Who doesn't love a grilled cheese sandwich? Transform you sandwich into something special with some roasted red chile and pine nuts (pinon).
*See Kitchen Notes.
Heat up a cast iron griddle over a medium-low heat.
Top each piece of bread with 2 to 3 slice of cheese.
Top one piece of bread with the chopped chile and pinon nuts, followed by a sprinkling of fresh thyme leaves.
When the cheese starts to melts, flip the second slice of bread on top of the slice with the pinon and thyme.
Continue to heat the sandwich on the griddle, until both sides are toasty brown and the cheese has melted.
Bread – My favorite bread for this sandwich is the Horno Bread that we buy at a roadside stand from pueblo Indians here in New Mexico. The bread is a basic white yeast bread that I love eating fresh, but it also makes a great grilled cheese and is quite good for French toast as well. It's baked in an horno which is a clay or adobe oven. However, since horno bread requires a trip to the mountains, pretty much any artisan bread with a crispy crust works great.
Red Chile - Any roasted red chile or pepper works in this sandwich. For a spicy bite, New Mexico red, poblano or urfa biber works great. [Urfa Biber is a sweet and smoky chile pepper from Turkey.] You could also used pimento or roasted red bell peppers. They will provide that delicious sweetness of a roasted red, but without the heat.
Recipe author: MJ of MJ's Kitchen