Cuban-Style Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe

There's nothing quite like a good grilled cheese sandwich, and while some people may be grilled cheese purists and stick to plain bread and cheese, we think that additional ingredients can only make a great thing even better. This Cuban-style grilled cheese, a sandwich mashup recipe from the kitchen of recipe developer Jennine Rye, takes everything delicious about a grilled cheese and all the flavors we love in a classic Cuban sandwich, and mashes them together to make one ultra-glorious and decadent lunch option.

Using slices of sandwich bread instead of a Cuban sandwich loaf produces the best buttery, crispy, and golden exterior for this grilled cheese, but the innards are fully Cuban-inspired. We whip up a bold and tangy mojo sauce and mix it with pulled pork, and then layer it into the grilled cheese alongside yellow mustard, honey roast ham, pickles, and plenty of Swiss cheese. With the addition of heat, the Swiss cheese melts beautifully and acts as a delicious glue, holding the sandwich ingredients together and resulting in a truly soul-satisfying dining experience that can be ready in under 20 minutes. So, if you are looking for a super comforting grilled cheese with a twist, you might want to try this Cuban-style grilled cheese recipe.

To begin this Cuban-style grilled cheese sandwich recipe, first, you will need to gather the ingredients. For the mojo sauce, you will want a garlic clove, orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, fresh cilantro, dried oregano, onion granules, cumin, and salt and pepper. For the sandwich, you will need pulled pork, sandwich bread, butter, yellow mustard, Swiss cheese, pickles, and honey roast ham.

In a food processor add the garlic clove, orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, oregano, onion granules, ground cumin, and salt and pepper.

Blend the ingredients to make the mojo sauce.

Mix the mojo sauce with the pulled pork.

Butter the outside of each slice of bread.

Lay two slices of the buttered bread, butter side down, into a large frying pan.

Spread the yellow mustard on the top of each slice.

Lay half the slices of Swiss cheese on top of the mustard.

Top the cheese with sliced pickles.

Lay slices of honey roast ham on top of the pickles.

Divide out the mojo pulled pork mixture between the two sandwiches.

Finish with another slice of Swiss cheese on each sandwich, pressing down gently.

Top with the remaining slices of bread, butter side facing out.

Place the frying pan onto the hob and heat to a medium temperature, and allow the sandwich to fry gently for around 4–5 minutes, until the bread is golden and the cheese is melting.

Using a spatula, carefully flip each sandwich and fry on the other side for 2–3 minutes, until the base is similarly golden and the cheese has melted.

Remove from the pan and serve immediately.

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One easy switch with any grilled cheese sandwich is the kind of bread you use. If you have had the pleasure of enjoying a proper Cuban sandwich, you'll know the unique joy of Cuban bread. Pan Cuban is both crunchy and soft, and works perfectly with the other elements of the sandwich, so if you are lucky enough to have access to this bread, you can always fry up your grilled cheese in this instead of using sandwich bread, to give yourself a more classic version of the Cuban sandwich. Alternatively, why not assemble this dish using a bagel instead to make a bagel grilled cheese sandwich?

While Cuban-style sandwiches are known for using two types of pork, you can always switch out either one or both the roast pork and the ham here for a different kind of meat. Salami works particularly well, and you can also look to include other kinds of ham, such as Black Forest ham, for a little hint of smokiness to your sandwich. While pickles are a staple for a good Cuban sandwich, this tangy ingredient can be substituted with a piquant pickle relish. Similarly, the yellow mustard can be swapped out for Dijon mustard or something with a different flavor profile, like honey mustard or stout mustard.

When it comes to a good grilled cheese, not all cheese varieties are created equal. Since it's the star of the show, the choice you make with the cheese can make or break a grilled cheese sandwich, and you will want to pick your cheese carefully. When you choose a cheese, you need to think about flavor and also about the melting properties of the cheese. Parmesan, for example, is delicious but doesn't melt into a gooey river of molten cheese, so it simply doesn't work for this dish. 

We've used a particular variety of Swiss cheese for this recipe called Emmentaler, which has a mild nutty flavor that pairs well with the other elements of the sandwich. Gouda is similarly a good choice, or, if you prefer a little more punch to your grilled cheese, Gruyère has more sharpness and richness to it, as does cheddar. American cheese will obviously give you a fabulous melt, as will mozzarella with its mild and creamy flavor. Brie is another melty option, though it will add much more distinctive and punchy flavor along with the delicious ooze, and may battle with the tangy boldness of the mojo pork.

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