Today is National Grilled Cheese Day! Grilled cheese is a classic comfort food that I crave from time to time. My favorite for years was a grilled cheese with Havarti cheese, sun-dried tomato spread, sliced tomatoes, and thinly sliced red onion on a chewy fontina roll or similar bread, recipe here. I than started craving sandwiches with a vegan cream cheese spread and beets or once with avocado, lots of avocado, like this one. Today I am going to share a Garden Grilled Cheese, a grilled cheese that also adds some green. I know some people will think ruining a grilled cheese by adding some healthy stuff but to me it is taking a veggie sandwich that I love and would enjoy anytime and adding a little gooey cheese to celebrate National Grilled Cheese Day will keeping the veggies I love. Yep having my grilled cheese and veggies too! The one thing I have never been a fan of with grilled cheese is a greasy or soggy outside. I have found that if you lightly spray coconut oil on the bread you can get your nice golden brown grilled cheese without the grease. Another thing that works is aioli on the outside before grilling and it adds a zing which my husband enjoys.
Garden Grilled Cheese
Makes 1 sandwich
2 slices of sprouted bread, or bread of choice (used Food For Life Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Bread)
1-2 slices cheese of choice (Go Veggie for Dairy Free or for non dairy free we like Havarti Cheese)
1/2 avocado, sliced
4 tomato vine ripe tomato slices
Handful of arugula
Handful of sprouts
spicy mustard or any dressings or condiments of choice, optional
Coconut oil, coconut oil spray, or spread of choice for grilling
Heat griddle or pan to medium heat. Spray coconut oil or spread oil/spread of choice on the outside of the bread slices.
There are two ways you can do this, the first will slightly wilt the arugula (shown). Place oil side of bread on griddle and top with cheese, sprouts, tomato, arugula, avocado, and last slice of bread with condiments if using spread on the inside. Grill until golden, flip and grill other side until golden. For non wilted/ heated greens you can place both slices of bread, oil side down on griddle placing cheese on one of the slices. Once outsides of bread are golden and cheese is melted pull the plain slice of bread off and place on a plate, top with spread, avocado, arugula, tomato, sprouts, and carefully take grilled slice of bread with the melted cheese and flip on top. Enjoy!
