If you need a new jalapeno popper recipe, you’re in luck! This jalapeno popper grilled cheese is perfect for a quick and easy lunch that’s full of spicy jalapeno and lots of melty cheese!
Do you want to know the worst part about homeschooling?
It’s the lunches. That’s the worst.
Not what you were expecting, right?
If you’re smart, you guessed it was the math.
Nope. It’s not the fact that I have to tell my 9 year old every day, every single day, ever mother-loving day from now until forever, that yes. She really does need to do math today. No, really. Math is needed. I’m not even kidding. One day it might be useful. Like when you’re calculating how much I must love you to put up with you all these years. Just do your math. Don’t make me start shouting. JUST DO YOUR GOD FORSAKEN MATH BEFORE I GO FLAG DOWN A SCHOOL BUS AND TOSS YOUR LITTLE BUTT ON IT.
Wait, what?
Oh, right. Lunches.
(But first, check out my guide to NOT losing your mind while homeschooling!)
Yep. They’re even worse than the death closet. The what, you’re asking yourself. The death closet, guys. I have one of those. It’s in my laundry room. It’s full of dead things. Horrible no good very bad oh my word the worst dead things.
I have a high schooler taking biology. I’m not a murderer or anything. We just have dead things to dissect. I won’t go into any more detail or you’ll probably vomit, but yep. That’s my life. My laundry room smells like the morgue.
And lunch is still the worst.
As if it’s not bad enough that my children expect me to feed them breakfast and dinner, I also have the pleasure of cooking them lunch. It’s ridiculous and I want a refund.
So, obviously, I resort to sandwiches. A lot. Like, a lot a lot.
This sandwich is one that makes lunch time fun. It makes me happy. It makes me sigh with enjoyment while licking melty cheese off my fingers and downing glasses of ice cold water to quench the burn.
If you’ve never put cream cheese in a grilled cheese sandwich, then you’re living your life wrong and it’s time to fix things.
Basically, this jalapeno popper sandwich is the bomb dot com. <— Seriously, that right there will probably send my kids running to public school just to get away from.

Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
- 6 thin slices French bread
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1/4-1/2 cup jarred jalapeno slices diced
- 1 teaspoon juice of jar of jalapenos
Instructions
- Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat.
- Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter.
- In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, jalapenos, and juice. Stir well to combine.
- Spoon the cheese mixture onto the bread with the butter side facing out. Sandwich together to make 3 sandwiches.
- Place sandwiches into skillet and cook until golden brown. Flip and continue cooking until golden brown.
- Remove from heat and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Serve this sandwich with my oven roasted potatoes or a side of french fries with my favorite fry sauce recipe!
Nazia Akil says
Where do I get jalapeño juice from?
Karly says
This recipe calls for jarred jalapenos. You’ll use the juice from the jar.
Shelby says
Oh I would certainly love these! I homeschooled when my boys were young, but they went to “regular school” by the time they hit 3rd grade. Kudos for you for sticking to it!
Karly says
It actually gets easier as they get older, so good on you for doing the hard part! When they’re older they can mostly do online school. 😉
Yumgoggle says
Oh my goodness! This is just what I want for lunch on a cold Saturday! Thanks for sharing!
fitnfree says
Wow, that sounds yummy! Just had grilled cheese tonight – will have to try your version next time and give it a little “kick”. It’s a favorite around my house.
Joanne says
Most of the time I do leftovers for lunch, but on the weekend trying to figure out lunch for the.boy and I is INTENSE. I don’t know how you do it every day. Although, eating these grilled cheeses every day for forever doesn’t sound like such a bad deal…
Jordan@the2seasons says
This is such a fun spin on grilled cheese. We are going to feature this recipe as one of our picks in our Saturday Selections this week. Yummy!
Carol at Wild Goose Tea says
I love grilled cheese. I eat it often. I like a little nip in them. Then cream cheese—-WOW
Lisa says
Can’t wait to try this sandwich! As a homeschooling mom for 14 years myself, I totally relate. I’m also a mom who unexpectedly lost her 18 yr. old son 13 weeks ago. Cherish these days (even the hard ones), for one day you really will wish you could argue over math again, and you’ll laugh over those science projects.
Karly says
Oh, Lisa, I’m so sorry to hear about your loss.
Malinda @countrysidecravings says
BAHAHAHA! Oh your story made me laugh cuz I can relate on so many levels! I have to pack a lunch for my kids and like the natural procrastinator I am I do it in the morning while trying to shove breakfast into them and do their hair and by the time I get back from dropping them off I have to start thinking about lunch for my littles that are not in school and ugh I don’t want too!! I just sometimes really hate lunchtime! These grilled cheese look killer and I can’t wait to try them out!! Pinned!
Shinee says
You’re hilarious! But this grilled cheese is amazing. I love jalapeño poppers and, of course grilled cheese! The combination is just a bomb!
Simple Green Moms says
Three solid meals a day. You are a CHAMP. Completely and totally adore you for being able to handle all of that and still posts amazing recipes on here for us! =)
Matt Robinson says
This is one serious grilled cheese, wow!!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
This is one sassy grilled cheese! So yummy looking!!
Karen says
I, too, have been beaten down by having to prepare three.meals.every.single. day because I homeschool. Add to that the fact that I don’t love regular sandwiches (I am so trying this one because it isn’t boring deli meat or PB&J) and the job is even more difficult. This sounds delicious!
I’m a science slacker. It isn’t where my kids interests lie, so we’ve done the bare minimum. I remember, however, the horrible stench at the co-op we used to attend when there was a room full of kids gathered around a table dissecting their frogs. In the church kitchen. Right before the cooking class I was assisting. For real.
Karly says
I WANT to be a science slacker, but my son won’t go for it. *sob* And ewwww on the kitchen dissection! We do it at our dining room table, after I’ve covered the whole thing in clean garbage bags, just to be sure no droplets of anything weird get anywhere near my table. 😉
Carlee @cookingwithcarlee says
So funny! The death closet is killing me! Science and math were my favorite subjects in school, so you wouldn’t hear any complaints out of me. Especially if this is what lunch looks like. That is way better than I remember school lunches looking! We love stuffed jalapenos here, so I will have to give these a try.
Karly says
The death closet kills me as well, my friend. 😉
Karen @ On the Banks of Salt Creek says
Yeah. Someone who understands my loathing of lunch. It is the worst meal ever. Right in the middle of teaching, want it to be healthy, really quick and taste good. It is so hard for all of those to work together.
I love it when I have leftovers. Oh, and only a mother will ever understand how annoying it is to have to stop what you are doing THREE TIMES A DAY to cook for people. And I have boys . They will never get it because they will never do it.
And yes, surrounding those meals is school. You know, that thing I spend so much time and money on and when I finally figure out how to explain that new concept to my boys they just look at me with that “I’m not paying any attention to you” look on their faces. And so how weird am I that I still want to homeschool them 🙂
Karly says
Hahaha! Yep. All of that.
Candace @ Cabot says
Hilarious post, and yet I’m nodding my head in sympathy as I’m laughing. Lunch. Is. Hard. But this grilled cheese is a thing of beauty. You’re in line for Mother of the Year (#moty) for this alone!
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
Oh my gosh I am DYING about the math! I would feel the exact same if I had kids to home school.
BUT, I DO HATE BEYOND HATE making lunches for my husband, so i feel ya. This grilled cheese looks BOMB. I am obsessed with ALL THE THING Jalapeno Popper. Pinned!