We love a good fig grilled cheese—something about the sweetness of the figs paired with creamy tangy cheese just makes us weak in the knees. While we have a whole host of ideas for this power pairing, fig jalapeno cream cheese grilled cheese is quite the showstopper! It’s a perfect sandwich for fans of jalapeno poppers. Here’s how to make it.
Jam on
Sun-Maid and Orchard Choice Mission Figs give the jam just the right amount of earthy sweetness. We like how the figs stand up to all of the cheese in this sandwich. You could use Golden Figs, but really the deeper sweetness of the Mission Figs is our pick for the fig jalapeno cream cheese grilled cheese.
Don’t Pass on the Pickles—Pickled Jalapeños
This is one CHEESY sandwich—we’ll get to that in a moment—but the thing that’s essential to provide nuance and balance to the fig jalapeno cream cheese grilled cheese is definitely the pickled jalapeños from Jeff’s Garden. Their sliced tamed jalapeño peppers cut through the richness of this sandwich and are used three ways:
- We simmer them with the figs in a simple syrup to make the jam.
- To provide a bit of acid in the jam, rather than turning to lemon juice, we use brine from the jar of pickled jalapeños to add extra zippy flavor and a bit of tanginess to round things out.
- In addition to the pickled jalapeños in mission fig jam, we found that layering on slices of jalapeños between the cheeses really adds a pleasing texture and sharp contrast that’s just right.
Grilled Sandwich for Cheese Lovers
To achieve the texture and taste of jalapeño poppers, we turned to not one but three cheeses and each one has a particular job to do.
Cream cheese: This is the quintessential cheese that stuffs jalapeño poppers. If this is your first time adding it to grilled cheese, you’re going to be hooked on the smooth creamy layer.
Provolone cheese: Using a mild cheese like provolone gives the sandwich the melt and pull that’s a grilled cheese fixture and completes the center of the griddled sandwich.
Cheddar cheese: To finish the trifecta and another essential to jalapeño poppers is cheddar cheese. For the fig jalapeno cream cheese grilled cheese, we grate and griddle it on the outside. What results is a lacy toasty crust on the outside of one of the slices of bread.
Fig jalapeno cream cheese grilled cheese
Ingredients
Fig Jalapeño Jam
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup pickled jalapeño brine
- 1/2 cup Jeff's Garden Sliced Tamed Jalapeño Peppers
- 7 ounces Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Mission Dried Figs , stems removed
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Fig jalapeno cream cheese grilled cheese
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
- 8 slices sourdough bread
- 8 slices provolone cheese
- 1/2 cup Jeff's Garden Sliced Tamed Jalapeño Peppers
- 8 ounces softened cream cheese
- Mayonnaise
Instructions
Make the Fig Jalapeño Jam
- Combine sugar, water, brine, figs, and jalapeños into a saucepan set over medium heat. Cook for 7 minutes or until the sugar dissolves. Strain the figs and jalapeños into a food processor, reserving the syrup. Pour 1/4 cup of the syrup with 1/2 teaspoon of salt into the processor. Pulverize until smooth.
Make the Grilled Cheese
- Grate the cheddar on the large holes of the box grater. Set aside.
- Spread a thick layer of Fig Jalapeño Jam on one slice of bread. Lay 2 slices of provolone over it. Then, polka dot pickled jalapeños onto the provolone. On the other slice of bread, spread an even layer of cream cheese—not too thick, but also not thin either—once spread, close the sandwich.
- Place a small skillet over medium low heat to warm up while you complete the sandwich.
- Use about 1-2 tablespoons of mayonnaise to spread on the slice of bread facing you. Evenly sprinkle on cheddar with a light hand. Assertively, flip the grilled cheese, cheddar side down into the skillet—it should sizzle upon contact with the bread.
- While the cheddar side is griddling, spread 1-2 tablespoons of mayonnaise on the top slice of bread. Cook it for 7 minutes—a spatula should easily slip underneath it and the cheddar should be golden.
- Flip the grilled cheese and griddle until the bottom slice of the sandwich is golden and some of the cheese is oozing out the sides, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Slice in half and eat immediately.