Arrabiata Grilled Cheese (Spicy Tomato Grilled Cheese)
This Spicy Grilled Cheese is loaded with gooey cheesy and a delicious Arrabiata Sauce! See notes before starting!
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Servings (click & slide): 4 large sandwiches
Calories per serving: 612kcal
Cost per serving: £2 / $2.50
Equipment
- Large Pan & Wooden Spoon
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- Fine Cheese Grater (for parmesan)
- Spatula/Turner
Ingredients
Arrabiata Sauce (makes big batch)
- 2x 14oz/400g cans of good quality Chopped Tomatoes
- 3 cloves of Garlic, peeled & very finely sliced
- 3 tbsp Tomato Paste (Tomato Puree in UK)
- 2 tbsp finely diced Fresh Basil
- 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Chilli Flakes, or to taste
- Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
Grilled Cheese
- 8 large slices of Sourdough, or other 'firm' bread
- 10.5oz / 300g Fresh Mozzarella, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup / 30g freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 clove of Garlic, peeled & left whole
- Butter, as needed
Instructions
- In a large pan add 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and sliced garlic with the heat OFF. Turn on heat to low medium and gently fry for a couple of mins. Add in chilli flakes and fry for another minute or so, or until the garlic has softened and has a very light tinge of golden.
- Stir in 3 tbsp tomato paste and fry for a couple of minutes. Add in chopped tomatoes and swill out the cans with a splash of water, then add in basil and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
- Bring to a very gentle simmer and cook for 30-40mins, or until the sauce is very thick. You want it a similar texture to tomato paste/tomato puree. Too thin and it'll turn the sandwiches soggy.
- At this point you can either scrape it into a bowl, wash out the pan and use it for the sandwiches, or, keep it in the pan and use a separate pan. Either way allow the sauce to cool for 5mins or so, at least until it stops steaming.
- Butter one side of each of your slices of bread. Flip half of them over so they're butter side down. On those slices, add mozzarella, followed by a few spoonfuls of sauce (don't feel like you have to use it all), followed by a few pinches of parmesan. Top with a second slice of bread butter side up.
- Fry the sandwiches on both sides over medium heat until golden, with the cheese nice and gooey in the centre. You may need to do this in batches.
Quick Demo
Notes
a) Sauce Quantity - This recipe will make a fairly big batch of sauce, potentially enough to make 5 large sandwiches depending on the size of your bread. I make it slightly larger than needed, because if you're spending 40mins simmering a sauce for a sandwich you may as well make excess! You can make extra sandwiches, or store any excess sauce (see below).
b) Sauce Consistency - You want the sauce nice and thick, just so it stays in the sandwich and doesn't spill out. A nice long simmer will achieve this, and will also give more time for the flavours to develop too.
c) Can I make the sauce ahead of time? - Yep! Just allow to completely cool then tightly store in the fridge for a few days or the freezer for a month. Allow to come to room temp before adding to the sandwich.
d) Spice - I find 1 tsp adds a good kick of spice, but if at all weary start off with less and adjust as needed. Much easier to add more than it is to take it out!
e) Calories - per sandwich assuming 4 in total:
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition:
Nutrition Facts
Arrabiata Grilled Cheese (Spicy Tomato Grilled Cheese)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 612
Calories from Fat 357
% Daily Value*
Fat 39.63g61%
Saturated Fat 19.845g124%
Trans Fat 0.541g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.792g
Monounsaturated Fat 13.926g
Cholesterol 96mg32%
Sodium 1196mg52%
Potassium 468mg13%
Carbohydrates 39.53g13%
Fiber 4.1g17%
Sugar 5.3g6%
Protein 25.78g52%
Vitamin A 1596IU32%
Vitamin C 16.3mg20%
Calcium 541mg54%
Iron 3.19mg18%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
*Nutrition is based on the absence of salt unless stated as a measurement in the ingredients. Cost is worked out based on ingredients bought from UK supermarkets, then divided by the number of servings. In both instances these values are just for guidance. Please check out my FAQ Page for more info.
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