Yes, I know I have said I am looking at food differently right now. I am. I am also still that person who loves food. Indulgent food, flavorful food, comfort food. So while much of the time my focus might be on my current classroom learning about food as a healing thing, there is still the other aspect of me as the quintessential entertainer, the person that feeds people and just… loves food.
A while back in conversation, reader and fellow blogger Elle mentioned a pumpkin grilled cheese – and you bet I perked up at the sound of that. I prodded for more information – she sent along her recipe – and I have not been able to get it out of my mind since.
You know I always have pumpkin on hand. Jason goes to play music with the guys one night a week, and that is often when I make things he doesn’t enjoy, like anything squash.
Last week I made a half batch of roasted butternut crispy sage lasagna and had just enough butternut left over to make a sandwich. Just one sandwich.
One glorious sandwich.
basil butternut grilled cheese
inspired by savory pumpkin grilled cheese
dairy, egg, soy, and gluten free, vegan
makes one sandwich
1/3 cup roasted butternut squash, pureed
handful fresh basil leaves, chopped
salt and pepper
2 ounces dairy free cheese
2 slices gluten free bread (New Cascadia seeded)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
In small pan over medium heat, combine pureed butternut, basil, cheese, salt and pepper. Stir together as cheese melts, remove from heat before completely melted. Spoon butternut cheese mixture onto one slice of bread, top with the other. Wipe pan clean and return to medium heat, add tablespoon coconut oil. Place sandwich in pan and cook on each side until just golden brown and crispy (toasting prior helps crisp bread as well).
Jason plays music this Saturday… guess what’s for dinner?
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
Yum! Funny, I have been craving some grilled cheese lately. I saw the new feature sandwich at Panera and its grown up grilled cheese, ever since I have been thinking I need it!
I would take this grilled cheese any day over that one though
Happy Thursday! Sending love to you, the family, and dad!
ooooh, what is on the Panera sandwich!!? I may have to check it out… I’ve never met a grilled cheese I did not like…
happy Thursday to you, dear! having breakfast with Dad this morning, I will give tell him hello! XO
Ohhhh! I am going crazy with butternut right now. totally adding this to my list! I made an egg sandwich with pumpkin and jam a while ago… it was the jam. Bet it would be yummy with butternut!
YES… I was torn between adding basil and… something sweet like apricot. yes? no? yes???
Ok really? Every single morning I come to this sort of thing???
Love it actually. It makes me smile, your creativity and dedication to amazing recipes. Now I think i need this for lunch but I don’t have any squashes. Canned pumpkin might ooze out….hmmmmmmmm
then you know what you HAVE to do… use a fork.
thanks, Heather – your comments like this always make me giddy, I’m sitting here at 5:am and my feet are happy-wiggling and the dachshunds are giving me the side eye because of it… xo
Butternut trumps pumpkin any day of the week. And grilled cheese tops any other sandwich any day of the week. Especially days when squash-haters are out of the house.
at least I can roast butternut when Jason is around… unlike broccoli
ok, um holy shiz….this looks frigin ridiculous….I may have had a foogasm just looking at the picture. Um, speechless.
hee hee – it IS good
already pinned this! as soon as add other foods in our diet, we are making this! we have done squash with chocolate socca before, love how winter squashes go with everything
ooh, with chocolate socca, yum!
Love the flavors in this grilled cheese!
thanks, Laura – I love this one, I roasted another butternut just to make more!
I like your stuff normally, but I got to say, I am not exactly on board with this recipe. Even the presentation is rather dull.
What kind of vegan cheese do you use that gets so beautifully melty? Trying to go 100% vegan, but am having a bit of trouble giving up the cheese. Btw – this sandwich looks scrumptious!
hi Anne! first, you are not alone with the cheese, it seems to be one of the foods people have the most difficult time giving up. there really isn’t a cheese substitute that TRULY tastes like cheese, but I have found one I love: it is flavorful, and melts in the most amazing way – the flavor I used here is the jalapeno havarti, but it comes in cheddar and a jack as well. it’s the Daiya brand, but it is the blocks, not the shredded – see more here: Daiya wedge cheese enjoy!
Thank you for the tip about the Daiya wedge cheese! I will be trying it out.
enjoy!
now that is another delicious use of the remaining butternut!
right? when you just have a small amount left, and you think… WHAT can I add this to? sandwich! and next time I won’t puree it, and I’ll make YOUR butternut/caramelized onion one… that looked SO good!
Oh my – this is definitely my kind of grilled cheese!
it’s different, but SO GOOD!
Yum yum yum in my tum.
I made pumpkin pizza once. Best idea ever.
In fact, I should probably make that again.
ooh YES you need to make pumpkin pizza again (MMAZ yeast week??)
Hi Kristina, I am collecting pumpkin recipes at the moment. Please do drop me a line on ca4ole@gmail.com if you are ok with me linking to your post in my blog (Carole’s Chatter). Cheers
hello, Carole – sorry I am just seeing this for the first time – please feel free to link back if you would like. cheers!