Grilled cheese sandwiches can get a little boring, so when I saw a recipe in a hundred-year-old cookbook for Cheese and Green Pepper Sandwiches that were toasted, I decided to give it a try.
The sandwiches were delightful. The crunchiness, slight sweetness, and subtle tanginess of the green peppers co-mingled nicely with the melted cheese.
The old recipe said to cut the toasted sandwiches into strips. I have never previously cut a sandwich into strips, but I decided to give it a try and it made a nice presentation.
Here’s the original recipe:
The ingredient list indicates that salt is an ingredient in this recipe, but it is not mentioned in the cooking instructions. Since cheese already contains salt, and it was not mentioned in the instructions, I did not add any salt when making this recipe.
Maybe most people had meat choppers a hundred years ago, but today I don’t think that many cooks have one. I know that I don’t. Instead, I decided to use my grater to grate the green pepper. That worked fine and there was some green pepper juice similar to what was described in the old recipe. It would also work to finely chop the green pepper, though there might be less juice, but I think that it would still work since the cheese will melt and hold everything together when the sandwich is heated.
This recipe is very specific regarding the amounts for the cheese and green papers, but very vague about the number of slices of bread to use. I decided to make three sandwiches, and adjusted the amount of green pepper and cheese to make an appropriate amount of filling. Three green peppers sound like a lot of green pepper. I think that green peppers often were much smaller a hundred years ago than what they typically are today, so I decided to use 1/2 cup of shredded or grated green pepper. I also thought that 8 ounces of cheese was more than was needed to make 3 sandwiches, so I used 4 ounces of cheese.
The original recipe says to “toast over a hot fire,” so I toasted the sandwiches using the broiler in my oven; but, it would also work well to put butter on the bread slices and grill in a skillet.
I didn’t think that there was any need to tuck the toasted sandwich strips in the folds of a napkin to keep them warm. I just served the hot sandwiches immediately.
Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:
Cheese and Green Pepper Sandwich (Toasted)
4 ounces cheese, grated or shredded (I used cheddar cheese)
1/2 cup green pepper, grated or finely chopped
6 slices bread
Put the cheese and the green pepper in a bowl; stir until the cheese and green pepper pieces are evenly distributed. Put half of the bread slices on a baking sheet, then spread with the cheese mixture. Top with the remaining slices of bread.
Set the rack 7-8 inches under the broiler. Put the baking sheet with the sandwiches under the broiler. Broil until the top slice of bread is lightly browned; gently flip the sandwiches, continue broiling until the other side is lightly browned. (Another option for browning the bread would be to lightly butter the bread slices, then grill in a skillet.) Remove from heat. If desired, cut each sandwich into three strips. Serve immediately.
This sounds good, though I’d probably substitute red pepper – and maybe half a chili?
Sound like tweaks that would work well.
That certainly makes grilled cheese more interesting.
It was tasty.
We have a local place here that uses grilled pimento cheese on their burgers and sandwiches, and it is really a nice addition. Maybe the salt was to bring out the sweetness of the peppers? I pre-salt my tomatoes, after learning they taste better whether eating on a burger or cooked in something if they are salted first and allowed to sit.
Pimento cheese on burgers and sandwiches sounds yummy. You may be right that the intent of the recipe author was to salt the green peppers.
Sounds really tasty!
They were yummy.
I vote for a poblano or Anaheim green chili!!! I often have a small container of chopped onion and peppers in the fridge ready to go…. During the summer I will sometimes add the clintro to the mix hubby calls it the only “green” vegetable worth eating.
The chilis would be good. They’d increase the heat a little.
This sounds good! Have to give it a try!
I think that you’ll like it.
It sounded interesting and made me immediately think of a grilled pimento and cheese sandwich!
I liked the idea of using spicy green peppers in the sandwich for a bit of heat.
I’m guessing that there are a lot of similarities with pimento and cheese sandwiches, but that the texture would be a little crunchier with green peppers.
Any fresh pepper would add a nice crunch.
I love using chile peppers, including bells. I can already see myself grating the bell pepper I have on the counter. Woo Hoo!
We use chile peppers in chicken alfredo, burritos, and more. I love the tips you provide for the recipes.
Grating a green pepper is a nice variation from the usual chopping. I have a lot for fun doing this blog, and it’s wonderful to hear that you enjoy the posts.
This idea is totally new to me, and it sounds/looks great, combining flavors that I love!
I think that you’d like this recipe.
I believe that I will!