French Baguette Grilled Cheese: Gourmet Comfort Food

This Inverted French Baguette Grilled Cheese with Chunky Tomato Jalapeo Jam will change the way you think about grilled cheese sandwiches forever.

The cheese combination is flawless, and the crusty bread serves as the ideal vehicle. The bread can be toasted on the stove or in a panini press by inverting it!

I’m sure I say things are the “best” all the time. My grilled cheese game, on the other hand, has been lacking up to this point. Now I can confidently state that it is. Let me begin by saying that I adore the best bread. Bread (well, all carbs) is my comfort food, and a French baguette is at the top of the list.

I used to spend my meager college funds on a freshly baked French baguette, which I ate for dinner with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It wasn’t the healthiest meal in the world, but it felt like a piece of heaven on those days when I was stressed.

Making a grilled cheese sandwich out of a French baguette is something I’ve always wanted to try. However, the logistics appear to be completely incorrect. Because the outside is already crusty and the inside isn’t flat, how do you put it in a skillet and properly melt the cheese without getting a piece of bread that’s too crusty on the outside? That, my friends, is the sandwich’s genius.

Instead of putting the cheese on the baguette’s sliced sides, we’ll invert it so it’s inside-out.

Voila! The flat sides are now on the outside, making it infinitely easier to assemble your sandwich. The most important piece of advice I can give is to start cooking the sandwich with the bottom piece of the baguette on the bottom. Because the bottom of a baguette is usually flat, you can use it to stack the jam and cheeses. When you flip it, the cheese will have melted and it will be sticking together.

The tomato jalapeo jam is also a must-try. The sharp cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses go great together. The sweet, spicy, and tangy jam, on the other hand, elevates this sandwich to new heights.

Serve it with a bowl of warm tomato soup or on its own. It’s the most delicious twist on a classic comfort food recipe you’ve ever tasted.

Inverted French Baguette Grilled Cheese with Chunky Tomato Jalapeño Jam Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

GRILLED CHEESE

•  One French Baguette
•  6 oz sliced monterey jack cheese
•  6 oz sliced sharp cheddar cheese
•  4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

TOMATO JALAPENO JAM

•  1 ½ pounds ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped
•  1 cup sugar
•  2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
•  1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
•  1 tsp garlic powder
•  1/2 tsp onion powder
•  1 1/2 tsp salt
•  1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded and minced

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. To make the tomato jam, add all ingredients for the jam to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring often.
2. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer. Cook until the mixture is thickened to jam consistency, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom. Season with salt to taste. Transfer to an airtight container and cool in the refrigerator until ready to use.
3. To make the grilled cheese, cut the baguette into two 7-inch pieces. Slice the pieces in half horizontally. Butter the sliced sides with 1 Tbsp each. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
4. Spread 1 to 2 Tbsp of the tomato jam on the crusty side of two pieces of bread each. I like to start with the bottom piece that has the flatter outside to begin with. Stack cheese on the top of the crusty side of the bread.
5. Top with the other half of the bread. Cook the grilled cheese as normal. I like to weigh mine down with another pan to form a sort of press as it cooks. It’ll take about 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until the cheese is melted and the outside of the bread is golden brown.
6. Serve immediately with a side of tomato soup, if desired.

Jasper Scott

Hi there! I’m a food enthusiast and journalist, and I have a real passion for food that goes beyond the kitchen. I love my dream job and I’m lucky enough to be able to share my knowledge with readers of several large media outlets. My specialty is writing engaging food-related content, and I take pride in being able to connect with my audience. I’m known for my creativity in the kitchen, and I’m confident that I can be the perfect guide for anyone looking to take their culinary journey to the next level.