We’re still in early fall when tomatoes are sort of still a seasonal thing, so we’re taking advantage with a roasted tomato grilled cheese sandwich.
It’s early enough that it was still 80+ degrees yesterday. it’s the time of year that makes one’s head spin: whether it’s back to school, back to fall activities, back to non-summer hours- it’s a lot sometimes. Football, if you’re into that, complicates matters, and suddenly whole blocks of time are missing from the weekend, when chores and meal prep should be done, in theory, and instead all you have to show for it is extreme elation or crushing disappointment. And maybe some guilt over eating one too many a chicken wing.
That’s why I propose that we try to keep things simple until we start diving into planning Thanksgiving menus and holiday cookie schedules (that’s right around the bend- we know it looms).
This recipe is three main ingredients. Seven if you want to count the salt, pepper, oil and butter and, while necessary, you have those always on hand, so they’re not the stars of the show.
It’s a roasted tomato grilled cheese sandwich. It’s every bit as good as it sounds.
While I love a good sandwich, grilled cheese is admittedly not my jam. I prefer a roast beef with horseradish most days of the week, but in these times when the grilled cheese + tomato soup combo of Campbell’s commercials sounds best, I figured I’d combine the two into one perfect bite.
This came about almost accidentally when I found myself with 2 heaping clamshells of grape tomatoes and no plan for salads on the horizon. Roasted in the oven for a bit with salt, pepper and olive oil, they came out heavenly, and make up the meat of the sandwich.
As for cheese, i recently became obsessed with this Cabot cheese varietal that I bought impulsively at the market a few weeks ago. A nice blend of Parmesan and Swiss (i was skeptical since I don’t love Swiss), it’s lovely, and melts just the way we want it to for today’s purposes.
Grill in in the normal fashion and be ready to have your mind blown! Oh, and serve with salt & vinegar chips because, obviously.
Note: I have also eaten this open-faced and broiled on many an occasion since that works well, too!
Roasted Tomato Grilled Cheese
Elevate your sandwich game with a roasted tomato grilled cheese - bringing the flavors of two favorites together.
Ingredients
- 1 clamshell grape tomatoes
- 1 TB olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 4 slices of your favorite bread
- 1 cup (heaping) shredded extra sharp white cheddar cheese
- 1/2 TB unsalted butter
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Step 2 To a foil-lined sheet, add the tomatoes. Coat with the olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for 45 minutes until soft and slightly charred in appearance.
- Step 3 Preheat a thick-bottomoed skillet over medium heat. Generously butter one side of a slice of bread. Place bread butter-side-down onto skillet bottom and add 1/4 cup of the cheese. Top with tomatoes and top with an additional 1/4 cup cheese . Butter a second slice of bread on one side and place butter-side-up on top of sandwich.
- Step 4 Place a heavy pan or a full tea pot on top of the sandwich. Grill until lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes and flip over
- Step 5 and continue grilling another 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining ingredients, and serve.
