Take your grilled cheese game to the next level with this Roasted Broccoli Grilled Cheese Sandwich made with crispy baked broccoli, sweet red peppers, two types of melty cheese and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Once you try this vegetarian sandwich, you may never want to eat broccoli any other way!
Serve this broccoli sandwich on its own or pair it with a soup and salad for a complete meal. It's perfect for a quick and easy lunch or dinner that even the kids will love — and a great way to sneak in some veggies into their diet!
Why You'll Love this Roasted Broccoli Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- It's quick and easy to make. This broccoli cheese melt takes just 30 minutes to make including prep, roasting the broccoli, and grilling. It's perfect for a quick lunch, an after school snack, or even for a kid-friendly dinner.
- Loaded with veggies. This broccoli sandwich is a great way to sneak in some veggies into your diet. It's loaded with roasted broccoli and roasted red peppers all smothered in melty gooey cheese which makes it so delicious! Broccoli and cheddar cheese are already such a wonderful pairing that it makes sense to throw them together in a sandwich. But what you might not expect is how something tangy and acidic — roasted red peppers. They totally brighten the flavours of the other ingredients.
- It has the best flavor and texture. Roasting the broccoli adds so much more flavor to it than if you were to just boil them. It's crispy, charred, and delicious. Paired with savory, gooey, melty cheese, crunchy sliced bread, and delicate roasted red peppers, it's the best combination that you may have never known about. But you will be so happy to have discovered it now.
Ingredient Notes
To make this delicious Roasted Broccoli Grilled Cheese Sandwich, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
- broccoli - to roast the broccoli, cut them into florets and toss them in some olive oil, salt, and pepper before popping into the oven. You can also substitute with cauliflower in this recipe or a combination of the two.
- butter - for spreading on the bread to get that classic golden brown, crispy exterior.
- ciabatta bread - We love using homemade Ciabatta Rolls or slices of Sourdough Ciabatta Bread. But feel free to use any kind of crusty sliced bread that you have on hand.
- roasted red peppers - we just used roasted red peppers that you can find in a glass jar at the local supermarket. You can also roast your own from scratch in 45 minutes, which is perfect while the broccoli is roasting too. Check the full instructions in our Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup recipe. If you don’t have roasted peppers in the house, you could add sliced tomatoes instead.
- cheese - we used white cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese, but you can substitute with any cheese that melts well. Try it with yellow cheddar, provolone, or Monterrey Jack cheese.
- balsamic vinegar reduction - this is optional to drizzle on top. Use store-bought balsamic glaze or make your own balsamic vinegar reduction using balsamic vinegar. Check the full instructions in our Tomato Bruschetta with Balsamic Glaze recipe.
You will also need measuring cups and spoons, half sheet baking pan, and a skillet or griddle.
How to Make the Best Roasted Broccoli Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Roast the broccoli. Place broccoli florets on a large half sheet baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and toss to combine. Roast in a 400F preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned and tender. Set aside.
- Spread butter. Spread ½ tablespoon of butter on each of 4 slices of bread and place them on a plate with the butter side facing down.
- Assemble the sandwiches. Divide cheddar cheese equally onto 2 of the slices. Top those same 2 slices with an even layer of roasted broccoli, a few slices of roasted red peppers, and shredded mozzarella. Top each with the remaining slice of bread (butter side on top).
- Grill the sandwiches. Heat a large skillet or griddle pan over medium heat until it's hot, about 2 minutes. Add the sandwiches and cook for 3-5 minutes, until golden brown. Flip sandwiches and cook without any weight on top for another 2-3 minutes, until just browned.
- Serve. Slice in half, drizzle with balsamic vinegar reduction (if using), and serve immediately.
Secrets to the Perfect Crispy Grilled Cheese
- Use a skillet or griddle. While it may be tempting to bake the sandwiches in the oven since you can just pop them in there without monitoring and it will taste delicious — but you won't get that same classic texture that we want.
- Weigh down the grilled cheese sandwich. Place something heavy on top (like a cast-iron skillet) when you are cooking the broccoli grilled cheese. This helps to disperse the weight even to help the sandwich get that browned, crispy crust that makes for the perfect grilled cheese.
