Description
Golden brown, pan-fried Kimchi Grilled Cheese is on the menu! Melty cheese with a caramelized kimchi and bacon filling sit between two thick slices of sourdough bread. Yum, friends. YUM!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Pan-Fried Kimchi:
- 2 cups kimchi, chopped (personal preference – you can leave it unchopped too)
- 6 slices bacon, chopped
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- black pepper to taste
Grilled Cheese:
- 8 pieces of sliced sourdough bread
- 8 slices of American cheese
- 8 slices of Gruyere cheese
- 8 tablespoons (or 1 stick) butter or mayo
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a large pan over medium high heat until crisped and fat is rendered. Add the kimchi to the pan with the brown sugar. Pan fry for a few minutes, leaving it undisturbed for a few minutes at a time so it dries out and gets a little bit caramelized. Season with black pepper. Transfer to a bowl and wipe the pan clean.
- Layer your sandwiches: a slice of sourdough, two slices gruyere cheese, kimchi mixture, two slices American cheese, and a second slice of sourdough. Spread butter or mayo over the top and bottom of the sandwich.
- Heat the same skillet to medium heat; add the sandwich and cook for a few minutes on each side until golden brown. Cut and serve. Magic.
Notes
You usually don’t want to use high heat here because the sandwich will burn while the cheese remains un-melted. Medium or low heat will allow the sandwich to stay on the heat longer, which will melt the cheese and give you a golden brown exterior.
I usually use about 1/4 cup of the kimchi mixture per sandwich. If you have some unused kimchi mixture, just store it in the fridge to add to sandwiches throughout the week.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Sandwich
- Method: Pan Fry
- Cuisine: Korean-Inspired
Keywords: kimchi grilled cheese, kimchi recipe, grilled cheese