We’ve upped the ante on the original pull-from-the-pantry meal — the grilled cheese — with one potent ingredient: kimchi. And we use it two ways for a double dose of flavor.
Cheese with kimchi may sound odd, but the pairing is hardly new. Budae jjigae, otherwise known as army base stew, originates with the Korean War. It’s a hot pot made with American surplus foods, such as hot dogs, baked beans and instant noodles, along with kimchi and American cheese.
It loosely inspired this recipe from our book “Cook What You Have,” which draws on pantry staples to assemble easy, weeknight meals. The fermented cabbage and its flavorful brine combine for a spicy, crunchy, umami-rich sandwich that’s far more interesting than what you had as a kid.
Besides putting the kimchi between the bread, we also mix its brine with mayonnaise to spread on the outside. Using mayonnaise instead of
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