This is my new go to grilled cheese. It’s filled with crispy chilli laced broccoli, aged cheddar and lemony celery for crunch and it’s such a delight. I’m a big fan of cooking grilled cheese in a pan but you could make this into a Jaffle too.
If you’re not from Australia you’re probably wondering what on earth a Jaffle is? It’s a toasted sandwich maker that leaves you with two crispy puffed up triangles of toasty filled with stuff. It’s a great time.
This toasted sandwich is perfect by itself but would also be excellent dipped into a delicious winter soup like this parsnip, Parmesan and thyme number or this hearty tomato based vegetable soup.
The key is making sure the broccoli is soft enough to squish in the sandwich while crispy enough to be delicious. Therefore roughly chopping it into smaller bits and tossing in olive oil is key. You could totally change up the flavours by adding fennel seeds or dried herbs to the roasting tray instead of chilli.
Make sure you use a flavoursome aged cheddar as that way you don’t need as much cheese and you can keep things a little lighter.
Makes 4 sandwiches
Ingredients
1 small head of broccoli
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp extra Virgin olive oil
1 stick if celery finely sliced
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley
1/4 cup finely sliced spring onion
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
200g cheddar cheese, sliced 2mm thick
8 slices sourdough or bread of choice
4 Tbs freshly grated Parmesan
salt and pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil for grilling
Directions
Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius and line a baking tray.
Roughly chop the broccoli reserving most of the stalk for stock (I keep a bag in the freezer full of random vegetable off cuts). Place in a bowl with the chilli and olive oil and toss to combine. Spread on your lined tray in an even layer. Season with salt. Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the celery in a medium non reactive bowl and season, add lemon juice and toss to combine. Set aside.
Once the broccoli is crispy, pour into the bowl with the celery and add the spring onion and parsley, toss to combine. DOn’t turn the oven off just yet.
Lay out 4 slices of bread and cover in cheese slices, top with broccoli mix then sprinkle over Parmesan. Top with remaining bread slices.
Heat a large non stick pan, heavy based is best for even cooking. Add a little olive oil and then place as many sandwiches as will comfortably fit, cook in batches if necessary. Place another heavy pan on top to press the sandwiches down. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for 3 minutes or until golden. Carefully use a spatula or fish slice to remove from the pan, flip and slide back in, I find using your hands to help you with this is key. You may want to add extra olive oil if your pan is completely dry. Cook for a further 3 minutes with another heavy based pan on top. If the cheese hasn’t melted, or you’re cooking in batches transfer to your still hot oven and turn off the oven at this point. Leave them for a few minutes or until the cheese is all metly.
Serve sprinkled with lemon zest and salt.
