredded
• 2 Tablespoons Cilantro chopped
• Pinch Chili Flakes

For the Sauce

• 1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1 Roasted Jalapeno minced (see note)
• 1 Tablespoon Red Bell Pepper minced

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the Butter

• Mix all ingredients together and set aside

For the Sauce

• Mix together and set aside.

For the Sandwich

• Heat a pan to medium heat and butter a slice of bread on one side. Place in the pan buttered side down and quickly spread the sauce on the inside and top with half of the cheeses.
• Grab another slide of bread and smear on the sauce, then place the lid on and butter the outside. Flip once golden and cook until melty!
• Repeat with the other 2 slices of bread and the rest of the cheese.
• Flip once golden and cook until melty! Serve with soup!

Notes

Note on how to roast a jalapeno

Nutrition

Serving: 1sandwich | Calories: 1270kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 90g | Saturated Fat: 46g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 219mg | Sodium: 2335mg | Potassium: 310mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2347IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 860mg | Iron: 6mg

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