Subscribe
Menu

Roasted Carmen Pepper Pimento Grilled Cheese With Sweet Onions & Apple Butter

Prep Time:  20 minutes

     Cook Time:  35 minutes

     Serves:  4

Anyone who’s been to Casetta on the square knows that those folks know how to make a mean sandwich. Take your grilled cheese game to the next level with this delectable recipe from co-proprietor Tommy Gering.
Carmen peppers come into season during late summer and hang around through fall. They are a thin-skinned Italian sweet pepper. They have a wonderful edible skin so you can roast them without taking the time to peel them. Don’t have carmen peppers? Substitute pimento or red bell peppers.

Ingredients

  • 6 Tbsp softened butter, divided
  • 1 whole white or yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 4 carmen red peppers, seeded, cut into strips
  • 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 Tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 Tbsp neutral oil, like vegetable or sunflower
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 cup Hook’s 1-year cheddar, grated
  • ½ cup low moisture mozzarella, grated
  • 3 Tbsp pickled hot peppers, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 8 pieces white bread
  • Apple butter

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
  2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium low heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper and cook slowly until the onion is very soft, 15 to 20 minutes. We are not looking for any color—just cook until the onion starts to melt and the juices form a nice sauce with the butter.
  3. While the onion cooks, toss the peppers and garlic with the oregano and oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and spread out on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven until the peppers start to char and the skin blisters, 10 to 15 minutes.
  4. To make the pimento cheese-inspired filling, let the peppers cool and then chop them up into small pieces. Return them to the bowl you prepared them in. Add mayonnaise, cheddar, mozzarella, pickled hot peppers, and mustard. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper.
  5. To assemble the sandwiches, spread the remaining butter on the outside of each piece of bread. Lay the bread butter side down on a baking sheet. On four of the pieces of bread, spread the apple butter and a spoonful of the onions. Finish with a scoop of the cheese and pepper sandwich filling. Top with the other slice of bread, butter side facing out.
  6. In a large non-stick pan, grill the sandwiches over medium heat until they are golden brown on the outside and the cheese is hot and melted on the inside, flipping halfway through.
  7. Let rest briefly before slicing and serving.

Notes