Veggie Gouda Melts
You cannot pass up these amazing vegetarian melts. Using the fresh veggies of your choice these melts cant help but make your mouth water. My college friends can never get enough of these and when I go home my family has me cook them as snacks.
You cannot pass up these amazing vegetarian melts. Using the fresh veggies of your choice these melts cant help but make your mouth water. My college friends can never get enough of these and when I go home my family has me cook them as snacks.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 head broccoli cut into small florets, stalks will not be used
- sea salt to season
- ground black pepper to season
- 4 portobello mushrooms stems removed, sliced 1/2 inch thick
- 2 bell peppers ribbed and seeded, sliced 1/2 inch thick, use your favorite colo
- 0.25 cup light mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 4 slices sourdough bread
- 4 oz gouda cheese thinly sliced
- Carbohydrate 34.7305925 g
- Cholesterol 32.319 mg
- Fat 17.164505 g
- Fiber 6.91682490944862 g
- Protein 17.4318475 g
- Saturated Fat 6.361767 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (370g)
- Sodium 612.747 mg
- Sugar 27.8137675905514 g
- Trans Fat 1.289594 g
- Calories 345 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat Broiler. On a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, toss broccoli with oil. Season the brocolli with sea salt and ground pepper. Broil, tossing every 2 min, for 4 to 6 min; broccoli should just begin to char.
- Add the mushrooms and bell peppers and season with more sea salt and ground pepper. Toss to combine the veggies. Broil, tossing one or two times, for 8-10 min.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and garlic then season with sea salt and ground pepper. On a work surface lay out the bread slices and spread the mayonnaise mixture onto each slice. Now take the broiled veggies and top each slice. Next take the Gouda and top each piece.
- Place the slices on a baking sheet and broil until the cheese melts and starts to lightly brown, about 2-4 min.
- Serve warm.
Unlike a traditional grilled cheese sandwich cooked slowly in a skillet over moderate heat, these open-faced vegetable melts rely entirely on the intense, direct radiant heat of an oven broiler to cook both the produce and melt the dairy. The most common mistake home cooks make with broiled sandwiches is overcrowding the baking sheet, which traps moisture and causes the broccoli and bell peppers to steam rather than develop the essential charred edges that provide deep flavor. Cutting the broccoli florets into uniform, small pieces and slicing the portobello mushrooms and bell peppers to a consistent half-inch thickness ensures that everything cooks at an identical rate during the initial four to six minute broccoli head start and subsequent eight to ten minute vegetable roast. Tossing the vegetables every two minutes under the broiler is mandatory to prevent burning. Gouda cheese contains a high moisture and fat content that melts exceptionally well, but its rapid melting point means the final two to four minute cheese-melting phase under the broiler requires constant visual monitoring. Use a heavy-duty aluminum foil lining on your baking sheet to catch any dripping mayonnaise-garlic spread or escaping cheese, which prevents stubborn cleanup issues. Sourdough bread provides a sturdy, tangy structural base with an open crumb structure that supports the heavy load of roasted vegetables without becoming soggy under the light mayonnaise spread. Gouda pairs well with garlic, but raw minced garlic can taste harsh when subjected to direct broiler heat, so mixing it thoroughly into the mayonnaise protects it from scorching while infusing the fat. Slice the Gouda thinly to encourage rapid melting before the edges of the sourdough burn. Serve these sandwiches immediately while the cheese is bubbling and the bread crust remains crisp.
