With obesity on the rise, you may ask, how can the words cheese and health be squeezed together? After all, grilled cheese sandwiches have traditionally featured all the essential elements that work to get you, well, fatter. All the same, with the National Grilled Cheese Month stretching ahead, you just cannot afford to give the tasty grilled recipes a miss. The question is: how? Well, there is actually no harm gobbling down grilled cheese sandwiches provided that you have had them prepared in the right (read: healthy) way. There are a few important considerations that need to be kept in mind while preparing healthy bread and cheese delicacies. Your choice of bread comes first, followed by the cheese selection. With these considerations in mind, consider half the battle won. Time now for a quick look at the eleven most sexy and healthy grilled cheese sandwiches to celebrate National Grilled Cheese Month with.
Green goddess grilled cheese panini
With fresh bright green herbs and the bold flavors of anchovies, the green goddess grilled cheese panini is an absolute show stealer. The best part about the dressing is that it helps you control fat and calories. For optimum results, it is always advisable to use the green goddess in conjugation with mayonnaise and yoghurt.Maintain a balanced diet with gluten free foods, organic dried fruits and nutritious grocery products.The cheese for the green goddess sandwich is to be chosen keeping in mind both their melting qualities and flavors. You need to brush the outside with olive oil before putting it up for the grill.
Southwestern cheese panini
What mesmerizes us about the southwestern cheese panini most is its appearance. This might as well be the most spectacular grilled cheesed sandwich you have ever seen. In preparing the cheese panini, what you need in the first place are eight slices of whole wheat bread. So, here comes the first health factor of the southwestern panini. A diet rich in whole grains helps to steer you around heart diseases, metabolic syndromes or in certain instances, gum disease even. Prepared salsa, shredded carrots, shredded zucchini and finely chopped red onion figure next in the list of ingredients for the southwestern cheese panini. The total calorie count comes around to 300. With zero sugar, the southwestern panini is, therefore, the right grilled sandwich for all you health conscious souls out there.
New American grilled cheese sandwich
If you are tired of packing tuna sandwiches for lunch, then here is an interesting culinary delight that promises to satisfy all your stomach and dietary requirements. You need a total of forty minutes to prepare the New American cheese sandwich, say experts. The recipe is ideal for people who suffer from dental ailments. Monterey cheese, which figures prime in the list of ingredients, is known to reduce risks from dental caries. Sourdough bread, another essential ingredient, moreover, includes beneficial bacteria to keep your intestinal flora balanced.
Multigrain grilled cheese sandwich
Multi-grain grilled cheese sandwich is the mastermind of Chef Seamus Mullen. An old Spanish favorite was given a gooey feel using manchego, mahon and idiazabal cheeses. Adding to the already enriched flavor are roasted tomatoes. However, you can always opt for the easier version by choosing more accessible cheeses. So what does the tomato sandwich bring to the table in so far as health and fitness is concerned? In the first place, tomatoes are a rich source of lycopene, a powerful anti-oxidant. Studies reveal that lycopene can have a crucial role in lowering the incidence of cancers and heart diseases. Cooking tomatoes enhances lycopene’s availability, so our bodies can use it frequently. Multi grain bread, on the other hand, is produced by incorporating a plethora of grains like barley, oats, millet, buckwheat and flax. So what you get in return is an all encompassing solution to a heart healthy lifestyle.
Caramelized apple special grilled cheese sandwich
The name might trick into believing that the caramelized apple sandwich is meant for the kid’s lunchboxes. However, there is no reason you won’t be able to enjoy the sweet and savory combination. After all, you just cannot go wrong with the tasty apples covered in melted gooey cheese. The warm apples coated in caramel, with a hint of cinnamon are an absolute treat, not only for the eyes but for your stomach and health as well. In the first place, if you are looking for a smart and healthy alternative to sugar and fatty desserts, then cooked apples make a great option. They contribute to fiber intake, are excellent sources of vitamin C, and contain flavonoids in generous amounts. But the one question that pops in your mind at this point is how can caramelized apples be healthy? Aren’t caramels supposed to be responsible for tooth decay? Well, the scientific community thinks otherwise. Research shows that caramels, which are low in fat and contain no cholesterol, have no side effects whatsoever if you brush your teeth properly after eating.
