A wonderful adaptation of classic grilled cheese, with bright and tangy kimchi bringing a welcome boost of flavor and texture.
Disclaimer: The recipe looks long but half of it is just me rambling and being dumb so don’t worry this is probably one of the easiest recipes on this site lol.
Honestly though this slaps. Kimchi pairs so well with melty cheese omg. You can also add anything you want. It’s tomato season now so I added two slices (delicious of course I’m a genius). Here’s some suggestions: mushrooms (maybe with miso-butter?), apples, mizuna, avocado, a fried egg, pepper jelly, caramelized onions, bacon, and so on.
Here’s another version that I made that looks a lot different: different bread (just regular sliced oat bread), & different add in (mizuna instead of tomato). Equally delicious!
Have fun!
Kimchi Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter more as needed
- 1 tsp gochujang optional (or anything you spread on your grilled cheese, mustard, ketchup, etc.)
- 2 slices of bread of your choice!
- 3~4 tbsp kimchi roughly chopped (around 1/3~1/2 cup?)
- 1/4 cup cheddar cheese grated/sliced thinly
- 1/4 cup Monterey jack cheese grated/sliced thinly
- 2 slices of tomato or any other add ins (see post for ideas)
- A few basil leaves optional
Instructions
- Melt butter in a pan over medium-low heat.
- Spread gochujang on both slices of the bread (these will be the inner facing sides). Spread cheese evenly over one slice and press the cheese in gently to the bread for some security (cuz we all want some security in life).
- Place both slices with the naked (sorry couldn't think of another word) side down onto the pan. I like to move them around in the pan a bit so they soak up all the butter*.
- Place the kimchi on top of the slice with the cheese. Gently press down to pack it in.
- Layer the tomatoes and basil on top and then put the other slice on top using a spatula (shouldn't be fully toasted since we'll be flippin later).
- Additional: If your bread is really airy and there's holes, the cheese might melt through to the bottom creating a cheese crust on the outside that is AWESOME. If you want more of this, put a thin layer of cheese on the top slice and it'll cook when you flip it.
- Once the cheese has melted and the bottom piece of bread is golden-brown, flip the sandwich with a spatula. Plate and serve when the bottom is golden.
- Enjoy :)
