Harissa Grilled Cheese is a super flavorful take on a classic sandwich! Melted Monterey Jack cheese and spicy homemade harissa make this grilled cheese extra special.
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I make grilled cheese once a week or so.
It's never that American cheese/white bread combo that may come to mind with grilled cheese. It tends to have pesto, eggplant, or spinach inside, on crusty ciabatta, whole grain bread, or sourdough. Now I'm branching out into spicy-but-not-too-spicy grilled cheese options for my very Scandinavian family. Because flavor = awesome.
Harissa Grilled Cheese
Lately, I've been adding harissa to my grilled cheese. What is harissa, you might ask? In this case it's dried, toasted chiles that are rehydrated and blended with a few simple spices. It's a delicious addition to a classic grilled cheese sandwich for the perfect easy lunch or accompaniment for a soup.
I want to point out that this is by no means an authentic recipe for harissa. However this recipe is a delicious, easy way to make something harissa-like at home, as learned through my own research in cookbooks, the internet, and experimentation.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces dried chiles, (about 6 chiles, I used pasilla peppers)
- Coarse kosher salt
- Ground coriander
- Cumin
- Garlic clove
- Olive oil
- Sourdough bread
- Monterey jack cheese
How to make a harissa grilled cheese sandwich
- Toast chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat. Transfer to a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow the chiles to soak until soft.
- Drain the chiles, reserving the soaking liquid. Remove and discard the stems, seeds, and veins. If you want a spicier spread, keep some of the seeds and veins with the chiles. Transfer the chiles to the bowl of a food processor and add salt to taste, coriander, cumin, and garlic. Pulse until a smooth or slightly chunky paste forms, adding a few teaspoons of soaking liquid as necessary to thin it out.
- In a small skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil and cook the paste, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Heat a panini press on medium high heat.
- Assemble the sandwiches by spreading four slices of bread with the prepared harissa spread, then topping with three slices of cheese each and the remaining bread slices.
- Drizzle the grill with oil, then arrange sandwiches (working in batches as necessary) and drizzle the top lightly with olive oil. Close the press and allow to cook until toasted and melty.
Top Tips
Best cheese for grilled cheese
I like Monterey Jack cheese for this recipe! I also recommend cheddar, gouda, Havarti, fontina, or American cheese.
Shredded cheese will melt more quickly than slices and create a better cheese pull. Make sure to shred the cheese yourself rather than buying pre-shredded cheese! Store bought shredded cheese is coated in a powder coating and it won't melt as well.
Use good quality ingredients
When a recipe is this simple, good ingredients make all the difference.
I recommend choosing the best quality bread you can find. I usually choose something from a local bakery or I also enjoy some of the Market Pantry bread at Target.
How to store harissa sandwich
When storing leftovers, cool to room temperature then cover and refrigerate for 3-5 days. When ready to eat, reheat it the same way as it was cooked.
Tips for customizing harissa grilled cheese:
- Use guajillo peppers for a distinct Mexican flavor
- Add grilled or roasted veggies to the sandwich to boost the nutritional value
- Add your favorite protein such as tempeh, chickpeas, or a veggie burger
- Instead of grilled cheese, put everything on a pizza
- Cut into cubes and use as croutons for tomato or pumpkin soup
FAQ
A panini press like the Cuisinart Griddler gets the middle hot and the outside crispy, which is difficult to do in a frying pan. If you only have a pan to work with, I recommend keeping the heat on low and covering the pan with a lid to give the cheese time to melt while the bread gets golden and crispy.
The oil is technically optional, but will make the sandwich more crisp and may help prevent sticking. If you prefer not to cook with oil, you use butter or mayonnaise instead, or omit it completely.
More grilled cheese recipes
- Oven Roasted Tomato and Pesto Panini
- Cheesy Hummus and Veggie Panini
- Harissa Grilled Cheese
- Butternut Squash and Sage Pesto Grilled Cheese
- Eggplant Panini
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Harissa Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 ounces dried chiles, (about 6 chiles, I used pasilla peppers)
- Coarse kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 slices sourdough bread
- 12 slices Monterey jack cheese
Instructions
- Toast chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer to a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow the chiles to soak 30 minutes or until soft.
- Drain the chiles, reserving the soaking liquid. Remove and discard the stems, seeds, and veins. If you want a spicier spread, keep some of the seeds and veins with the chiles. Transfer the chiles to the bowl of a food processor and add salt to taste, coriander, cumin, and garlic. Pulse until a smooth or slightly chunky paste forms, adding a few teaspoons of soaking liquid as necessary to thin it out.
- In a small skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil and cook the paste, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Heat a panini press on medium high heat.
- Assemble the sandwiches by spreading four slices of bread with the prepared harissa spread, then topping with three slices of cheese each and the remaining bread slices.
- Drizzle the grill with oil, then arrange sandwiches (working in batches as necessary) and drizzle the top lightly with olive oil. Close the press and allow to cook until toasted and melty, about 5 minutes.
Melissa @ Insider The Kitchen says
Wonderful ! I make Harissa myself but never used it in a sandwich ! Why not?!!!
Sam says
I made these for the kids, and of course one for myself. WOW! I never thought I'd get so excited over a grilled cheese, thanks for sharing!
Lindsay Moe says
Yay! So glad you all enjoyed it.