Pepperbelly Melt

Overview

Smooth Tillamook Medium Cheddar and spicy Hot Habanero Jack leave their melted mark on a tasty jumble of chili, Fritos, salsa, and avocado sour cream. Layer it all on chili cheese bread for a fiery, flavorful sandwich.

"This melt was inspired by the Hometown Fair in Manhattan Beach, CA that I’ve been going to since I was 10 years old. I still go to the fair every year, even if just to get my Pepperbelly “fix.” They would cut the side of a Frito bag open and fill it with all of the ingredients. This can be made as a great snack just before your BBQ! Just cut into quarters before serving. Now that I’ve made this, I don’t have to wait all year for my fix." – Dave Danhi of the Grilled Cheese Truck

Ingredients

Butter Spread
¾ cup (6 oz) Tillamook^® Unsalted Butter
¾ cup (6 oz) mayonnaise

Avocado Cream
16 oz container of Tillamook^® Sour Cream
1 ripe avocado
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and white pepper to taste

Fire Roasted Tomato Salsa
4 Roma tomatoes, vine end cut off
4 cloves garlic
½ red onion, peeled and cut into quarters
1 jalepeno, stem removed
2 limes, juice only
2 tablespoons pure olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and white pepper to taste

Sandwiches
8 slices Chili Cheese Bread, thick ½ inch slices
8 slices Tillamook^® Medium Cheddar Cheese
8 slices Tillamook^® Hot Habanero Jack Cheese
12 oz your favorite chili recipe (hot)
8 oz Fritos, gently crushed
4 oz fire roasted tomato salsa (see recipe)
2 oz Avocado Sour Cream (see recipe)

Preparation

Butter Spread
In a mixer, beat butter and mayonnaise with the paddle attachment until well mixed. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to incorporate all butter as it may stick to the bowl.

Avocado Cream
Place all ingredients in a processer and puree until smooth. Chill for 30 minutes before using.

Fire Roasted Tomato Salsa
Place all ingredients except for salt, pepper and cuminos in a bowl and toss to cover with olive oil. Place in oven under the broiler for about 5 minutes or until skins start to blacken. Toss and re-broil until dark all around. Blend in blender with salt, white pepper and cuminos. Chill for one hour.

Assembly
Generously butter each slice of bread on one side and lay buttered side down. Add (in order): 1 slice Medium Cheddar Cheese, 1 slice Hot Habanero Jack Cheese, 3 oz Chili (heated), 2 oz crushed Fritos, 1 oz fire roasted salsa, ½ oz Avocado Cream, 1 slice of Medium Cheddar Cheese, 1 slice Hot Habanero Jack Cheese, and top it off with 1 slice of buttered chili cheese bread (buttered side out).

Cooking
Heat griddle to about 350°F. Place all sandwiches on griddle. Allow melts to cook slowly. If your heat is too high it will burn the bread and the inside will not be hot. Once golden brown, gently flip and repeat until cheese is melted and inside is hot. If the bread browns prior to the inside being hot, place pan with sandwiches in oven at 450°F to allow to finish.