Kimchi Grilled Cheese Sandos
with Sweet Potato Wedges, Sesame-Soy Ketchup & Smashed Cucumber Salad
- Fish
- Soy
- Wheat
- Milk
- Sesame
- Eggs
Ready to level up the beloved grilled cheese to grown-up status? Add spicy, tangy kimchi, melty mozzarella, and a spicy gochujang aioli to your sourdough slices for a total tastebud takeover! Round it out with roasted sweet potato wedges, a cool smashed cucumber salad showered with crackly sesame seeds, and a sesame-soy ketchup for dipping.
Ingredients
6 milliliters
Ponzu Sauce
(Contains: Fish, Soy, Wheat)
5 teaspoon
Rice Wine Vinegar
2 unit
Sweet Potato
1 cup
Mozzarella Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1 teaspoon
Korean Chili Flakes
4 slice
Sourdough Bread
(Contains: Soy, Wheat)
2 unit
Ketchup
1 tablespoon
Sesame Seeds
(Contains: Sesame)
¼ tablespoon
Sesame Oil
(Contains: Sesame)
2 tablespoon
Mayonnaise
(Contains: Eggs)
1 unit
Kimchi
1 unit
Gochujang Aioli
(Contains: Eggs, Soy, Wheat)
1 unit
Cucumber
Not included in your delivery
½ teaspoon (tsp)
Sugar
3 tablespoon (tbsp)
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
3 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry produce.
Cut sweet potatoes into ½-inch-thick wedges.
Toss on a baking sheet with a large drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on top rack until browned and tender, 18-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, halve cucumber lengthwise; slice crosswise into 1-inch-thick half-moons. Arrange cucumber pieces across a cutting board; carefully press down with a plate to smash.
Add smashed cucumbers, vinegar, and ½ tsp sugar (1 tsp for 4 servings) to a medium bowl; toss to combine. Season with salt and chili flakes to taste.
Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally, until ready to serve.
In a small bowl, combine ketchup, ponzu, and ¼ tsp sesame oil (½ tsp for 4 servings). (Be sure to measure the sesame oil—we sent more!)
Place sourdough slices on a clean work surface. Evenly spread one side of each slice with gochujang aioli or mayonnaise, or a combination of both. TIP: If you like spice, use the gochujang aioli; if you prefer things mild, stick to mayonnaise only!
Evenly top half the sourdough slices with half the mozzarella. Top with kimchi and remaining mozzarella. Top with remaining sourdough slices, aioli or mayonnaise sides down, to form sandwiches.
Heat 2 TBSP butter (4 TBSP for 4 servings) and a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once hot, add sandwiches. (TIP: Work in batches if necessary, adding more butter if needed.) Cook, gently pressing down with a spatula, until cheese begins to melt and bread is golden brown, 2-4 minutes.
Add another 1 TBSP butter to pan, then flip sandwiches. Cook until cheese fully melts and bread is golden brown, 2-4 minutes more. TIP: Lower heat if sandwiches begin to brown too quickly.
Halve kimchi grilled cheese sandos on a diagonal.
Divide sandos, sweet potato wedges, and smashed cucumber salad (draining first!) between plates in separate sections. Garnish cucumber salad with sesame seeds. Serve with sesame-soy ketchup on the side for dipping.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many loved the unique blend of flavors, especially the gochujang aioli and kimchi combo. Some found it too mild; consider adding extra spice 🌶️.
- Ease of prep: Instructions were mostly clear, though a few were unsure which side of bread to cook first. Air frying sweet potatoes can make them crispier.
- Suggestions: Try adding mild cheddar alongside mozzarella for more flavor. Consider peeling sweet potatoes for a less chewy texture.
- Portions: Some wanted more kimchi in the sandwiches. Adding an extra pack or using a fuller brand could improve the dish.
- Sides: The cucumber salad was divisive; many loved it, while others found it unnecessary. Some suggested a leafy salad instead.
Reviews from our home cooks
Pretty dang tasty! A little messy, so fun and pretty quick. Used the air fryer for the potatoes so I didn't have to wait for the oven to pre-heat. Recommend to peel potatoes if you want a less chewy texture. Wouldn't mind another packet of spicy stuff. Made the kids grilled cheese without the spicy mayo or kimchi. More for me!
I didn't think this needed both the cucumber salad and fries. I'd like to see one or the other. I also didn't get a ton of kimchi in the package, with the brand that was provided. I'd LOVE to see either two packs of kimchi or a brand that puts more in (my small pack was only half filled). Flavors were AMAZING, but just feel like could use some tweaks.
Legit. I added some slices of mild cheddar which really worked great. The cucumber business was awesome as was the ketchup. I'm going to make that ketchup mix for just about everything I put ketchup on.
This was a great take on the classic grilled cheese. I'm a big kimchi fan so that's a plus, although this one was on the sweeter side - still ok, but you don't have to go lowest common denominator to have people like it.
The cucumber was a bit smashed, also sweet potato fries would come out crisper if they were air fried. It was a delicious meal, just a few tips to help ensure all of your customers can reach peak satisfaction.
The kimchi isn't very good. I'm Korean and I know kimchi and this is pretty bland. I realize you need to moderate the spice level for non-Korean palettes, but in general it isn't a good kimchi. I suggest finding a different source. Overall, the sandwich was pretty bland because the kimchi was bland. Mozzarella cheese is pretty flavorless so I would suggest doing a mozz-cheddar blend. The cucumber salad was excellent. Overall, wouldn't order again just because the flavor wasn't there.
This was really good. It would be cool if you could sub a spicier kimchi for the mild one that was included.
One of the best hello fresh meals I've had in a long time, please put this one on the menu more often! (but it would be nice to find a way to bring the calorie count down)
The ketchup was a little strange- it just wasn't different enough from regular ketchup, which resulted in it just tasting a bit off rather than a thing of its own. I think a sweet chili aioli would have been better with this meal.
We never would have thought to combine these items together however we're glad someone did. Another favorite of ours.
