Extension for Real Life

The Food Factor: Supreme Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Video by Jonathan Parrish

Every now and then we all could use an upgrade. Well, here’s a great twist on a classic grilled cheese sandwich.

The vegetables give the sandwich a little crunch, which kicks it up a notch! You can use any cheese you like, but mozzarella is lower in fat than some other cheeses and melts well.

If you are looking for a new way to get in your servings of vegetables, this is a great way to do it.

Crew review: We all agreed this sandwich is a tasty twist on traditional grilled cheese, but we all would prefer to sauté the vegetables before we put them on the sandwich.

Supreme Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Serves 1

Serving size: 1 sandwich

Ingredients

¼ cup bell pepper (red, yellow, or green), sliced thinly

¼ cup onion, sliced thinly

2 slices whole wheat bread

½ tablespoon butter

Pinch of garlic powder

½ cup spinach leaves, rinsed

1 slice (about 1 oz.) mozzarella cheese

Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

1. Slice onion and pepper very thin.
2. Lay out 2 slices of bread. Spread each slice with the butter.
3. Sprinkle lightly with garlic powder.
4. Add the spinach leaves, peppers, onions in layers and top with mozzarella cheese. Add second slice of bread, buttered side down.
5. Heat a skillet or pan to medium-low. Spray with cooking spray. Lay sandwich in a skillet or pan. Cover with plate, lid, or aluminum foil.
6. Heat sandwich until cheese melts (about 2 to 3 minutes), flipping halfway through or until the bread is golden brown. Serve.

Variations:

• You can use other cheeses, but mozzarella is lower in fat and melts well.
• Add other vegetables such as mushrooms or tomatoes.
• Make this an open-face sandwich using only 1 slice of bread.

Thanks to University of Maine Cooperative Extension for this recipe!

Want to get more vegetables in your diet? Check out our previous blog post on How to Get More Vegetables in Your Diet.

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