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Pickle grilled cheese with mustard
A crisp pan-toasted sandwich with melting cheddar, thin dill pickles and mustard. Dry the pickles and give the cheese time to melt.
In this guide4 sections
The pickle layer should stay thin
A grilled cheese can take a generous handful of cheddar, but a thick pile of wet pickles makes it slide apart. Pat the slices dry and spread them in a single layer between two layers of cheese. That arrangement helps hold the filling when you turn the sandwich.
Choose bread with an even crumb and slices about 1 cm thick. Very thick sourdough can become deeply browned while the cheese in the middle is still firm. Medium-low heat and a brief covered finish are more useful than pressing hard on the bread.
Yield: 2 sandwiches. Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 10 minutes.
Ingredients
- 4 slices sandwich bread or soft sourdough, about 160 g total
- 120 g mature cheddar, coarsely grated
- 80 g drained dill pickle slices
- 2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
- 20 g softened butter
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Method
- Lay the pickle slices on kitchen paper or a clean cloth and blot both sides. If they are more than a few millimetres thick, slice them thinner before drying.
- Spread one side of each bread slice with butter, reaching the edges. Turn two slices butter-side down on a board and spread the exposed sides with the mustard.
Butter the outside of the bread and spread mustard on the inside. - Divide half the cheese over those two slices. Add the pickles in one layer, sprinkle over the pepper and cover with the remaining cheese. Close with the other bread slices, butter facing out.
Keep the pickle slices in one layer between the cheese. - Heat a heavy frying pan over medium-low heat. Add both sandwiches if they fit without touching. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, checking underneath after 3 minutes. The bread should turn golden gradually.
Check the underside before the bread becomes too dark. - Turn with a broad spatula. Cook the second side for 3 to 4 minutes. If the bread is ready before the cheese melts, lower the heat and cover for 1 minute. Rest on a board for 1 minute, then cut and serve.
When the outside runs ahead
If the crust is dark and the filling is still cool, take the pan off the heat briefly. Starting the next sandwich over the same fierce heat repeats the problem. Grated cheese melts more evenly here than thick slabs, and a lid traps warmth around the centre.
Serve this sandwich as soon as it is ready. For two people, a pan wide enough for both sandwiches is convenient; otherwise finish them one at a time and accept that the first will be less crisp by the time the second is done.
Pair it with white bean and pickle soup. If you want a more substantial toasted filling, choose the mushroom pickle Reuben; more lunches are in the recipe library.
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