Jalapeño tomato grilled cheese with caramelized onions

This jalapeño grilled cheese was a first for me because I always include meat of some sort in my grilled cheese sandwiches all the time. But this time I wanted something different than what I am used to. This cheddar grilled cheese is 100% vegetarian but it is super delicious! You won’t even miss having bacon in this because it is packed with flavor thanks to the caramelized onions and jalapeños.

To start off, add a bit of salt to the tomatoes to remove any excess moisture from them. The onions are browned with butter on the stove-top to get caramelized. The reason is that raw onions are a bit sharp in sandwiches. I actually have had like weird stuff happen in my nose when I have uncooked onions in my sandwich. I think raw onions go better in like burgers or salads. So anyway, you will turn off the heat but don’t wash the frying pan you used to fry the onions. The onions will be assembled in the grilled cheese and then the grilled cheese sandwiches are cooked in the same pan that you cooked the onions. It makes it super tasty and smells incredible!

Tips for a good grilled cheese:

• Use block cheese and grate it for a nice cheese pull. Also, you can never have too much cheese in a grilled cheese.
• Low heat is your best friend.
• Cover the grilled cheese with aluminum foil whiles it cooks to ensure even melting of the cheeses.
• Press down on the sandwiches with a heavy object during cooking. You could use a small brick or a heavy pan.

You won’t get good leftovers from a grilled cheese. In fact, depending on the ingredients you use, it will turn to mush the next day. This jalapeño grilled cheese definitely gets mushy because of the moisture from the tomatoes. So I highly recommend making this only on the day you plan to serve them-no “making it ahead of time” vibes!

Jalapeño tomato cheddar grilled cheese with caramelized onions

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Servings: 3 Prep Time: 15 MInutes Cooking Time: 25 Minutes 25 Minutes

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

Salt

1 onion, sliced into ringlets

3 jalapeños, seeds removed and diced

1 tomato, thinly sliced

6 bread slices

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) mayonnaise

1/2 cup unsalted butter

Instructions

1. Sprinkle a pinch of salt all over the tomato slices and set aside.
2. Melt 1/4 cup of the butter in a heated frying pan and fry the onions with the melted butter until the onions become softened and browned.
3. Turn off the heat but don't wash the frying pan you used.
4. Place a thin layer of mayonnaise on both sides of 2 bread slices (about a tablespoon on each side)
5. Take one bread slice, then a handful of cheddar cheese, then 2 tomato slices, a handful of cooked onions, and a spoonful of diced jalapeños.
6. Add more cheddar cheese on top and them press with the other bread slice to form a sandwich.
7. Repeat steps 2&3 for the remaining bread slices.
8. Heat the leftover butter remaining in the pan from step 2 on medium heat.
9. Place as many sandwiches that can fit in the frying pan. In my case, I cooked 2 sandwiches at a time.
10. Wear oven mitts and wrap the top of the pan with aluminum foil to cover the sandwiches completely.
11. Place a heavy object on top of the foil to press down on the sandwiches. I like to use my cast-iron skillet.
12. Cook the sandwiches for about 5 minutes on medium heat, then flip and continue to fry for another 2-3 minutes, leaving it covered the entire time.
13. After all the cheese has melted, take your cooked grilled cheese from the pan.
14. Repeat steps 8-12 for the remaining sandwiches.
15. Slice the grilled cheese as desired and serve warm.
16. Leftovers are not recommended because they will become soggy so serve this on the day it's needed.