How to Serve
You can serve Broccoli Grilled Cheese on its own for a quick meal. I really like pairing it with a soup and salad for a more complete spread. Some of my favorite side dishes to pair this sandwich with are:
- Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
- Minestrone Soup
- Caesar Salad
- Tomato Basil Soup
- White Bean Salad
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Beef Wild Rice Soup
- Creamy Turkey Gnocchi Soup
Make Ahead and Storing Instructions
- Make ahead instructions: You can roasted the broccoli, prep your ingredients, and store them in separate airtight containers, or even build your broccoli grilled cheese ahead of time. Wrap with plastic cling wrap or store in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days until ready to cook.
- How to store: Roasted broccoli grilled cheese sandwiches are best eaten fresh while the cheese is melty and gooey. However, you can still store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- How to reheat: The best way to reheat this vegetable grilled cheese after it has been cooked is in the oven. Place the grilled cheese on a baking tray and heat it for 10-15 minutes in a 375F preheated oven (or in the air fryer at 375 F for 5-8 minutes). You can also reheat on the stove over medium-low heat until cheese is melted.
More Sandwich Recipes
- Pita Grilled Cheese
- Tuna Melt Grilled Cheese
- Egg Salad Sandwich
- Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi Sandwich
- Lobster Rolls
- Greek Chicken Gyros
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Recipe
Roasted Broccoli Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 sandwiches
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Take your grilled cheese game to the next level with Roasted Broccoli Grilled Cheese Sandwich made with broccoli, red peppers, cheddar, and mozzarella.
Ingredients
For the broccoli:
- 1 medium head of broccoli, remove large stems and cut into small florets
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (or more to taste)
For the grilled cheese:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature, divided
- 4 slices of ciabatta bread (or other crusty sliced bread)
- 4 slices white cheddar cheese
- 2 roasted red peppers, thinly sliced
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- drizzle of balsamic vinegar reduction (optional, if desired)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Place broccoli florets on a large half sheet baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and toss to combine. Roast in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned and tender. Set aside.
- Spread ½ tablespoon of butter on each of 4 slices of bread and place them on a plate with the butter side facing down.
- Divide cheddar cheese equally onto 2 of the slices. Top those same 2 slices with an even layer of roasted broccoli, a few slices of roasted red peppers, and shredded mozzarella. Top each with the remaining slice of bread (butter side on top).
- Heat a large skillet or griddle pan over medium heat until it's hot, about 2 minutes. Add the sandwiches and cook for 3-5 minutes, until golden brown. Note that it helps to place something heavy on top to disperse the weight evenly (I use a large cast-iron skillet to press down on the sandwiches). Flip sandwiches and cook without any weight on top for another 2-3 minutes, until just browned.
- Slice in half, drizzle with balsamic vinegar reduction (if using), and serve immediately.
Notes
Make ahead instructions: You can roasted the broccoli, prep your ingredients, and store them in separate airtight containers, or even build your broccoli grilled cheese ahead of time. Wrap with plastic cling wrap or store in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days until ready to cook.
How to store: Roasted broccoli grilled cheese sandwiches are best eaten fresh while the cheese is melty and gooey. However, you can still store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container.
How to reheat: The best way to reheat this vegetable grilled cheese after it has been cooked is in the oven. Place the grilled cheese on a baking tray and heat it for 10-15 minutes in a 375F preheated oven (or in the air fryer at 375 F for 5-8 minutes). You can also reheat on the stove over medium-low heat until cheese is melted.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Sandwich
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
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Jenna says
I love this!!! I added Italian chicken sausage sliced up and white button sliced mushrooms that I cooked in some evoo and garlic first for some more substance and WHEW best panini EVER!! I also air fried the broccoli and used frozen florets and it was perfect.
Helene says
This was excellent! I made a few tweaks, based off of what I had in the fridge. First, I did not have any peppers but I did have half of a roma tomato, so I sliced that in half, removed (and ate) the insides, and placed those on the baking sheet with the broccoli. Did the olive oil/salt/pepper thing with these and then went ahead and drizzled them with the balsamic vinegar before putting them in the oven. I also made a sauce to put on the sandwich consisting of mayo and some homemade, fermented chili sauce. After about 20 minutes in the oven, flipping the tomatoes and messing with the broccoli half way, I buttered all four pieces of bread, spread the chili mayo on two, did layers of cheese on both, then placed the roasted broccoli and sliced roasted tomato on. From there I did as the recipe instructed. I will try peppers next time for sure, but this hit the spot! Thank you!
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you so much for sharing!! I love the changes that you made. So happy you liked the recipe!
Robynne says
Can you use leftover steamed broccoli?
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Absolutely! Gently squeeze out any water and season with salt and pepper. If it has too much water content, it can cause the grilled cheese to be a little soggy.