harissa brown butter grilled cheese sandwiches

a rich and spicy take on a classic sandwich with butter inside and outside

i love sandwiches and the grilled cheese might just be the most approachable and comforting of them all. it was definitely something i grew up eating, and while there are foods you choose to happily leave behind to nostalgia, grilled cheese is one i hope to never grow out of. while i may have moved on from the wonder bread and american cheese version of my youth, i’m certainly not above it, and would happily eat one if it was on a plate in front me.

however, i do think i’ve matured when it comes to my grilled cheese game, and this version showcases that maturity in a very rich, very smoky way.

this recipe was inspired by my wish to use up a longstanding tube of harissa paste i had lying around. i’ve had dishes that paired brown butter and harissa before and felt inspired to use that flavor combination together with crispy bread and melty cheeses for a smoky, toasty, slightly spicy grilled cheese with a beautiful orange-y red sheen.

i’ll say it again, this is a very rich grilled cheese. there’s butter on the outside, brown butter and three cheeses on the inside, and crispy frico (basically butter-fried crispy bits of cheese) around the edges of the sandwich. it would be great with soup or salad to make it a more well-rounded meal, but one of these on it’s own is sufficient albeit for a potentially nap-inducing lunch-slash-snack. eating a crunchy pickled something on the side is recommended, and i suspect this version may also be super tasty dipped in pickle brine, as seen and suggested (amongst many other grilled cheese condiments) here.

i kept the written version below as straightforward as possible with no additional mix-ins or toppings, but during the testing phase i experimented with a couple of different versions and can recommend: adding some soft sautéed red onion and red bell pepper to the sandwich for more heft or leaving out the chili flakes for less heat and more even room for the harissa and brown butter to shine through. you may have leftover harissa brown butter, use it this way: as a drizzle over yogurt, hummus, or a creamy soup, for tossing popcorn, roasted vegetables, or boiled potatoes into for a spicy red slick of flavor before serving, or simply spreading over a piece of toast and topping with a fried egg.

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harissa brown butter grilled cheese sandwiches

makes 2 sandwiches

harissa brown butter, can be made up to a week in advance

2 tablespoons harissa paste

1 teaspoon chili flakes (optional; see headnote above)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

to assemble

2 tablespoons plain cream cheese

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 thick slices sturdy, crusty bread (like a sourdough or country loaf)

70 grams shredded cheddar cheese

70 grams shredded mozzarella cheese (substitute: i prefer the mix the cheeses, but you could use just one or the other if you don’t have or want to buy both)

1. add harissa paste and chili flakes to a small bowl. add butter to a small frying pan (preferably stainless steel or light bottomed pan so you can see the milk solids browning) over medium heat. let the butter melt, then froth, swirling occasionally. once the butter has frothed, keep swirling until the milk solids are starting to turn visibly golden brown. remove from the heat and add to the bowl with the harissa. mix very well; it might look a little separated, that’s fine!

2. set a cast iron pan over medium-low heat. add half, or 1 tablespoon, of butter to the cast iron pan and tilt the pan to evenly coat in butter. spread one side (what will be the interior of the grilled cheese) of each slice bread with a quarter of the cream cheese, about a 1/2 tablespoon. place two slices of bread into the pan, cream cheese side facing up; if two don’t fit, start with one and work in batches.

3. spoon harissa brown butter over each slice as evenly as you can, using as much as you want to cover the bread; you may have extra which you can save for dipping or for another use (see headnote). if you made the harissa brown butter ahead of time, bring it up to temperature it in a small frying pan or in the microwave, just until melted so it’s easier to spoon onto the sandwiches.

4. top each piece of bread with half the shredded cheese, letting some spill over the edges of the bread so you will get some crispy cheesy bits around the sandwiches. top each sandwich with another slice of bread, cream cheese-side down. let cook until the bottom slice is deeply browned, about 5 minutes.

5. use a spatula to press the sandwiches down and push the cheese that’s melted on the pan in toward the edges of the sandwiches. flip them and add the remaining tablespoon of butter, moving the sandwiches around the pan to let the melting butter coat the bottom pieces of bread. let cook another 5 minutes or until the bottom is as deeply browned as the top and the cheese is completely melted. serve immediately.