Take your grilled cheese game up a notch by adding crispy, roasted broccoli, sweet red peppers, and a drizzle of balsamic and I swear you will never want to eat any other sandwich! This simple, flavourful vegetarian sandwich is going to save your game day party or weeknight dinner -- promise.
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 — aka. roasted red peppers — brightens their flavours! If you don’t have roasted peppers in the house, you could add sliced tomatoes instead.
There’s a lot of distinct flavours happening here, so luckily this roasted broccoli grilled cheese sandwich comes together quickly. Quick recipes on game day is what I am all about! And seriously, who doesn't love a grilled cheese sandwich on game day? No surprise that this one made it to our Countdown to the Super Bowl recipe series.
How to get the perfect crispy grilled cheese
I use a skillet or griddle to get that perfect grilled cheese every time. The secret is to make sure to weigh down the sandwich with something heavy (like a cast iron) when you are grilling. This will help the sandwich get that browned, crispy crust that makes for the perfect grilled cheese.
Roasted Broccoli Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Total Time: 18 minute
- Yield: 2 sandwiches
Description
Take your grilled cheese game up a notch with this simple and flavourful vegetarian roasted broccoli grilled cheese sandwich featuring red peppers and a drizzle of balsamic.
Ingredients
- 1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 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
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Place broccoli florets on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and toss to combine. Roast 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 place, butter side facing down.
- Divide cheddar 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. Add sandwiches and cook for 3-5 minutes, until golden brown. Note that it helps to place something heavy on top to disperse weight evenly (I use a large cast iron). Flip sandwiches and cook without any weight on top for another 2-3 minutes, until just browned.
- Slice in half, drizzle with balsamic vinegar or reduced balsamic, and serve immediately.
- Prep Time: <10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
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.