Grilled Cheese with Corn and Calabrian Chile

5.0
(3)
4 Reviews

Nancy Silverton’s L.A. restaurant Pizzeria Mozza celebrates unfussy, straightforward, focused food that uses fresh California produce. This upgraded grilled cheese by the 1990 F&W Best New Chef alum is filled with a charred sweet corn-studded blend of nutty English cheddar, sharp caciocavallo, and just enough mayonnaise to bind it all together. Thick slices of sourdough get a beautifully buttery, golden crust in a cast iron skillet, while Calabrian chile sneaks in with just the right amount of heat. Satisfyingly rich, sharp, and indulgent, the cheese filling is a knockout on burgers, or even as a hot dip with crackers and crudités.

By
Nancy Silverton
Nancy Silverton
Nancy Silverton
Nancy Silverton is the co-owner of Michelin-starred Osteria Mozza, as well as Pizzeria Mozza, Mozza2Go, chi SPACCA, Pizzette and The Barish in Los Angeles.
Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines
Updated on August 2, 2023
Tested by
Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time.
Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Grilled Cheese with Corn and Calabrian Chile Recipe
Photo: Photo by Tara Donne / Food Styling by Chris Lanier / Prop Styling by Raina Kattelson
Active Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
25 mins
Yield:
6 sandwiches
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fresh corn kernels

  • 3 ounces English-style cheddar cheese (such as Keen’s), shredded (about 3/4 cup)

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise

  • 1 ounce caciocavallo cheese or provolone cheese, shredded (about 1/4 cup)

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped shallot

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped scallions

  • 1 medium-size jarred Calabrian chile, stemmed and finely chopped (about 2 teaspoons)

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3 ounces), softened

  • 12 (1/3-inch-thick) sourdough bread slices

Directions

  1. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high until smoking. Add corn kernels, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and charred in spots, about 3 minutes. Transfer corn to a large bowl, and let cool 10 minutes. Wipe out skillet, and set aside.

  2. Add cheddar, mayonnaise, caciocavallo, shallot, scallions, chile, salt, and garlic to corn; stir to combine. Spread butter on one side of each bread slice. Place 6 bread slices, buttered sides down, on a piece of parchment paper, and top evenly with cheese mixture (about 1/3 cup each); spread cheese mixture in an even layer. Top with remaining bread slices, buttered sides up.

  3. Heat cast-iron skillet over medium. Working in batches, cook sandwiches until golden brown and toasted, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve immediately.

Make Ahead

Cheese filling mixture can be made up to 3 days in advance, covered, and stored in refrigerator.

Suggested Pairing

Ripe Southern Italian red.

Originally appeared: July 2020

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