If there’s one thing I love more than a grilled cheese sandwich, it’s a grilled cheese and chutney sandwich. I love the combo of sharp, salty cheese against a sweet, tangy chutney. Add a couple of slices of buttery toasty crusty bread and you’ve got the ultimate snack, lunch, dinner, or even breakfast.
This cheese and chutney sandwich is so insanely simple. There’s really no recipe required! But I’ve included a recipe at the end of this post with what I believe to be the perfect proportions of cheese and chutney.
Why are cheese and chutney a perfect combo?
If you’re a fan of sweet and salty, you’ll love the addition of chutney on your grilled cheese sandwich. Cheese is naturally salty, fatty, and creamy, making it such a great match for the sweet, sour, spiced tanginess of chutney. It’s almost like a more sophisticated version of dipping your grilled cheese in ketchup. Because what is ketchup if not a sweet, tangy sidekick for a grilled cheese sandwich?
What’s the best cheese for this Cheese and Chutney Sandwich?
I love using a blend of two kinds of cheese for my grilled cheese sandwiches. I generally use Cheddar and Gruyere for a nice balance of sharp flavour and gooey meltiness. If you’re only interested in using one cheese, I think Cheddar cheese is the best option. But not just any Cheddar, it has to be a nice aged one with a really sharp flavour. Jarlsberg, aged Gruyere, and Manchego also pair really well with chutney and would be great standalone cheeses for this Cheese and Chutney Sandwich. Just make sure that whatever cheese you’re using, it’s really sharp and flavourful. If you were to pick a more bland cheese like mozzarella or mild Cheddar, it would be totally overpowered by the punchy flavour of the chutney. We need a strong contender here.
What you’ll need to make this recipe
You only need four ingredients for this sandwich. Cheese, chutney, bread, and butter. That’s it! Bust out a frying pan and you’re good to go.
How to make this Cheese and Chutney Sandwich
- Preheat your pan on medium-low heat
- Grate the cheese
- Butter the outside of your bread slices
- Spread an even layer of chutney on the inside of both slices
- Pile your grated cheese evenly on one side
- Place the buttery sandwich into the preheated frying pan. Cover the pan with a lid to help melt the cheese. Keep an eye on the sandwich to make sure the bread isn’t burning. After 4-5 minutes, the first side should be golden brown and the cheese should be melting nicely.
- Flip the sandwich and cook for another 4-5 minutes on the other side. You don’t need a lid for this part, because the cheese should be mostly melted by now. If at this point the sandwich is golden brown but the cheese isn’t melted, turn the heat down to low, and continue to cook the sandwich while flipping every minute or two so the bread doesn’t burn.
Success tips
I like to use grated cheese for this cheese and chutney sandwich, rather than sliced cheese. Grated cheese tends to melt faster and more evenly than sliced cheese.
Use great bread! The better the bread, the better the sandwich will be. I find that a crusty country loaf is perfect for this sandwich because it really holds up to the strong flavour of the chutney and sharp cheese. If your bread has big holes in it, even better. Some of the cheese might melt through the holes and get crispy!
Cook this sandwich on medium-low heat. Any hotter and the bread will burn before the cheese has a chance to melt.
Don’t feel like making chutney? No problem! It’s fairly easy to find mango chutney in most grocery stores, which works very well on a grilled cheese sandwich!
What goes well with this Cheese and Chutney Sandwich?
All the cheese and buttery bread make this a fairly rich sandwich. Any accompaniments should be light and refreshing. A crisp green salad is ideal. A brothy vegetable soup would also be nice! I would steer clear from heavier side dishes like fries, potato salad, or creamy thick soups.
A glass of wine or a cold beer would also be lovely!
Still hungry?
- Here’s my foolproof recipe for chutney
- Speaking of cheese and chutney, try my Almond Parmesan Crackers
- Re: that crisp green salad we talked about - here’s how to build an at-home salad bar
Ultimate Cheese and Chutney Sandwich
Equipment
- 1 frying pan or griddle
Ingredients
- 2 slices crusty bread
- 60 grams grated cheese
- 2 tablespoons chutney
- 1 teaspoon butter
Instructions
- Preheat your pan on medium-low heat
- Grate the cheese
- Butter your slices of bread on the outside
- Spread an even layer of chutney on the inside of both slices
- Pile your grated cheese evenly on one side and close it up.
- Place the buttery sandwich into the preheated frying pan. Cover the pan with a lid to help melt the cheese. Keep an eye on the sandwich to make sure the bread isn’t burning. After 4-5 minutes, the first side should be golden brown and the cheese should be melting nicely.
- Flip the sandwich and cook for another 4-5 minutes on the other side. You don’t need a lid for this part, because the cheese should be mostly melted by now. If at this point the sandwich is golden brown but the cheese isn’t melted, turn the heat down to low, and continue to cook the sandwich while flipping every minute or two so the bread doesn’t burn.
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