When you want to add flavor to a sandwich, nothing satisfies like cheese. If you use one of the pepper cheeses, you get a satisfying little spicy kick as part of the flavor. Henning’s Chipotle Cheddar, DiLusso’s Wisconsin Chipotle Cheddar Cheese, Hy-Vee Natural Pepper Jack Cheese Slices, and Best Choice Pepper Jack Cheese will be reviewed with suggestions for their uses in sandwiches.

Henning’s Chipotle Cheddar is a white cheddar cheese that has been combined with roasted jalapenos. The cheese has a mild flavor. The chipotle pepper, jalapenos that have been smoked as they are roasted, has a subtle smoky flavor. As cheeses with jalapenos go, this one is mild and pleasant. It has a slightly waxy texture, and it melts well.

DiLusso’s Wisconsin Chipotle Cheddar Cheese is a deep yellow with the crumbly nature of medium cheddar cheese. The cheddar flavor is apparent. There’s nothing shy about these chipotle peppers which have a bold smoky flavor and spicy bite. This cheese melts like cheddar and releases a small amount of fat.

Hy-Vee Natural Pepper Jack Cheese Slices have the personality of an American Cheese slice, but they are slightly hot with a true jalapeno taste. This cheese has a slick mouth-feel like an American Cheese. The melting qualities are similar. It’s a good starter cheese for a person who wants a bit of flavor, but is not ready for a full-flavored pepper cheese.

Best Choice Pepper Jack Cheese is my favorite all-purpose hot cheese. It is the perfect blend of Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers. The jalapenos have not been roasted, but they are assertive. You know that you are eating pepper cheese with this one! There are more expensive hot pepper cheeses, but this one is my personal favorite. It melts well and is suitable for anybody who wants spicy flavor in their sandwiches.

The hot pepper cheeses add flavor to sandwiches. Here are some suggestions for their use:

Hot Cheese Tostada Recipe

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

This recipe makes 6 tostadas. The recipe isn’t exact, since everybody has different preferences about how much of the refried beans and cheese they want to use.

Ingredients:

6 Mission Brand Tostadas Estilo Casero
½ - 1 can La Tiara Fat Free Refried Beans or your favorite refried beans (I used a little more than ½ can.)
Hot cheese to taste (Use the Henning’s Chipotle if you want a subtle taste, DiLusso for a bold smoky taste, or the Best Choice Pepper Jack for a spicy taste without smoky flavor)
Your favorite salsa
Shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes, if desired
Sour cream or Fage Greek yogurt, if desired

Method:

Spread the refried beans on the tostadas using a spoon or spatula. Don’t press down too hard, since you don’t want to crack the tostadas. Place them on a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet. Cover each tostada with hot cheese. You can either break it up into small pieces or grate it. Place the pan with the tostadas in the oven until the cheese is melted and the edges of the tostadas are slightly browned.

Place the tostadas on plates and top with the salsa and optional toppings, if desired.

Variation:

*Use the Tostada Estilo Casero to make open-face sandwich snacks. Place a tostada on a plate; cover the tostada with DiLusso’s Wisconsin Chipotle Cheddar Cheese. Microwave until the cheese is melted.


Grilled Jalapeno Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients:

Olive oil or non-stick cooking spray
2 slices of sourdough bread
1 slice American Cheese
1 slice Hy-Vee Natural Pepper Jack Cheese
Onion powder (not onion salt)

Method:

Grill your sandwich in a heavy skillet with some olive oil. Pour the oil in a pan and coat one side of each of the bread slices with oil. If you are watching your oil intake, you may use a non-stick cooking spray. Just spray it evenly on the bread. Place the first slice of sourdough bread with the oiled side down into a warm skillet. Add the slice of American Cheese, the slice of Hy-Vee Natural Pepper Jack Cheese, and sprinkle lightly with onion powder. Cover with the second slice of oiled bread. Cook on medium heat. Watch it carefully, so that it can be your perfect brown! When the first side is brown, use a spatula and turn it onto the other slice of oiled bread. After the bread is grilled to your preferred brown color, remove the sandwich from the pan to a plate. If you want a heartier version of these sandwiches, add some deli chicken, turkey, or beef.

Open-Face Cracker Sandwiches

Place a thin slice of Best Choice Pepper Jack Cheese on a Triscuit, savory cracker or Club type cracker. These are slightly addictive!


Any way that you slice them, the pepper cheeses add spicy interest to sandwiches. Use the chipotle cheeses when you also want the addition of a smoky flavor. Exercise your creativity to bring these cheeses to new heights. When you find a good hot cheese, don’t forget to tell us in the BellaOnline Sandwiches Forum.

When I mention products by brand name, these are the ones that I use. I have not received free products from the manufacturers, nor have I been paid to mention the products by name.