Oooey Gooey Crispy Gruyère + Kimchi Grilled Cheese
It’s ooey gooey, buttery and crispy! My kimchi spin to the classic grilled cheese.
INGREDIENTS
1/8 cup kimchi (strain, and squeeze by hand to remove any liquids)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4-5 ounces Gruyère cheese, 3 oz chopped fine. (reserve 1-2 oz and thinly slice)
2 slices bread (1/4 to 1/3” thick, I used Bread Alone Sour Dough and/or Peasant Bread)
1/8 tsp salt
PREPARATION
Strain and squeeze by hand kimchi so there’s no excess liquid and chop into smaller pieces (no bigger than 1”)
Chop Gruyère cheese into fine pieces
Heat in small pan 1 tbs butter with kimchi & salt on medium heat until the kimchi is soft and hot (about 1-2 min) then turn heat to low.
Add chopped cheese and mix with spatula. Let cheese melt some (it does not need to be completely melted. Remove from heat.
In separate large pan or cast iron set heat to high and add 2 tbs butter until melted.
Place two slices of bread in pan and swirl around so both slices of bread are evenly coated with butter (this will be the outside of your grilled cheese sandwich).
After most of the butter is soaked up flip the bread slices and lower heat to medium and flip bread slices and let it heat up on unbuttered sides for about a minute or two (lightly golden). Then flip back to the butter sides of the bread.
Scoop up kimchi/butter/cheese mixture from small pan and place on top of one of your bread slices (on unbuttered side). Evenly spread mixture so it covers most of the the slice and add your thinly sliced pieces of reserved cheese to top of mixture.
Place other slice of bread (butter side up) on top of cheese mixture (both buttered sides of the bread should be on the outside.
Let sandwich brown up on pan until bottom is golden/crispy (about 3 min) then flip sandwich carefully, gently press and let bottom get golden/crispy as well (another 3 min). Slice and serve hot