Hello easiest sandwich of my life.  Let’s think about how often we eat a quick, last-minute, thrown together meal.  For us, it’s quite often.  I do plan meals but sometimes I forget an ingredient or don’t actually feel like cooking after a full day of work.  In this case, I turn to simplicity; to fresh, seasonal ingredients that I have sitting around; and also to cheese, of course. Which is how this Pumpkin Cheddar Grilled Cheese sandwich was born.

It was Saturday.  Paul was at a work function.  I had run errands and had a blog to-do list that was a mile long but I was also pretty hungry.  So I started thinking healthy and quick.  I had some fresh pumpkin puree in the fridge, I spotted my (all-time) favorite cheese (TJ’s Unexpected Cheddar) and this grilled cheese was born.

Not only is this grilled cheese quick, it’s also festive, colorful, mostly healthy and a truly filling sandwich.  The sage and garlic add a perfect savory layer to the sweetness of the pumpkin. It’s a perfect lunch or fast halloween night dinner!

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Pumpkin Cheddar Grilled Cheese Recipe

Yield: 2 sandwiches

Total Time: 10 minutes

Sharp white cheddar grilled cheese with a pumpkin twist. Sage, parmesan and a dash of nutmeg add to this autumn-inspired sandwich.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 Tbs. parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Dash of nugmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
Butter
4 slices sandwich bread
4-6 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, sliced (I used Unexpected Cheddar from Trader Joe's)

Directions:

Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. In a small bowl, mix the pumpkin, parmesan cheese, dried sage, garlic powder, nutmeg and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Butter one side of each piece of bread. Place one slice (butter side down) in the skillet, line the slice with cheese, top with about half of the pumpkin mixture, top with a little more cheese and top with another slice of bread (butter side up).

Repeat with the other two slices of bread. Cook both sandwiches for about 4 minutes on each side until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melty.

Cassie's Notes:
For a little different flavor, sub butternut squash puree for the pumpkin puree.

This would make a fine quesadilla as opposed to a grilled cheese sandwich; just sub in your favorite tortillas and shred the cheese instead of slicing it.