🧀 Grilled cheese (jibneh mashwiyeh)
Jibneh mashwiyeh is a simple Levantine mezze of thick slices of halloumi or akkawi cheese seared on a grill or hot pan. The outside chars and blisters while the inside turns soft and slightly squeaky. It is finished with a drizzle of olive oil and dried or fresh mint and served hot with tomato slices.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 250 g halloumi
- 150 g akkawi cheese, soaked in water for 1 hour to remove salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried mint or a few fresh leaves
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
Method
- Pat the cheeses dry and cut into 1 cm thick slices.
- Heat a griddle or non-stick pan over medium-high heat and brush it lightly with oil.
- Sear the slices 1–2 minutes per side until golden and blistered.
- Arrange on a plate with the tomato slices, drizzle with the remaining oil and scatter mint. Serve at once.
How to make it lighter
- Grilled cheese is rich: 2–3 slices with plenty of tomato make a balanced mezze portion.
- Use a non-stick pan and just a brush of oil; each tablespoon of olive oil is about 120 kcal.
- Pair it with salad and vegetables rather than several other fried mezze.
History
Grilling firm brined cheeses is an old habit across the eastern Mediterranean, where halloumi and akkawi hold their shape over heat instead of melting. Today grilled cheese is a standard item on mezze tables in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →