By One week. Seven days. The Arizona State BBQ Championship is next Saturday at WestWorld in Scottsdale and I have reached the point of preparation where additional preparation might actually be counterproductive. I know my cooks. I know my timing. I know my rubs and my wood and my temperatures. What I don't know is whether knowing all of that will be enough, and that uncertainty is eating me alive in a way that no amount of smoked meat can cure.
Jessica staged an intervention on Wednesday. Not a real intervention — a gentle, loving, Jessica-style intervention where she sat me down on the couch and said "Marcus, you have not talked about anything other than BBQ in nine days. Sofia has started saying 'brisket' as a greeting. Your mother called and asked if you're sick because you skipped Sunday dinner to practice your pork shoulder. I love you. You need to take a breath." She was right. She's always right about the things that matter.
So I took a breath. I took Thursday and Friday off from the grill entirely. Instead of cooking, I did normal human things. I took Sofia to the park. I fixed the bathroom faucet that Jessica has been asking about for two months. I watched a movie with my wife on the couch — a rom-com that I pretended to hate and actually enjoyed. I ate takeout pizza, which is a mortal sin in the Rivera household but which tasted, I will admit, pretty good when you haven't eaten anything you didn't smoke for a month.
On Saturday, I went to my parents' house for the Sunday cookout, a day early because I needed my dad. Not his cooking advice — his presence. I stood next to Roberto at his grill and we cooked carne asada the way we always do, and he didn't mention the competition and I didn't mention the competition and we just grilled, father and son, the way we've been doing since I was small enough to stand on a milk crate. When I left, he walked me to my truck and said "mijo, you're ready. Stop worrying and start cooking." That's all I needed. That's all I've ever needed.
Made something simple for dinner: grilled cheese sandwiches. Sourdough bread, sharp cheddar, a little Hatch green chile, pressed on the flat-top griddle until the bread is golden and the cheese is molten. Sofia ate one with the crusts cut off. Jessica ate one with a bowl of tomato soup. I ate two, standing at the counter, thinking about nothing but the crunch of bread and the pull of cheese, and it was the most satisfying meal I'd eaten in weeks. Sometimes the best thing a cook can make is the simplest thing, served without agenda, eaten without judgment.
After days of my dad’s words rattling around in my head—“stop worrying and start cooking”—I needed something that asked nothing of me except attention and a little butter. No rub ratios, no stall temps, no judges. Just bread, cheese, and one good pan. This Hatch green chile grilled cheese is exactly what I pressed onto the flat-top that Saturday night, and if you’re looking for what to serve alongside a bowl of tomato soup, I’ll tell you right now: it’s this, every single time.
What to Serve with Soup: Hatch Green Chile Grilled Cheese
Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 4 slices sourdough bread (about 3/4 inch thick)
- 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, thinly sliced or grated
- 2 oz Monterey Jack cheese, grated
- 2–3 tablespoons roasted Hatch green chiles, chopped (canned or fresh-roasted)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- Flaky sea salt, to finish
Instructions
- Butter the bread. Spread softened butter evenly across one side of each bread slice. If using garlic powder, mix it into the butter before spreading.
- Build the sandwich. On the unbuttered side of two slices, layer the cheddar, then the Monterey Jack, then the chopped Hatch green chiles. Top with the remaining bread slices, buttered side facing out.
- Heat the pan. Warm a cast-iron skillet or flat-top griddle over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes. You want steady, even heat—not a screaming hot pan.
- Press and cook. Place sandwiches in the pan. Press gently with a spatula or a second heavy pan. Cook for 4–5 minutes until the bottom is deep golden brown and the cheese begins to melt.
- Flip and finish. Flip carefully, press again, and cook another 3–4 minutes until the second side is golden and the cheese is fully molten. If browning too fast, lower the heat.
- Rest and serve. Transfer to a cutting board, sprinkle with a pinch of flaky salt, and let rest 1 minute before slicing. Serve alongside a bowl of tomato soup.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 520 | Protein: 22g | Fat: 28g | Carbs: 45g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 780mg