Today we’re going to give a makeover to our favorite childhood sandwich, The Grilled Cheese.
As a kid I would beg my Mom to make Grilled Cheese sandwiches for lunch and dinner. When I wasn’t asking her to make them, I was ordering them at the diner served alongside a big spoonful of mashed potatoes. Did you ever have grilled cheese and mashed potatoes? It’s the perfect combo, especially if there’s a bunch of gravy poured over your potatoes.
One night we were craving something different for dinner but wanted to use up some fresh broccoli we picked that was growing under the greenhouse. After a quick broccoli roast, these sandwiches were made and enjoyed… very quickly! Immediately after finishing his Matthew said “I want another!”. Me too man, me too.
So next time you’re craving Grilled Cheese, add some broccoli inside for a delicious crunch and a giant burst of flavor!
Ingredients
- 1 small head of broccoli chopped into florets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- pinch of pepper
- butter to spread on bread
- 4 slices of bread
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Mix broccoli, olive oil, salt and pepper on cookie sheet until combined. Roast for 8 minutes, careful not to burn it. Remove from oven.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat.
- Spread butter on one side of each bread. The buttered sides will be the outside of the sandwich.
- On the nonbuttered side of bread layer cheese, broccoli and more cheese. Top each with the other piece of bread, making it a sandwich.
- Add to skillet and grill until the cheese is melted and bread is toasted, turning sandwiches over once while grilling.
Jamie@Milk N Cookies says
Yum! Grilled cheese is my go-to diner fare, as well. Even to this day. But I’ve never thought to add broccoli to it. Great idea to add a nice bit of texture!
Marie @ Little Kitchie says
Looks SO good!!
Ashley | Spoonful of Flavor says
I love adding fresh veggies to my grilled cheese! Broccoli and grilled cheese sounds delicious too! Have a great week, girl!
Daniela @ FoodrecipesHQ says
Grilled cheese forever, for dinner lunch and breakfast! This version with broccoli is even more flavorsome.
Helen @ Scrummy Lane says
That looks sooo tasty, Pamela, especially with that lovely roasted broccoli. I love how broccoli goes all lightly crispy when you roast it.
Alice says
I’m a cauli-cheese lover from way back. When you say broccoli cheese and grill it in a sandwich, I think “yes please!”
Tandy | Lavender and Lime says
What a great idea, thank you for sharing 🙂
Alyssa @ My Sequined Life says
Look at all that broccoli! So this qualifies as a health food then, right? This looks so great!! I get the grilled cheese craving pretty frequently – definitely keeping this one in mind for the next time! 🙂
Cindy @ Pick Fresh Foods says
Now this is my kind of grilled cheese sandwich! It sounds and looks amazing! We are big fans of the grilled cheese sandwich. It is one of the first things I taught my daughter to make. It was so cute to watch her make one for her brother and herself.
I think I have just enough broccoli to make one of these for myself today 😀
Sasha says
Ooh what a great idea! Broccoli and sharp cheese are meant for each other <3
Monica says
I am definitely feeling the broccoli love these days and this is a sandwich I’d crave. As a kid, who would’ve thought broccoli would be so good in mac & cheese and now…who knew greens like broccoli could totally up a sandwich from good to so much better. Wish I had this tonight, Pamela.
marcie says
Broccoli and cheese is always a great combo, so this is just the perfect idea! 🙂
Melanie @ Carmel Moments says
Dang! Why didn’t I ever think of that. Looks super cheesy good. Pinning!
Hope you had a beautiful Monday!
Allie | Baking a Moment says
My son is crazy about cheesy broccoli and this sandwich has his name written all over it! Looks amazing, pinning for sure! 😀
Elizabeth @ SugarHero.com says
Yes! I’m a big grilled cheese fan but I often feel guilty having it for dinner because it doesn’t seem too healthy. Adding broccoli? Done and done! I imagine it’s even better when that broccoli is freshly picked, right?
Pamela says
I think everything is always better fresh, but I’d totally go for this even with some store bought broccoli! Craving it for dinner again tonight!
Koko says
I don’t eat that much dairy, but honestly, grilled cheese is something I just can’t give up. It has been my favourite since the beginning of time. I can’t count how many grilled cheeses I have eaten in my life (preferably with a side of pickles, and a glass of cherry kool-aid). This looks amazing because one, it adds vegetables, and two, it reminds me of broccoli cheddar soup!
Stacy | Wicked Good Kitchen says
Fabulous idea. Pamela! My favorite cheesy casseroles have broccoli in them. So, why not tuck in some broccoli in a grilled cheese sandwich? Thank you for sharing!
pam (Sidewalk Shoes) says
When I first saw this I read it as bacon grilled cheese. But then I realized it said broccoli. At first I was disappointed, but then looking at your photos, I realized that this looks so good!! Probably not as good as bacon, but much better for you!
Pamela says
Pam, you should totally make broccoli and bacon grilled cheese, it would be amazing!
Lindsey @ American Heritage Cooking says
Yeah, about that sandwich…It looks amazing! I bought a huge head of broccoli at the farmers market this weekend and I was just staring at it in the fridge thinking, “why did I buy broccoli? I really don’t like it.” Now I know that my sub conscience was preparing me to make your delicious grilled cheese sandwich! Yay!!! Grilled cheese that feels “healthy”!
Ashley @ My Midwest Table says
Great idea to add broccoli! I think this would be a good way to get kids…and husbands…to eat broccoli. 🙂
miss messy says
Grilled cheese and mashed potatoes sounds awesome. Love this take on the traditional sandwich! 🙂
Mary Frances @ The Sweet {Tooth} Life says
Its like my favorite soup sandich-ized! Perfection, Pamela!
Nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps says
Now this is a grilled cheese I can get down with! And the broccoli makes it healthy, right????
Heather @ Sweet Precision says
This recipe is blowing my mind… literally! Two of my favorite foods are easily grilled cheese sandwiches (this should be a “food” in my book) and broccoli! How did I not think of this combination before?! Can’t wait to try it 🙂
Kelly says
That grilled cheese looks mouthwatering! This is one of my son’s favorite sandwiches and I love that you snuck in some broccoli in here – what a fantastic idea and I can’t wait to try this – pinning 🙂
Norma | Allspice and Nutmeg says
Yum yum. I love this idea. Great for any day of the week without too much guilt. 🙂
Kelly @ hidden fruits and veggies says
Perfect idea! I eat a grilled cheese for dinner at least once a week (and every other Friday for lunch!) so I am beyond confused at how I’ve never eaten something like this. Love it.
Gretchen @ Two Healthy Kitchens says
Pamela! You are a genius and I’m having one of those ‘I-wish-I’d-thought-of-this-first’ moments!
My littlest loves grilled cheese … and we always have a vegetable of some sort when I fix it. BUT … I could shove a TON more broccoli into the sandwich and get more nutrition into all of our diets! Also, this makes this a great grab-and-go sandwich! Perfect now that sports seasons have picked up … we are always eating in the car! Love it!!
Ashley says
Ooo this grilled cheese looks awesome – love the broccoli in here! haha there was a time period when I was a kid when I asked for grilled cheese for every meal … so bad!
ela@GrayApron says
Very nice, Pamela.. to squeeze and cheese all that broccoli into a sandwich and grill it! Beautiful! 🙂 ela