If you're a huge fan of comfort food, then you've come to the right place. Grilled cheese sandwiches are the universal language of love and friendship, am I right? I still remember the days when I didn't care how much processed carbohydrates I would consume in a snack and I would make triple decker grilled cheeses--twice. It's amazing how different one's metabolism is in your early 20s compared to your late 30s. *groan*
Anyway, I digress.
Because I don't believe in depriving one's self from indulging even when trying to stick to a nutritious and smart diet, here's my offering of a low-carb and keto-friendly version of the humble yet famous Grilled Cheese sandwich.
My son thinks this tastes like an extra-cheesy cheese pizza. My mister loves this so much that he says he'll never go back to regular grilled cheese sandwiches--so I've been making this quite often in our home. Even my friend who isn't a fan of zucchini gave it a try and loved it. It's also a delicious and sneaky way to get your kids to eat veggies. ;)
INGREDIENTS: (makes 2 sandwiches)
4 c shredded zucchini
4 tbs grated Parmesan
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of ground black pepper
1 tbs butter, room temp
1/3 c grated cheddar cheese, room temp
1 egg
1/2 c shredded mozzarella
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 450 F. Make sure rack is in the middle.
Line baking sheet with a greased parchment paper (or use a silicone baking mat if have one).
Place shredded zukes in a microwave-safe dish and nuke it for 6 minutes. Transfer to a dishcloth (be careful when handling--it's going to be scalding) and wring out as much moisture as possible because we need this zucchini batch to be dry.
In a bowl, mix the zucchini with the egg (make sure the zucchini has been cooled down or you might cook the egg slightly), mozzarella, parmesan, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix well and then spread mixture onto baking sheet. Shape it into four squares in order to make 2 sandwiches.
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden. You're going to love the way this makes your kitchen smell while it's baking! When done, remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes before peeling it off the baking sheet.
When cool enough to handle by hand, assemble the sandwich. Butter one side and place it buttered-side down on a pan over medium heat. Sprinkle with cheese and top with the other slice--buttered side up. I like to add some fresh chopped basil leaves to give it more flavour. Cook and flip and cook until your preferred doneness. Usually I'll cook it until the cheese starts to ooze a little bit on the sides.
Bonus: You can also add pepperoni or bacon slices in the sandwich if you want to REALLY indulge. So good. You can't go wrong.
155 calories
10g Protein
5g Carbohydrates
10g Fat