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Sriracha Almond Crusted Grilled Cheese with Avocado

No secret that we love Blue Diamond Almonds up in this house. They usually send us some to try every month or two through the Tastemakers program and it’s a battle to save them long enough to make a recipe rather than just inhale them. When I opened this month’s delivery, Josh was pretty skeptical. Sriracha almonds? They’re definitely one of those foods that’s either going to be crazy good or ridiculously bad, especially because neither of us do spicy very well.

Sriracha Almond Crusted Grilled Cheese with Avocado @hiddenfruitnveg

When I popped that can open, all worries immediately turned to hunger, because these smelled GOOD. Not the “this is so spicy my nose is going to fall off” smell I was expecting, but the subtle spiciness with an under layer of smoke that I love. Another sign they were going to be amazing? My cats came running at the sound of the can opening. I don’t know how they do it, but my cats don’t come running when random cans open — they reserve that for foods they love (like green beans).

Sriracha Almond Crusted Grilled Cheese with Avocado @hiddenfruitnveg

For some reason, all I’ve been thinking about with these almonds is how they’d make a great rim for a bloody Mary. Unfortunately (fortunately for her?) my bloody Mary buddy was away on her honeymoon this last week, so that use is going to have to wait. For now, I made Sriracha almond crusted grilled cheese. You get the extra crunch from the almonds plus a little heat, gooey cheese (obviously a highlight), and cool creaminess from the avocado. All around, my new fav sandwich.

Sriracha Almond Crusted Grilled Cheese with Avocado @hiddenfruitnveg

5.0 from 1 reviews

Sriracha Almond Crusted Grilled Cheese with Avocado
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Cook time: 
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Serves: 2 sandwiches
 

Ingredients
  • ¼ c Sriracha Blue Diamond Almonds
  • Butter
  • 4 slices bread (whole grain, gluten free, whatever your fav is)
  • Cheese (I used 1 slice colby jack, 1 slice sharp cheddar on each)
  • ½ avocado, smashed with a little salt and pepper

Instructions
  1. Preheat a griddle or nonstick pan over medium heat.
  2. Meanwhile, pulse the almonds in a food processor until they’re a coarse, uniform texture (similar to cookie crumbs).
  3. Toast the bread and let cool (this step is essential to get crispy bread!) then butter each slice
  4. Sprinkle ¼ of the almond meal on a plate and press a slice of bread (butter side down) firmly on the almonds until they stick. Repeat with all slices of bread.
  5. Spritz the skillet with nonstick spray. Place two slices of the bread (almond side down) on the skillet and top with cheese. Spread the remaining slices of bread with the avocado and place almond side up on the first two slices.
  6. Let cook for a few minutes, pressing the sandwiches down with a spatula to ensure the almonds stick. Flip and cook the other side until the cheese is melty.
  7. Slice and enjoy.

Notes
Not feeling the Sriracha almonds or looking to amp it up even more? Honey mustard almonds would be amazing in place of the Sriracha or in a half/half mix.

Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 sandwich

Sriracha Almond Crusted Grilled Cheese with Avocado @hiddenfruitnvegSpicy almonds, gooey cheese, creamy avocado. Boom. What else do you need?

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5 Comments
    felicia@ingredient1 Jul 21, 2015

    Such an innovative and cool new way to use almonds! Do they really stick to the bread as well as they seem to in your photos?

      Kelly Jul 22, 2015

      Yes, they really do stick that well! No trickery here 🙂 The key is to press the bread down onto the almonds to not be shy about it, so that they’re pressed slightly into the actual bread and held in place with butter until you cook. I’m relatively gentle during the cooking process, but they’ll still stay on while you’re cutting your sandwich in half and eating with your hands.

    cheri Jun 30, 2015

    Love that you made almond meal out of the nuts, very clever. I bet this was delicious!

    Mary Jun 30, 2015

    You are amazing!!!! What a great idea, Sriracha almond encrusted grilled cheese, with avocado?? Yes Please