Buffalo chicken special grilled cheese sandwich
The buffalo chicken special grilled cheese sandwich is made using carrots, red onion, celery and mayo. Now that you know the essential ingredients, figuring out why we decided to include the recipe in our list of healthiest grilled cheese sandwiches won’t be difficult. That carrot provides your body with plenty of nutrition is an old story. They also are known to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, nourish the skin, prevent aging and tooth decay. Red onion, on the other hand, keeps blood sugar levels under check, promote gastrointestinal and cardiovascular health. Celery keeps you away from constipation, manages cholesterol effectively and combats cancer. You can, therefore, eat the delicious filling encased in gooey, melting cheese without feeling overtly guilty about doing so!
Spinach and pesto special grilled cheese sandwich
The flavorful pesto, when combined with grilled sandwich makes for an amazing delicacy. The graviera is a Greek cheese which works to augment the overall feel. When mixed to perfection, the ingredients described above give you a delicious spinach pesto smothered in gooey melted cheese. For those who did not know, pesto, the Italian sauce comprising of olive oil, pine nuts and parmesan, is rich in minerals, vitamins A and C, phytochemicals and oils. Graveira, on the other hand, is low in salt content, and has a pleasant aroma.
The $15 grilled cheese sandwich
Created by Chef Randy Feltis, the $15 grilled cheese represents a delicacy where exotic cheeses have been stacked to perfection between thickly cut bread. A fine blend of havarti cheeses, Italian asiago, aged brie, garlic and parsley makes it an essential recipe in our list. Research shows
that using asiago, the Italian cheese, as part of your daily diet is a nutritious and healthy thing to do. In the first place, the cheese, produced from low skimmed milk, is rich in protein and low in fat. Additionally, it also provides a good source of minerals and vitamins. Havarti cheese helps to manage muscle mass and provides the body with energy.
Honey basil grilled cheese sandwich
This tasty sandwich is an ode to the National cheese month. The stack of melted goodness is crafted using fontina, mozzarella, honey, tomatoes and fresh basil. So, what you get to enjoy in return are mozarella’s phosphorus and calcium contents (in generous amounts mind it!), Fontina’s health benefits for bones and teeth, honey’s anti bacterial properties (among several others!), tomato’s preventive effects against cardiovascular diseases and Basil’s iron and vitamin enhancing capabilities. Need another reason to taste the hone basil grilled cheese a try? We thought not!
Grilled caprese sandwich
The grilled caprese is an Insalata Caprese inspired, salad-turned sandwich. The dish essentially consists of ripe tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil from South-Western Italy. Let us now see what the grilled caprese brings to your platter, in terms of health benefits. To begin with, mozzarella shields your body against metabolic syndromes, gouts, migraines, colon cancer and osteoporosis. Tomatoes, we know, are one of the healthiest fruits and vegetables around. Fresh basil prevents acne outbursts, enhances the immune system, and serves as powerful anti-depressants. Needless to point out, when the nutritional benefits described above come packed together in the form of sandwich, what you get in return is a mouthwatering delicacy with a dash of health added.
Gruyere-caramelized onions grilled cheese sandwich
This delicacy features as one of the prime recipes in Tom Colicchio’s Witchcraft. The French onion soup inspired sandwich is a fine blend of gruyere cheese and roasted onions on rye bread. Gruyere, a member of the Swiss cheese family, is a creamy, pale cheese with small holes and a granular texture. It provides an amazing source of both calcium and protein. However, those on a low fat diet should consider avoiding gruyere since it contains oodles of fat. Rye, on the other hand, is known to contain several nutrients that help protect your body against diabetes or cardiovascular diseases. It has also been found to improve body fat distribution and digestion.