This Grilled Vegetable and Cheese Sandwich is filled with layers of grilled zucchini, eggplant and red peppers seasoned and topped with fresh mozzarella or panella cheese then stuffed into a fresh, warm sandwich roll or bolillo. ThisVegetarian Main Dishis the hit of any party.
UPDATE- I had an experience of a lifetime this summer, I was lucky enough to be the Executive Chef for a weeklong girl's conference and camp with 150 people. It was so much fun creating a "pop-up restaurant" with 3 meals a day PLUS a fun, late night dessert everyday for the week. I served THIS Grilled Vegetable and Cheese Sandwich for one of the days, it was one of the biggest hits of the week. In fact, the leaders were grabbing the leftovers to take home!
Ok, I admit it. I'm a girl who loves her bacon sandwiches. BLT's, turkey clubs and (of course) guacamole bacon sandwiches. Who would have guessed that I would be the one to crave a roasted vegetable sandwich and cheese sandwich with no bacon at all?
Vegetable sandwiches become my obsession every summer so, this sandwich was the first recipe thought of to put on my menu for the girl's conference.
The key to a great veggie sandwich is in the spread or pesto but, I don't always have time to make a homemade Chipotle Mayo or good pesto so, I simplified the recipe by brushing the sliced vegetables with classic Italian dressing and sprinkling them with crushed herbs and red pepper flakes. (Big thank to Becky for handling the grilling duties for the week!)
Trust me on this one, you will LOVE this sandwich as much as we do!
This Grilled Vegetable Sandwich recipe has been one of my favorites for years and I originally posted it in 2010 as part of the “Get Grillin" with Family Fresh Cooking and Cookin’ Canuck, sponsored by Ile de France Cheese, Rösle, Emile Henry, Rouxbe and ManPans.
Tips for Making Grilled Vegetable and Cheese Sandwich
- Slice the vegetables lengthwise into planks slightly more than ¼ inch thick (a mandolin works very well)
- Brush the vegetables with Italian dressing or vinaigrette while grilling
- DO NOT over grill, the vegetables will become soggy. Keep the veggies al dente.
- Grill long enough to see grill marks
- Season with crushed herbs and salt and pepper while hot
- Dice the eggplant to make them easier to eat in the sandwich
- Bottled roasted red peppers are perfect for this, they have a little acidity
- Use very soft, warm sandwich rolls or bolillos
Grilled Vegetable and Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 japanese eggplants or small eggplants
- 2 zucchini
- 2 red bell peppers the bottled type will do just fine
- ¼ cup Italian Dressing or Chipotle Mayonnaise If using chipotle mayo, brush the sliced of vegetables with canola oil instead
- 1 bunch fresh spinach
- 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
- salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
- 4 soft sandwich rolls, bolillos or ciabatta rolls
- 8 oz sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup fresh spinach
Instructions
Directions for Grilled Vegetables with Cheese Sandwiches
- Slice the eggplant and zucchini lengthwise into long slices slightly more than ¼ inch (a mandolin works well for this). Remove stem from red pepper, remove the seeds.
- Very lightly brush veggies with Italian dressing (or canola oil if using chipotle mayo).
- Place veggies on a medium high grill (a grill pan works great and isn’t as messy) Cook vegetables until grill marks appear, but still al dente. Do not over cook, the vegetables should not be soggy.
- Season with herbs, salt and pepper as soon as they come off the grill.
- Dice the eggplant and cut the red pepper into strips to make eating the sandwich easier.
- Layer vegetables on bottom of soft warm rolls, top with sliced mozzarella and fresh spinach leaves. If using Chipotle Mayo, spread mayo on inside of bun.
Other recipes with Chipotle Mayonnaise-
Here are two of the tools I use for this recipe
Mandoline Slicer
Grill Pan-
Homemade Chipotle Mayonnaise-Confections of a Foodie Bride
Cowboy Steak w/Chipotle Mayonnaise- Lobel's Prime Time Grilling-Serious Eats
Chipotle Mayonnaise in a Wrap-Culinary in the Desert Country!
Mexican Hot Dogs w/ Pineapple Salsa and Chipotle Mayonnaise- Homesick Texan
-- posted by Sandy
Tegan
Thank you for posting a vegetarian sandwich Sandy! This looks absolutely delicious and I plan on making it. Yummm!
sandy
Tegan, You're welcome! If you're not into the chipotle mayo, you can use a little balsamic reduction instead. It adds a touch of sweetness to the veggies.
carri
Guacamole bacon? I am out of the loop! I must try that sandwich. This one looks dang good too!
sandy
Carri, You really should give the guacamole and bacon sandwiches a try. They are delish! You can add other veggies like tomato if you want, but let's face it... it's about the bacon!
Cookin' Canuck
The flavors in this are fantastic. I'm a big fan of chipotle peppers and can imagine that they take this sandwich to a whole new level.
Thanks so much for sharing this in our Get Grillin' event, Sandy.
Tara Kuczykowski
I'm always looking for vegetarian lunch ideas. This was delicious!
Joanie
What a wonderful recipe and the chipotle mayo is absolutely delicious!
Candi Elm
That is awesome you were able to create a pop up shop. The sandwiches look amazing.