Jalapeno Popper Sammies

i love jalapeno poppers.
pretty much if they're on a menu, i'm gonna get them.
but i'm picky - i only like the ones with cheddar...NOT cream cheese.
when chris and i were first married, we were super poor. so we would go to Sam's Club and get a big pack of poppers, and then ration them out every night as our dinner.
oh, those were the days.
i digress.
so i've been seeing recipes for jalapeno popper dip, sandwiches, casserole, etc. but have yet to try any.
this past sunday, i had a lazy day of food network consumption and watched a show called the sandwich king. wouldn't ya know that he'd make a jalapeno popper sandwich?
and it looked SO super yummy.
after a long debate discussion about what's for dinner, we settled on giving them a try.
i didn't have all of the ingredients he used, so i got creative with what i had.
first of all, growing up i hated grilled cheese sandwiches. i can't even remember the last time i ate one.
so tonight, it was a bit risky. and definitely worth the risk!
something this good i just had to share!

i started with some fresh jalapenos. i used 4 small/medium sized peppers.
first, wash the peppers, then cut in half length wise. now, depending on how spicy you want your sandwiches will determine how you handle cleaning up your peppers. the seeds and veins are where the heat is. so i cleaned a few slices really good, and then left a little vein in a few to get a medium heat. place them skin side up on a non-stick cookie sheet and broil until they look a little burnt. then pop them in a baggie and let them steam for a few minutes.
once they were done steaming, i peeled the skins off of the peppers and cut into thin, long strips.

i actually had left over peppers after the sandwiches were made, so i threw them in the food processor with some sour cream to use as a dipping sauce for either quesadillas or nachos later this week. multi-purpose here!

next, it's cheese time.
i grated a block of extra sharp cheddar cheese. i find block cheese melts a little better.

and you've gotta have something to hold it all together.
so for a spread, i used light sour cream, a dollup of light mayo, garlic salt, black pepper and parsley.
the mayo helps it hold up to the heat a little better. you could also use cream cheese or mascarpone cheese.

now bread is a big decision. just so happens we had some sour dough. perfect! i would suggest a sturdy white bread.

and like any grilled cheese, you have to butter the bread.

assembly time:
so you butter the side of the bread that goes in the skillet.
then place a little of the sour cream spread on the inside of the bread.
place cheese and press it down, so the cheese sticks.
then lay a few slices of the peppers on the cheese.
add a little spread to the other piece of bread and cook it until both sides are golden brown.
then cut and serve!

now, go get creative and make yourself one!