Tangy, sweet, hot and cheesy: Lean ground beef tossed with pickles and pickled peppers and cheddar cheese and then griddled in dark rye bread with even more cheese and spicy brown mustard.
Last week was grilled cheese week at our house. No one complained. The excuse? The Wisconsin cheese board hosts an annual contest and I want me some of that prize money, plus well grilled cheese!
I can not/will not share the recipe I ultimately went with yet but I’ve got a few runners up that might be worthy of your attention.
Like this beautiful batch of comfort and spice grilled up and begging for your attention. Not the prettiest but it was Dad’s favorite and what a personality. Peppery, pickley, and yes cheesy cheesy.
Pickle Pepper Ground Beef Grilled Cheese on Dark Rye
Enough for two generous sandwiches
ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked ground beef- I used 90% lean
- 1 ounce (3 teaspoons) sweet pickle relish
- 1 ounce (3 teaspoons) sweet hot peppers
- 3 ounces cheddar cheese cubed into approximately ¼ inch pieces
- 8 thin slices of Fontina cheese (about 3 ounces total)
- Spicy brown mustard for spreading (might I recommend making your own mustard?)
- 4 slices of Dark Rye Bread
- butter or mayo
directions
- In a preheated skillet or cast iron pan over medium heat brown the ground beef and break up into bite-sized pieces. Drain any excess fat and remove the cooked meat to a medium large bowl. Toss the pickle relish, the sweet hot peppers, and the cheddar cheese with the ground beef.
- If your like me and only want to use one pan clean and dry the cast iron pan and then reheat over low heat.
- Butter one side of the bread (or use mayo if you prefer ) and generously slather the other side with mustard.
- Place two slices of the bread butter side down in the preheated skillet. Add half the Fontina and then divide the ground beef mixture between the two bread slices, top with the remaining Fontina and the last two slices of bread mustard side down. Cook covered over a low heat until bread is crisped to your liking and cheese has begun to melt, flip and cook uncovered until done. (Usually about four-six minutes per side on low or just barely above low heat.)
- Serve hot.

Pickle Pepper Ground Beef Grilled Cheese on Dark Rye
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked ground beef- I used 90% lean
- 1 ounce 3 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 ounce 3 teaspoons sweet hot peppers
- 3 ounces cheddar cheese cubed into approximately ¼ inch pieces
- 8 thin slices of Fontina cheese about 3 ounces total
- Spicy brown mustard for spreading
- 4 slices of Dark Rye Bread
- Mayo or butter
Instructions
- In a preheated skillet or cast iron pan over medium heat brown the ground beef and break up into bite-sized pieces. Drain any excess fat and remove the cooked meat to a medium large bowl. Toss the pickle relish, the sweet hot peppers, and the cheddar cheese with the ground beef.
- If your like me and only want to use one pan clean and dry the cast iron pan and then reheat over low heat.
- Butter one side of the bread (or use mayo if you prefer) and generously slather the other side with mustard.
- Place two slices of the bread butter side down in the preheated skillet. Add half the Fontina and then divide the ground beef mixture between the two bread slices, top with the remaining Fontina and the last two slices of bread mustard side down. Cook covered over a low heat until bread is crisped to your liking and cheese has begun to melt, flip and cook uncovered until done. (Usually about four-six minutes per side on low or just barely above low heat.)
- Serve hot.
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