Grilled cheddar and jalapeño popper sandwich

Cream cheese can occasionally be a little bland; here it’s turbocharged with tangy cheddar, fiery jalapeño and cumin. There’s also optional bacon — after all, when it comes to grilled cheese sandwiches, why not go all out?

MAKES: 4 POPPERS

TAKES: 15 MINS

INGREDIENTS

200g full-fat cream cheese

1-2 jalapeño or green chillies, finely chopped (and deseeded to reduce the heat, if you like) ½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 clove of garlic, crushed

40g unsalted butter, softened 8 slices of white bread (choose a

sturdy bread that toasts well)

300g cheddar, coarsely grated 8 slices of cooked streaky bacon (optional)

METHOD

1 Mix the cream cheese, jalapeños (or green chillies), cumin and garlic in a bowl, then season with pepper.

2 Butter one side of each slice of bread. Turn over four of the slices and spread each of these with equal amounts of the cream cheese mixture. Top with the cheddar and bacon (if using). Place the remaining bread slices on top, with the buttered sides facing outwards.

3 Set a frying pan over a medium-high heat, then fry the sandwiches for 4 mins on each side until the bread is goldenbrown and the cheese has melted. Serve immediately.

Recipe taken from New Kitchen Basics, by Claire Thomson (Quadrille, £25).