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Cauliflower Jalapeno Grilled Cheese

in Other, Sandwiches

Happy October 1st (crazy, right?) and happy World Vegetarian Day! 🙂

I have to start this posting by giving myself a little pat on the back.  For the first time ever, this past weekend I did real “meal prep.”  I have been known to rice some cauliflower or cut up some fruit, but this Sunday I went all out and made soup, salad dressing, roasted veggies, a breakfast bake, and chopped up veggies and fruit.

meal prep 92913It is already majorly paying off.  My week nights are a lot less busy, which means more relaxation for me!  I’ll definitely be meal prepping again this coming weekend!

And after all of my meal prep was done and I looked in my fridge, I wondered if it was normal for one person to have such a FULL fridge?

refrigeratorBetter to be well-stocked than to not have enough, right?  Especially when it is good food!

And speaking of good food…

cauliflower grilled cheese 3Looks tasty, right?  That is probably because it is!

I love cauliflower roasted, and you most certainly know that I love it “riced.”  Well, it turns out that I also love it on grilled cheese sandwiches.  And vegan grilled cheese sandwiches, at that!

cauliflower grilled cheese 8Cauliflower Jalapeno Grilled “Cheese”

Ingredients

1/4 small head of cauliflower, sliced
EVOO cooking spray
black pepper
fine sea salt
garlic powder
onion powder
2 pieces whole wheat bread
coconut oil
2 pieces Daiya vegan cheddar “cheese”
yellow onion slices (mine were roasted)
jalapeno slices (optional if you don’t like the heat)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Spray a baking sheet with EVOO cooking spray.

2. Place sliced cauliflower onto the baking sheet, spray with EVOO cooking spray, and sprinkle with seasonings.  Roast for approximately 20 to 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.

cauliflower grilled cheeseTry to make sure that your cauliflower pieces are as flat as possible, like these, so that they fit on the sandwich well.

3. Spread one side of each piece of bread with coconut oil.

4. Heat a small pan over medium heat and spray with EVOO cooking spray.

5. Place one slice of bread (coconut oil side down) into the pan, followed by one slice of cheese, the roasted cauliflower, onion slices, jalapenos, the second slice of cheese, and the second piece of bread (coconut oil side up).

6. Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover the pan with a lid (so that the cheese melts more easily), and cook for approximately 5 minutes, or until golden brown.

7. Carefully flip the sandwich and repeat step 6.

cauliflower grilled cheese 68. Cut your sandwich on a diagonal and admire how amazingly delicious it looks.  Just don’t admire it for too long, because it will get cold! 😉  Instead, eat up!

cauliflower grilled cheese 7 yI served my grilled cheese with a side of roasted potatoes.  Carb city?  Yes.  But carbs are good!  Carbs = energy.  Don’t be afraid of the carbs!

cauliflower grilled cheese 5Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables to roast, so it comes as no surprise that I loved it on this sandwich.  The combination of the roasted cauli with the crispy bread, melty “cheese” (yes it tastes like cheese!), and the kick from the jalapenos was fantastic!  Seriously, you have to try this one out!  Oh, and dipping this in ketchup is totally acceptable, too!

