Claire Thomson’s grilled cheddar and jalapeño popper sandwich

I like the name “popper” – a grilled cheese sandwich by any other name. Cream cheese can be bland and fairly ordinary. Here it gets turbo-charged with tangy cheddar, fiery jalapeño chilli and a musky pinch of cumin. Add bacon? When it comes to grilled cheese sandwiches, aim for the stars.

Makes 4
full-fat cream cheese 200g
jalapeño or green chillies 1-2, finely chopped (remove the seeds to reduce heat, if you like)
ground cumin ½ tsp
garlic 1 clove, peeled and crushed
unsalted butter 40g, softened
white bread 8 slices (choose a sturdy bread that toasts well)
cheddar cheese 300g, coarsely grated
cooked streaky bacon 8 slices (optional)
freshly ground black pepper

In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese, jalapeño or green chillies, cumin and garlic, then season with pepper. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Turn over 4 of the slices and spread each of these with equal amounts of the cream cheese mixture. Top with the cheddar and the bacon, if using. Then top with the remaining bread slices, with the buttered sides facing outwards. Place a large frying pan over a moderate to high heat. Fry the sandwiches (you might need to do this batches) for about 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown with the cheese melted through the middle. Remove from the heat and serve immediately – with plenty of paper napkins.

From New Kitchen Basics by Claire Thomson (Quadrille Publishing Ltd, £25)