Pear, Mushroom, and Grilled Cheese Recipe
Elevate Your Lunchtime with an Earthy, Sweet, and Perfectly Melty Twist on a Classic Comfort Food - The Grilled Cheese
Creative Cooking for the Health-Conscious Gourmet
By Mary B Grosvenor, MS, RD and
A twist on grilled cheese to add some crunch to your lunch. The earthiness of the mushrooms paired with the pleasant crispness of the pear creates a delicious balance of savory and sweet. Grilled until the bread is golden, this sandwich makes an easy, satisfying, and nutritious meal.
Ingredients
1/2 cup raw cremini mushrooms
3 tsp plant-based butter
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp dried basil
2 slices sourdough bread
2 oz sliced sharp cheddar cheese
½ Fresh Bosc pear, sliced
Instructions
Clean mushrooms with a damp cloth and slice.
Add 1 tsp “butter” to a small fry pan and heat to medium.
Add mushrooms to pan and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the moisture evaporates. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and basil and turn off heat.
Preheat panini grill.
Assemble the sandwich by layering cheese, mushrooms, and pear on one slice of bread.
Butter remaining slice of bread and place on top.
Place buttered side on the grill and butter the top slice.
Close panini grill and cook for 2 minutes
Carefully rotate the sandwich on the grill to enhance the grill marks and cook for another 2 minutes.
Remove from grill and serve.
Notes:
The nutrition information was calculated using plant-based butter. Butter can be substituted but will add about 6g of saturated fat.
Don’t have a panini grill? You can use a fry pan. To ensure the bread toasts thoroughly and the cheese melts evenly, place a heavy pan on top of the sandwich while cooking and flip the sandwich halfway through the cooking time.
Makes one Serving
Nutrition Information per serving
Calories 540, Total Fat 25g, Saturated fat 14g, Cholesterol 58mg, Carbohydrate 44g, Dietary fiber 6g, Protein 19g, Sodium 700mg, Potassium 430mg
Editor’s Note: This recipe is appropriate for a low carb, high protein lactovegetarian meal and an excellent source of fiber.