We usually think of grilled cheese as white bread cooked with butter and gooey cheese oozing out of the sides. This may be great comfort food, but it’s not exactly the healthiest thing for you.
Want to eat a grilled cheese and not feel so guilty? Try making your sandwich with a thin slice of extra sharp cheddar cheese and add a slice of tomato, fresh basil and spinach. Extra sharp cheese, or any intensely flavored cheese, reduces the saturated fat in your sandwich. Substituting whole grain bread instead of white bread adds healthy fiber and vitamins.
Also, grilling your sandwich on a Panini press instead of using butter gets rid of unhealthy fat. If you don’t have a Panini, you can add 1 tsp of olive oil to a pan and place a skillet on top of your sandwich. Place a can in the skillet to squeeze the sandwich like a Panini maker. Flip the sandwich after 2 minutes to the other side, and you will have a crisp “grilled” cheese sandwich. Just a few simple changes can add a nutritional punch without losing the flavor!
This recipe adds fiber by using whole wheat bread and vegetables while decreasing saturated fat by using less cheese and eliminates butter.
Healthy Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- 2 slices whole grain bread
- 1 slice extra sharp cheddar
- 2 slices of tomato
- 4-5 basil leaves
- 4-5 spinach leaves
- 1 tsp olive oil
