Gooey Grilled Cheese made with plants!
Imagine a delicious, warm, crispy-on-the-outside gooey grilled cheese made from 100% whole plant foods. Packed with protein, fiber, vitamins and nutrients, this grilled cheese is a meal you can say yes to whenever the kids ask for it!
Where the cooking classes began
This grilled cheese started being tested a long time ago. Way back, about a decade ago, before I'd officially founded VegeCooking, I had an idea. To create Farm-to-Table cooking classes to show people how to incorporate fresh, seasonal veggies into their meals, support local farms and learn about a plant-based lifestyle. Well let me tell ya, the classes were a huge hit.
People braved the cold weather, rain and short days to connect and try some delicious food.
Let’s take a walk back in time and review some of the Farm-to-Table Cooking Classes….
This was from my very first class where I learned a hard lesson. Don’t try and make four recipes in the span of an hour and also deliver poignant curriculum and stories.
There was our famous kids class….where we actually saw children eating their vegetables.
Here was some of the prep work that went into the classes. Look at all this beautiful organic produce from KyV Farm! I sure do miss them now that they've moved back to Puerto Rico.
Sometimes I’m asked what the group’s favorite recipe so far has been. Hands down, I’d say it’s this plant-based grilled cheese sandwich made without any processed cheese – very much in line with a whole food, plant-based diet.
As the group was tasting they shouted out different uses:
nacho cheese
cheese sauce for vegan charcuterie board
creamy dressing
replacement for mayonnaise
on tacos
in crunch wraps
I had a few of my own ideas
Though we occasionally eat Daiya in our house (a brand of vegan cheese) in a pinch, I prefer to use unprocessed foods so this veggie grilled cheese was born. I’ve made this made this many, many times since the class and the whole family loves it. It’s creamy, flavorful perfection between two toasty slices of bread.
Have fun and get the kids involved with making this one!
Gooey Grilled Cheese made from plants!
Serves 6 (you may have some cheese left over)
Gooey Grilled Cheese
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Ingredients
1/3 cup peeled and diced onion
1 2/3 cups peeled and diced potatoes or orange sweet potatoes
1/4 cup diced fresh carrot
2/3 cup hot water from the boiling veggies
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup non-dairy milk or canned coconut milk
1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice (optional)
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 loaf gluten free bread such as DeLand Oatmeal Bread
Optional: Olive oil or vegan butter, such as Earth Balance (or dry-cook for oil-free version)
Directions
Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a stock pot; add potatoes, carrots and onions to the boiling water; cook about 10 minutes, or until fork tender.
Add 2/3 cup water from veggies into a blender; add sunflower seeds, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, lemon, salt, garlic powder and mustard; blend well; spoon tender veggies in and blend again.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat; brush oil over bread; place one slice, oil side down, on the pan; spoon veggie mixture onto bread and spread evenly; top with second side of bread and cook until golden brown on each side - one to three minutes.
NOTE: Reserve extra cheese sauce for nachos, crunch wraps, etc. Save the potato water as veggie broth for soup!
By Dawn Hutchins
Adapted from Vegan Yumminess
Nutrition Facts for Vegan Grilled Cheese only
(Add more cals for bread and oil)
6 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 116.1
Total Fat 5.5 g
Saturated Fat 0.6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3.6 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.0 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 442.4 mg
Potassium 181.9 mg
Total Carbohydrate 11.8 g
Dietary Fiber 3.3 g
Sugars 0.8 g
Protein 5.8 g
Vitamin A 100.2 %
Vitamin B-12 40.0 %
Vitamin B-6 149.3 %
Vitamin C 10.1 %
Vitamin D 1.0 %
Vitamin E 29.2 %
Calcium 3.5 %
Copper 12.0 %
Folate 7.7 %
Iron 5.5 %
Magnesium 4.6 %
Manganese 16.3 %
Niacin 74.8 %
Pantothenic Acid 39.0 %
Phosphorus 13.8 %
Riboflavin 163.8 %
Selenium 22.9 %
Thiamin 182.5 %
Zinc 10.5 %
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Would you like to feel lighter, have better digestion, and feel proud that you accomplished something great for your health?
Try our FREE course! It will teach you 3 simple ways to add more plant foods to your diet over 3 days.
What can you expect from this course?
By day 3 you'll have added over fifteen nutrient dense, fiber-filled plant foods to your diet.
Who is this for?
People new to plant-based diets, veg-curious, or anyone looking for a quick diet refresher.
“[If you're] thinking about doing the three day program I’d definitely say it’s worth it. It will open up your eyes and your mind to realize how it’s all a process, that can change you from the inside out!! 😍” – Lisa Farquhar, 3-Day Course Graduate
This course is the first step towards feeling better.
My name is Dawn Hutchins and I'm a plant-based lifestyle expert and whole foods chef. I have a certificate in plant-based nutrition through Cornell and the T. Colin Campbell foundation. Through this program I'll show you the steps I took to get started on my path to over ten years of improved energy, mood, and overall health; as well as successful, lasting weight loss.