Healthy Vegetable Grilled Cheese Recipe

Tonight I felt like experimenting in the kitchen. I'm a fan of simple, tasty recipes. This vegetable grilled cheese sandwich was easy, delicious, and the flavor options are limitless!

I love avocado, but Jesse isn't a fan, so I made his sandwich a little bit differently. 

Ingredients:

Melissa's grilled cheese:

Whole Wheat Sandwich Thin (100 calories)

Fresh Baby Spinach

1 Slice All Natural Gouda Cheese

Avocado (cubed)

Sliced Cherry Tomatoes (about 3)

Feta Cheese (about 5 cubed chunks)

Jesse's grilled cheese:

Whole Wheat Sandwich Thin (100 calories)

Fresh Baby Spinach

1 1/2 Slices All Natural Gouda Cheese

Tablespoon All Natural Salsa

Feta Cheese (about 5 cubed chunks)

1/2 Laughing Cow Spreadable Cheese Wedge (Monterrey Jack and Cheddar)

Ready to go in the oven

I cooked these in my convection oven on the "Toast" setting for about 3 minutes. If you don't have a convection oven you can use a panini maker, foreman grill, or cook them in the oven or broiler.  I left my sandwich open faced to cook so I could monitor the melting cheese. I closed Jesse's sandwich. I wanted to see if either way worked better. The open faced method led to a slightly crispier sandwich. 

If you are using a different bread you may have to toast your sandwich a bit longer. Monitor to be sure the cheese is melting, and cook until bread reaches desired toast level. You can also lightly pre-toast the bread before heating. This method significantly reduces the number of calories found in a typical grilled cheese sandwich (which is slathered in butter, and served with white bread).  

Fresh From the Oven

I served both sandwiches with sliced granny smith apples. Jesse said that it was "fantastic" and he "really enjoyed it." His sandwich was spicy and flavorful. I ended up putting some apple slices on half of my sandwich, and it added a whole new delicious element to the flavor. It was a refreshing summer meal, served with a side of watermelon.  

Jesse's Sandwich with Sliced Granny Smith Apples

Melissa's Sandwich Served with Sliced Granny Smith Apples and Watermelon

Happy Meatless Monday!