cauliflower grilled cheese 4

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{ 71 comments… add one }
  • dixya| food, pleasure, and health October 1, 2013, 8:03 am
    so proud of you for all that meal prep. dont worry my fridge looks like that too and sometimes, things fall off. Absolutely loving the idea of this grilled cheese.
  • Angela @ Another Bite Please October 1, 2013, 8:21 am
    i love your meal prep...sometimes my fridge looks like that...especially when i come home from the farmers market...can't shove one more thing in there. love this version of a grilled cheese!
  • dailycupofkate October 1, 2013, 8:27 am
    Can I hire you to cook for me?!
  • katalysthealth October 1, 2013, 8:53 am
    Oh my lanta the organization of your fridge has me in tears. Wanna come get mine in tip top shape? lol This grilled cheese sounds freaking amazing by the way!
    • cleaneatingveggiegirl October 1, 2013, 1:11 pm
      My fridge is only that organized because it HAS to be or I'd never fit everything in there ;).
  • Kim @ Hungry Healthy Girl October 1, 2013, 8:57 am
    What a neat idea for a grilled cheese?!?!?! Definitely, better to be well stocked than not having enough food!
  • Lisa October 1, 2013, 9:11 am
    You always make such neat things! I love this idea. The cauliflower and cheese together would be amazing!
  • The Cookie ChRUNicles October 1, 2013, 9:20 am
    I love roasted cauliflower too - I like this sandwich idea as well! Btw, I didn't make the tempeh nuggets yet but it is on my list - question though, if I were to use the same breading technique to make chicken for my son, do you recommend the same method? I never thought to dip in soy sauce first but I think it may be a great flavor idea for the chicken nuggets.
    • cleaneatingveggiegirl October 1, 2013, 1:12 pm
      Honestly, I am not sure since I don't eat chicken. All I know is that the tempeh and tofu absorb the flavors of the soy sauce really well. I am assuming that the chicken would as well? so I'd say go for it!
  • shashi @ http://runninsrilankan.com October 1, 2013, 9:23 am
    Yes - its most definitely better to be well stocked than run out! Great looking meal prep! and great looking grilled cheese! What an awesome idea to add caulifower to it and combine that with jalepeno! Thanks for sharing!
  • blonde hair blue eyed runner October 1, 2013, 9:23 am
    I love having an organized fridge full of good eats. Meal prep is the way to go!
  • Kelly @ hidden fruits and veggies October 1, 2013, 9:54 am
    I had a cauliflower sandwich for the first time at a restaurant a few weeks ago -- who knew that could be so delicious, right? And congrats on being motivated enough to do your prep in advance. I think I've done that like once or twice ever but lose the motivation when I want to be extra lazy on Sunday :)
  • Her Happy Balance October 1, 2013, 9:56 am
    I roasted cauliflower for the first time ever this past weekend and it was a real success. I did it with a little curry seasoning and it was quite tasty. I love your creativity with sneaking veggies in wherever possible :)
  • running4cupcakes October 1, 2013, 10:10 am
    Love your well stocked fridge - can you come over this weekend and do that for my fridge?? ;)
  • Alex @ therunwithin October 1, 2013, 11:16 am
    you seriously have the best flavor combos.
  • Alex @ Cookie Dough Katzen October 1, 2013, 12:33 pm
    That sandwich looks delicious! I still need to try vegan cheese. Happy veggie day!
  • Deborah D. @ Its All About Me Fitness October 1, 2013, 12:42 pm
    Cheese n Cauliflower are one of my favorite combos! Genius putting it between two slices of bread!
  • Alexis October 1, 2013, 12:54 pm
    My fridge always looks SO full, too. This grilled cheese looks diviiiiine!
  • Dana @ Conscious Kitchen Blog October 1, 2013, 1:44 pm
    Woohoo! Awesome meal prep. I prepped a little last night, chopped veggies and made a batch of oatmeal. I'd love to really spend some time on a Sunday and do even more... although I probably need to stock up on some more tupperware containers first. This sandwich sounds tasty! How can you go wrong with grilled cheese?
  • Alisha's Appetite October 1, 2013, 2:25 pm
    High five for meal prepping girl! Whenever I do it it saves me sooo much time during the week. ANd then I always wonder why I never do it? And you know I love any and everything with jalapeno ;)
  • Eating 4 Balance October 1, 2013, 2:52 pm
    That looks ridiculously cheesy. Also, I think you need to rename your blog... something to do with cauliflower? I would offer suggestions but I think "Cauliflower Girl" and "Cauli-Me Veggies" or "Cauli-Back Girl" also sound so lame. Oh boy, I'm a goober ;)
  • Amanda October 1, 2013, 4:50 pm
    This sounds super yummy! What are the "cheese" slices made of? I agree with the Sunday meal prep - it's a lifesaver :)
    • cleaneatingveggiegirl October 1, 2013, 7:43 pm
      Here you go!: http://us.daiyafoods.com/products/dairy-free-cheese-slices/cheddar-style-slices
  • Marie @ Little Kitchie October 1, 2013, 5:26 pm
    Looks SO good!
  • Katherine October 1, 2013, 5:47 pm
    Your breakfast bake looks delicious! I love baked oatmeal for breakfast, so I"m a sucker for any type of breakfast bake. I also LOVE grilled cheeses. There's something so homey and comforting about them.
  • Jan @ Sprouts n Squats October 1, 2013, 6:02 pm
    Love this idea it looks amazing!!! Your fridge is packed full and looks as full as my freezer did after I did food prep and a huge cook up too :)
  • Emily @SinfulNutrition October 1, 2013, 6:37 pm
    What an interesting combo! I never would have thought of that, but now i must try it. Also, I didn't know it was national vegetarian day. What a poor vegetarian I am, haha. At least I ate a lot of veggies and tofu to make up for it!
  • Oh My Veggies (@ohmyveggies) October 1, 2013, 7:06 pm
    Whooooooa. It's like everything delicious in one little sandwich. I am SO hungry now!
  • Erin October 1, 2013, 8:57 pm
    Yay for meal prep! It makes thinks so much easier!
  • Nicole @ FruitnFitness October 1, 2013, 9:15 pm
    I love your fridge and the sound of this grilled cheese! I usually think I have way too much food in my fridge compared to a lot of my friends but I eat almost every meal at home and fresh vegetables talke up a lot of room! Great job on the food prep!
    • cleaneatingveggiegirl October 2, 2013, 10:44 am
      The more stocked the fridge, the better...because it usually means you have lots of fresh produce in there! :)
  • Jessie October 1, 2013, 10:33 pm
    Nothing beats a stocked fridge. I don't know about you, but it always makes me feel 10 times healthier when I see lots of fruits & vegetables.
  • Tiff October 2, 2013, 6:34 am
    Yes please to grilled cheeeeeese!
  • carlyjg October 2, 2013, 11:09 am
    That cauliflower totally looks like fish or chicken! I never would have thought to put it on a grilled cheese, which just so happens to be my favorite food ever.
  • Ashley October 2, 2013, 12:06 pm
    ha! That's exactly what my fridge looks like after I go food shopping! I'm glad I'm not the only one : ) This grilled cheese sounds amazing - I love that there is cauliflower in it!
  • Kalyan October 3, 2013, 12:01 am
    looks delicious....just mouthwatering!
  • Danica October 3, 2013, 7:01 am
    I've never thought to put roasted cauliflower in a grilled sandwich before...great idea!
  • arlene villalobos October 9, 2013, 11:43 pm
    Ahh I need to try this!!! looks soo yummy!!!!
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