After receiving so much positive feedback on my vegan mac n’ cheese post, I decided to share another guilty pleasure of mine that I managed to turn vegan—grilled cheese! Here are my top three vegan grilled cheese recipes.

Vegan Pizza Grilled Cheese, Recipe Credit: Rabbit and Wolves

Vegan Pesto Grilled Cheese, Recipe Credit: Carrots & Flowers

Loaded Veggie Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Recipe Credit: The Dreaming Foodie

Vegan Pizza Grilled Cheese

Like a vegan margarita pizza put into a sandwich, this grilled cheese is easier to make than pizza but just as delicious—win-win!

Ingredients

• ½ block extra firm tofu
• 1–2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Pink of black pepper
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ¾ cup marinara sauce
• ¼ cup basil
• 6 slices of sourdough bread
• ¼ cup vegan butter

Instructions

1. Place tofu in a paper towel, squeeze it over the sink to get as much liquid out as possible. It will crumble, but that is okay as you will be crumbling it anyways.
2. Crumble tofu into a food processor or blender. Add garlic, nutritional yeast, olive oil, salt and pepper, and lemon juice.
3. Process for a minute or so, scraping down the sides as needed until it is smooth but with a little texture so it looks like ricotta cheese.
4. Take two slices of bread, spread one slide with vegan ricotta mixture, and the other slice with marinara and a few slices of basil. Put the sandwich together.
5. Heat a non-stick pan on medium-high.
6. Spread one side of the sandwich with vegan butter. Plae butter side down in the pan.
7. Spread the other side of the sandwich with vegan butter. Cook one side for 3–5 minutes, reducing heat as needed. Flip and cook for a few more minutes until the whole sandwich is brown and crispy.
8. Serve immediately.

Vegan Pesto Grilled Cheese

Pesto is easy to make, healthy, and oh-so flavorful. Occasionally, I mix it up and add vegan parmesan cheese between the bread slices.

Ingredients

• 8 slices bread
• ½ cup vegan pesto
• sliced tomatoes
• ½ cup vegan mozzarella
• 2 teaspoon balsamic glaze
• 4 tablespoons vegan butter

Instructions

1. Spread 2 tablespoons vegan pesto on 4 slices of bread. Divide the tomatoes and cheese among the 4 slices.
2. Put a griddle pan over medium heat. Drizzle each slice with ½ teaspoon balsamic glaze, then top with the remaining bread.
3. Spread the outsides of the sandwiches with one tablespoon vegan butter each. Cook the vegan pesto grilled cheese sandwiches on the griddle pan until golden brown on the outside and melty on the inside, about 2–3 minutes on each side.

Loaded Veggie Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

I love this sandwich because I can take whatever vegetables I have in my fridge—frequently bell pepper, kale, and tomatoes in addition to the below veggies—and throw together a loaded vegan grilled cheese for dinner in no time.

Ingredients

• 2 slices your favorite bread
• ½ of an avocado
• Salt and pepper
• Juice from ½ of a lime
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large handful fresh spinach
• 1 large portobello mushroom
• Olive oil
• Small splash white wine
• Small splash balsamic vinegar
• Butter

Instructions

1. For the guacamole, scoop out the flesh of the avocado and add it to a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add the lime juice. Mash together with a fork or potato masher until just slightly chunky. Set aside.
2. Add about 1 tablespoon olive oil to a pan over medium high heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook for several minutes, or until the onion begins to brown. Once slightly browned, add a splash of white wine to the pan and let it evaporate away. Once the wine has cooked away, place the onions in a small bowl and set aside.
3. To the same pan over medium heat, add a large handful of spinach. Cook until wilted. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. Wipe the mushroom clean with a paper towel. Remove the stem and brown scaly insides. Slice the mushroom into long strips. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the same pan over medium high heat. Add the mushroom strips and stir around to coat the mushrooms in oil. Let cook for several minutes, until the mushroom begins to get soft. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar to the pan, stir, and let cook several more minutes, until the vinegar has cooked away. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside.
5. To make the sandwich, butter one side of each piece of bread. Place one piece of bread in the same pan over medium heat. Top with the guacamole, tomato slices, one slice of cheese, onions, spinach, mushrooms and then another slice of cheese. Let cook until the bread is crispy and browned. Add the other piece of bread on top, buttered side up. Using a large spatula, quickly but carefully flip the sandwich. Let cook until the other slice of bread is crispy. Smash down a bit to combine everything together.
6. Slice and enjoy.

Whether one of the above recipes or a vegan variation of your own, comment your vegan grilled cheese experience below!

Until next time,

Leah Pinkus