It’s fascinated me for a while, how Americans have taken the grilled cheese, known by us (South Africans) as a toasted cheese sarmie, and elevated it to gourmet heights. It got me thinking how would I elevate my melted cheese toastie to be fancy pants? And hence, this recipe was born in my fantasy food brain.

 

The point of this grilled cheese is that you choose your ultimate filling: I decided to do…

• Nacho Chips, Flavoured Cream Cheese and Cheddar

• Biltong, Fig, and Cream Cheese

• Fried Halloumi, Crushed Nuts and Honey

• Tomato, Chilli Flakes, Honey and Cheddar

 

For the sake of the blog, I will list all the ingredients I used but feel free to ditch any or all for anything that tickles your taste buds. This recipe makes eight sarmies but, adapt accordingly for all intents and yummy purposes.

 

Krispie Grilled Cheese Sarmie Ingredients:

 

 

Sarmie Ingredients:

• 8 Slices of White Bread

• 2 Cups of Rice Krispies

• 150g Mature Cheddar Cheese, Grated

• 3 Extra Large Free-Range Eggs

• 2 TBSPS. Olive Oil

• Mixed Herbs, to Taste

• Salt and Pepper, to Taste

Filling Ingredients:

• 4 Slices of Halloumi, Fried

• 2 TBSPS. Honey

• 2 Tsps. Chilli Flakes

• 2 TBSPS. Flavoured Cream Cheese

• 2 Rosa Tomatoes, Sliced

• Cup Full of Biltong

• Cup Full of Nacho Chips (Any Flavour)

• 1 Preserved Fig, Sliced

• 6 Slices of Cheddar Cheese

• 2 TBSPS. Crushed Nuts

Finishing Touch Ingredients:

• Fresh Basil, Pieces

• Chakalaka

• Flavoured Cream Cheese

• Any Dipping Sauce of Choice

 

How To Make Krispie Grilled Cheese Sarmies:

 

#1 Cut-off the crust of all the slices of bread. You can fry the crusts in butter and serve with the sarmies (if you don’t have cats, you can give the crusts to birds too).

 

#2 Use a rolling pin or olive oil bottle to flatten the de-crusted slices of bread.

 

#3 Place the eggs and oil in a bowl and whisk together.

 

#4 In a medium mixing bowl, throw in the two cups of Rice Krispies. Crush them slightly, with the olive oil bottle or pestle.

 

#5 Add salt, pepper and mixed herbs to the Rice Krispies to taste.

 

#6 Now add the grated cheese to Krispies and mix well. Now onto those fillings…

 

#7 Carefully spoon some of the nachos, a bit of additional cheddar cheese and a bit of cream cheese on one corner of two slices of bread.

 

#8 Place some biltong, sliced fig (with syrup) and a bit of cream cheese on one corner, of two slices.

 

 

#9 Take the fried halloumi (pre-fry in oil in a pan), and place on the corner of two pieces of flattened slices; pour some honey and nuts over.

 

#10 Place slices of the Roma tomato on the corner of two slices, pour some dried chilli flakes over, add some cheddar cheese to the mix and voila.

 

#11 All the slices should now have fillings.

 

#12 Fold-over all the sandwiches pinching the edges. You can use some of the egg-mix to make it stick better (around the edges). But don’t stress too much if the edges don’t stick together completely.

 

#13 Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

 

#14 Pop a sarmie (one-for-one) into the egg-oil mix.

 

#15 Now, pop it in the Rice Krispie mix and coat generously with the cheese etc.

 

#16 Place the finished sarmie on a tray (non-stick mat is the best if you have). Do this for all the sarmies. Leave any extra egg and Krispie mix for the bottom side of the sarmies (if there is left).

 

#17 Place the tray in the preheated oven and bake for between 15 – 20 minutes (or until the sarmies are golden).

 

#18 Remove the tray from the oven and flip the sarmies.

 

#19 Coat the bottom side of the sarmies with rest of the Krispie and egg mix. Pop the sarmies back in the oven and place your oven on grill for about five minutes.

#20 Remove from the oven.

 

#21 Dress your sarmies with fresh herbs like basil and place a bit of sauce like chakalaka on it, to really bring out the yumminess. PS. I used the Dictator GUUUP-TAA Curry Chilli Relish. I can’t get enough of it and I am not getting paid for the product placement. So, it is legit yummy. Other sauces that will work is honey-mustard, guacamole, cheese sauce and cream cheese.

 

#22 Now, take lots of photos for Social Media (and please share them with Sparkle Ellie too!) and enjoy with loved ones.

Download The Recipe Here.

 

 

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A little about Sparkle Belly Corner and Sparkle Ellie – this blog was started and run from a place of love. A love for all South Africans. A love for most food. And a love of animals (in the Sparkle Paws and Glitter Trails case). With love, the blogs aim to bring a little laughter, thought, whimsy, happiness and joy to South Africans’ hearts and their social media feed. Your support through reading my blogs, sharing on social media or your comments anywhere… are all greatly appreciated. Thank you for supporting a fellow South African.