Livening up a comfort food classic—Kimchi Grilled Cheese

Kimchi puts a tangy, slightly spicy, umami-rich Korean spin on the classic grilled cheese sandwich. Recipe below.

IS THERE ANYTHING KIMCHI CAN’T DO? When we first heard the words “kimchi grilled cheese,” we thought perfect. Take a classic American comfort food favorite, the grilled cheese sandwich, and add kimchi to it? We’re there.

Korea’s national dish, kimchi is vegetables fermented in various spices for months, often underground. There are countless varieties, some featuring cucumbers, scallions or radishes as the main ingredient, but the one most familiar in the United States is made with Napa cabbage. It is wonderfully tangy, verging on sour, often spicy and loaded with umami. All of which makes it a perfect addition to a grilled cheese sandwich.

There are many variations in kimchi grilled cheese recipes. The cheese is chief among them. We like sharp cheddar, but some call for mozzarella or a mix of mozzerella and cheddar, or havarti, or… Most call for sourdough bread, but some say plain white bread is fine—we went with sourdough, but a basic one.

We saw one of our favorite grilled cheese tricks used in a few recipes: spread the outer sides of the bread slices with mayonnaise, not butter. It browns really nicely and adds a subtle tang to the sandwich.

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Kimchi Grilled Cheese

Kimchi puts a tangy, slightly spicy, umami-rich Korean spin on the classic grilled cheese sandwich.

Course Sandwich

Servings 1

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 slices sourdough bread (or bread of your choice)
• mayonnaise
• 1/2 – 1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup kimchi, drained and chopped

Instructions

• Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium to medium-low heat. Thinly spread mayonnaise on one side of both slices of bread. Place the bread mayonnaise side down in the skillet. Carefully (the skillet is hot) place the shredded cheddar evenly on one slice of bread.
• Let it cook for a few minutes until the cheese starts to get melty. Top the cheese with the chopped kimchi—again, carefully. With a spatula, flip the other slice of toasting bread on top of the cheese-and-kimchi-laden slice. Press down slightly with the spatula and carefully flip the sandwich. Cook, turning as needed, until the bread is nicely browned and cheese melted.
• Slice grilled cheese sandwich into two parts (we like the diagonal cut), plate and serve. And maybe let it cool a couple of minutes before actually biting into it.