Shredded Zucchini Is Your Answer For A Delicious Gluten-Free Grilled Cheese
For those who are following a gluten-free diet, it can be frustrating to have traditional bread products completely off the menu, as certain cravings hard to pass up. For many people, grilled cheese sandwiches are one of those craveable foods. Once it's on your mind, it can be hard to stop thinking about that gooey melted cheese and delicious toasted bread until you've got a grilled cheese in hand.
As it turns out, there's actually a great way to recreate that delicious toasty bread and grill up a cheesy sandwich that will satisfy any gluten-free hankering. All you'll need is some shredded zucchini and a couple of ingredients almost every kitchen already has, and you'll be well on your way to enjoying the sandwich you've been dreaming of. Not only is this trick completely gluten-free, but it's a great way to pack some more veggies into your daily diet as well.
Transform zucchini shreds into sliced bread
If you've already groaned at the thought of baking a whole loaf of gluten-free zucchini bread, don't worry — there's no need for all of that with this hassle-free method. Individual slices can be fried up in a pan, and you don't even have to turn on the oven. Aside from the shredded and drained zucchini, you'll need an egg, parmesan cheese, seasoning, cooking oil, and either a little bit of cornstarch, almond flour, or other gluten-free flour of your preference to hold it all together. You'll also need whatever gooey melting cheese you'll want to grill up for the inside of the sandwich.
To make the gluten-free zucchini bread, heat the oil in a pan and mix the remaining ingredients together in a mixing bowl (except for the melting cheese, of course). Drop a dollop of the zucchini blend onto the pan, forming a patty in the shape of sliced bread. Let it cook on both sides for a few minutes, remove, and repeat until all of the zucchini mixture has been used up. Then, use the zucchini squares to make grilled cheese in the same way as you would with regular bread, melting cheese between two slices. If you prefer to use the oven, you can bake the zucchini mixture after molding it into bread-shaped patties at 450 degrees Fahrenheit. You'll want to flip the slices after 15 minutes in the oven and bake for an extra five minutes until they're done, and then melt the cheese onto the slices, using either the broiler or the stovetop.
Filling options for a zucchini grilled cheese sandwich
Perhaps the most difficult part of this process is deciding what kind of cheese to use between the slices of shredded zucchini. Classic cheddar and mozzarella are both great options, but so are gouda, havarti, provolone, Swiss, brie, fontina, and many more. Whatever your favorite cheese is for a classic grilled cheese sandwich will work just as well here. Don't be afraid to mix and match cheeses either — a combination of different cheeses will truly elevate this gluten-free grilled sandwich in the same way that it does with regular bread. And don't forget to add a layer of cream cheese! The delicious spread melts beautifully and blends well with most other cheeses.
It's also worth considering extra ingredients, such as pickles, pesto, tomatoes, bacon, fried potatoes, or even caramelized mushrooms to complement the cheeses that you choose. The mild and sweet flavor of cooked zucchini blends seamlessly with a variety of ingredients and flavors, so as long as those additional elements complement the cheese in question, they'll be sure to improve the texture and flavor of the sandwich overall.