The quintessential dip to any bar, pub, tailgate or holiday party. All the favorite features…
Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese
The classic grilled cheese gets a grown up twist! Your favorite party dip is now melted between toasty bread!
s really hard to say no to grilled cheese. I admit I ONLY like grilled cheese when it’s far from the original. Knowing you can melt whatever type of cheese between buttered, toasted bread makes the mind wonder. Why would you want the classic American cheese and white sandwich bread when you can have so much more?
The craving for grilled cheese hits at some of the weirdest times too. When you need something insanely gooey, warm and decadent at the same time. The problem is it’s filled with butter, cheese, bread and lacks some nutritional value. I guess that’s also the point. Most of the time you feel good about pairing it with a vegetable soup and call it a day, but with this version you get another dose of veggies!
In addition to this nice little makeover, there are ways to make it light but also rich and filling. I used homemade spinach artichoke dip when making this recipe. It makes all the other cheese in the sandwich blend together. Swapping out thick, white breads with something thin and grainy is also a great way to make this leaner and still give it a great flavor.
I also used lighter cheeses such as shredded mozzarella and added fresh vegetables! It just works! And it pairs perfectly with my Roasted Vegetable Tomato Soup! So now you’re getting, fiber, vitamins, calcium and richer more vibrant meal.
Here are some other recipes to consider:
Pesto & Roasted Vegetable Tomato Soup
Sausage, Kale & Cauliflower Soup
Turkey Pepperoni Pizza Roll Ups
Feel free to get creative with your grilled cheese recipes. Think about adding buffalo chicken dip to it as well with melted cheddar slices. That’s what’s fun about food, you can pick lighter ingredients and marry them together is really odd ways…and I bet they work!
Other ways to enhance this combo would be to add grilled chicken or roasted turkey for some additional protein. Using a whole wheat, grainy, seedy bread is also a good way to add some fiber and flavor. No soup? No worries – dip in some marinara sauce and it’ll taste great! If you want to take this a whole new direction, add to a tortilla and make a cheesy quesadilla for dipping.
Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese
The classic grilled cheese gets a grown up twist! Your favorite party dip is now melted between toasty bread!
Ingredients
- 8 slices whole grain/wheat bread
- 2 small tomatoes sliced, divided
- 1 cup spinach artichoke dip (see dip recipe), divided
- 4-8 slices part skim, low moisture, mozzarella slices, divided
- 1 – 1 ½ cup(s) baby spinach divided
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder divided
- 1 teaspoon onion powder divided
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend divided
- ½ teaspoon salt divided
- teaspoon pepper divided
- non stick cooking spray/butter
Instructions
- Lay out all 8 slices of bread. Spray down one side of each of the slices of bread with non stick cooking spray or lightly spread with butter. In a small bowl, combine, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Evenly sprinkle the seasoning mix amongst the slices of bread on the sprayed/buttered side.
- Slice tomatoes and prepare all the ingredients so they are in close proximity to the stove top. Spray down a flat skillet or griddle with non stick cooking spray. Preheat the skillet for 1-2 minutes on medium-high heat. In 2-4 batches, lay one piece of bread, seasoned side down.
- After bread hits the skillet, for each piece add a slice of mozzarella, 1/4 cup of spinach dip, 3-5 tomatoes slices, 1 tablespoon of parmesan, 1/4 cup of spinach, and another slice of mozzarella. Top the sandwich with a piece of bread that has been buttered and seasoned. Place the non-seasoned side down on the sandwich so when the sandwich is flipped, the season side will be the one that hits the skillet.
- Allow the sandwich to cook on initial side for 2-3 minutes and then flip over for another 1-2 minutes until sandwich is golden brown.
- Remove and set aside. These can be warmed in the oven for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Ingredients & Technique:
Trying to lighten up a heavy, cheesy sandwich doesn’t always have to be a challenge. Using the homemade spinach-artichoke dip does help with making the inside of the sandwich creamy and melted. There is a lot more flavor in the dip that makes up for layering too much cheese.
Use the standard way of making a grilled cheese – flat pan and a nice sear on the bread. You want to make sure that the pan isn’t on the highest heat because this will quickly burn the bread and the cheese will not melt correctly. (And if you have a full blown flat top griddle, a dome method is GREAT!).
Use only cheeses that melt well. I didn’t spring for the lowest fat cheese because it melts differently. I used a part skim mozzarella. Layering it with the dip helps as well because they all become gooey together. Brie, goat cheese, Swiss and provolone would have worked too.
How long does it last and where?
Stored in the fridge, a sandwich can last for a day or two. The only thing to expect is losing the crispness of the bread over time. Before storing it away, make sure it is completely cooled. I would suggest making this to order if possible.
Can you freeze it?
Not recommended.
Substitutions?
You can always add more artichokes to the sandwich (which I wish I would have done in the beginning.) Choose a cheese that is great at melting and pick something that is lighter and neutral in flavor. If you can add a shredded cheese, this works well for making this specific sandwich.
What to serve with it?
Any Soup! Check out the recipe for Roasted Vegetable Tomato Soup!
Nutrition
Serving: 1sandwich | Sodium: 810mg | Sugar: 3g | Fiber: 6g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Calories: 273kcal | Saturated Fat: 5.8g | Fat: 14.3g | Protein: 16g | Carbohydrates: 23g
Servings: 4
Calories: 273kcal
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