Nothing beats the winter blues like a warm, homemade grilled cheese. But let’s spice that up, shall we? I’m adding Target’s limited edition Tabitha Brown Vegan Jalapeno Cilantro Garlic Spread to my cheesy sami to give it new life. My jalapeno grilled cheese recipe is simple, Pin it now and thank me later!
Note: Tabitha’s line of products are available for a limited time only, but I’m sharing some other delicious options, too.
Jalapeno Grilled Cheese Ingredients
You may have most of these ingredients home already, but if not, they’re all pretty easy to find.
- Texas Toast
- White American cheese
- Mild cheddar cheese
- Butter or margarine
- Tabitha Brown’s Vegan Jalapeno Cilantro Garlic Spread
- Tomato soup (optional, for serving)
Cooking the Jalapeno Grilled Cheese
First, lightly grease your pan with cooking spray. Sure, you’ll be buttering the bread, but I find this absolutely insures you don’t lose any delicious toast to the pan.
Next, butter your Texas toast on the outside of the sandwich (whichever side will be face down on the pan). Place your bread in your pan on low-medium heat. Don’t go too high on the heat too soon out the gate, you’ll be looking at burnt bread and cheese that isn’t even melted.
Once your bread is on the stove top, spread your Jalapeno Cilantro Garlic Spread (or alternative spread of choice) onto one piece of the Texas toast. If you have excess on your brush/knife, wipe it off onto the other side of the bread. No wasting delicious spreads here!
This is where novice grilled cheesers make rookie mistakes, so listen up. Add your cheese equally to either side so it melts the quickest. Remember, you don’t want that bread getting too burnt before the cheese is melted. The best way to avoid that is to evenly distribute your cheese for the melting.
Side note: I absolutely LOVE this new pan I got from Amazon. They’re the pans Gordon Ramsay uses on all of his cooking shows, and I fully get why. If you need a new set of pans I highly recommend their 3-pan set. It’ll be the last set you ever buy! Shop the pans here.
Finishing Touches
Once your cheeses are good and melty, close the sandwich by flipping one cheesy side of the bread onto the other. Check both sides of the sandwich to insure they’re cooked to your liking and remove from heat.
Alternate Jalapeno Spreads
As mentioned, my specific jalapeno spread is a limited time find at Target. While currently available at the time of this post publishing, that may not be the case when you’re coming across this recipe. Below are some alternative jalapeno spreads that aren’t limited time and looked delicious!
- This spicy sandwich spread is ready to go right out of the jar
- Mix this one into sour cream (or cream cheese for even more cheesiness) to make your own spread for months
- This hot pepper jelly spread is an Amazon’s Choice pick
- Or, you can try a tangier approach with this sweet & spicy jalapeno relish
Really, you can use any spread you’d like, it doesn’t even have to be jalapeno! Get creative and add any flavor you like to your delicious grilled cheese concoction. Let me know your favorite personal variation in the comments!
Pssst.. if you love Texas Toast, try my husband’s all-time favorite Texas Toast French Toast next and be sure to subscribe to my email list for new posts each week!
