Grilled Cheese Sandwich With Gochujang

Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Gochujang
Growing up partly in America, I learned to love Grilled Cheese sandwiches early on. It was a staple in school and at parties. As an adult, I developed a passion for many types of cheeses and occasionally still indulged in the old childhood favorite. In the last few years though, whether making it at home or ordering Grilled Cheese sandwiches in restaurants famous for this dish, I found myself growing bored of it. Despite having tasted some of the most elevated and sophisticated versions of a childhood favorite, I found myself craving something spicy to go with the sandwich to break up the heaviness of the cheese. Recently, I decided to create and test a few recipes that introduced all kinds of sambals (spice sauces), aioli and caramelized veggies into the classic sandwich. I finally fell in love with this recipe here, a very simple one that pairs classic Grilled Cheese Sandwich with a savory-spicy paste of Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) with good-for-you plain yogurt. The result is exactly what I had been craving all these years- a three cheese sandwich that is ooey gooey goodness with just a touch of spice sans the heaviness of extra mayonnaise or oil.

Makes 2 Sandwiches

Ingredients
4 slices bread (use any type you like- white, wheat, baguette, ciabatta, etc.)
1 tablespoon Gochujang paste
1 tablespoon plain yogurt
Thin slices of Mozzarella cheese
Thin slices of Havarti cheese
Thin slices of Smoked cheese
***You can use any 3 types of cheese you like as long as they are medium to soft textures
1/2 tablespoon butter
2 handfuls fresh arugula thoroughly washed and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Method

In a small bowl, whisk together the Gochujang and yogurt until completely smooth. Divide and spread evenly on one side of each of the four slices of bread.

Place the slices of three cheeses evenly on two slices of the bread. Place the two remaining slices of bread to cover the cheese. Heat a pan on medium heat. Melt the butter.

Gently place the closed sandwiches on the pan. Heat for 4 minutes on the first side, then flip over carefully and heat for another 4 minutes on the other side. While the sandwiches are heating up, in another small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt until combined.

Arrange the arugula on serving plates. Once the sandwiches are done, turn off the heat and place sandwiches on a cutting board to rest briefly. Drizzle the olive oil balsamic dressing on the arugula. Cut the sandwiches in half and place on top of the arugula. Serve immediately.