Recipe: Best Vegan Grilled Cheese Sandwich
I can’t believe I’m writing a grilled cheese recipe, but the vegan world needs this.
Grilled cheese, but make it vegan!
Just three simple ingredients and about 10 minutes, and you have yourself a delicious crisp-on-the-outside-gooey-on-the-inside sandwich.
When my husband and I were first dating, our favourite late night snack was grilled cheese. We carried the tradition to lazy Friday dinners of grilled cheese and soup (the soup made us feel like we were eating a more balanced meal, since we’re responsible adults and all). When two years ago I cut cheese out of my diet, our grilled cheeseroos went out the window. It was devastating.
After some trial and error (because if we’re being honest, most vegan cheeses are gross), I’ve finally managed to narrow down the perfect trio to mimic my old fave!
1. BREAD:
This one is easy. Every sandwich bread I have encountered is dairy and egg-free, so you can probably just grab your old favourite. (Bakery sandwich rolls, however, usually contain egg.)
2. BUTTER:
This one is pretty easy too. I’ve been a margarine person my whole adult life (because it’s spreadable and who has time for anything that’s not spreadable), and Becel has a vegan version that is indistinguishable. I have a friend who is a lover of butter, and she agrees that this is the best replacement. Some people swear by Earth Balance, but I personally don’t love the flavour. Becel all the way!
3. CHEESE:
This is the hard part, but luckily I’ve got two options for you! Go for either Field Roast CHAO Creamy Original slices, or Gusta ORIGINAL or AMERICANO vegan grating block. If you try the Gusta, just be sure to cut even slices that aren’t too thick.
THE KEY IS PATIENCE. Since vegan cheeses do not melt as quickly as regular cheese, you really have to cook these on MEDIUM heat. The weird thing about vegan cheeses (that I have yet to wrap my head around) is that they are fairly gross when cold, but once they’ve melted they transform into a delectable replacement. Go on and try it!
Disclaimer: No, it’s not “the same”, but it’s a great alternative for people like me trying to reduce their dairy consumption!