Grilled Cheese with Spinach & Tomato

This Grilled Cheese with Spinach & Tomato is the perfect solution for nights you don’t feel like cooking a large meal. Protein-rich mozzarella cheese provides the proper stringy, cheesy bite. Garlicky spinach, juicy tomato and a drizzle of balsamic glaze merge with the mozz to bring a caprese-like feel to this handheld meal. A dash of crushed red pepper brings just the right amount of heat, while crusty whole-wheat bread holds everything together and gains just the right amount of crispness. Keep reading for our expert tips, including how to ensure your cheese melts right on time.

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! 

• We enjoy the flavor of beefsteak tomatoes in the summer, but you can also use heirloom, Roma or vine-ripened tomatoes if you prefer.
• This recipe includes only ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper, but you can adjust the heat level according to your taste. Feel free to increase or decrease the amount as you like. If you’re not a fan of spicy food, you can simply omit it.
• You don’t have to use crusty bread; sliced whole-wheat sandwich bread works perfectly fine.
• Browning the sandwiches in a covered skillet guarantees that the cheese will melt properly by the time the bread is toasted.

Nutrition Notes

• Mozzarella cheese brings its protein and calcium to this sandwich. It’s a lower-sodium, lower-saturated-fat cheese, perfect if you’re watching your intake of either. You’ll even get some gut-loving probiotics in mozzarella cheese. 
• Whole-wheat bread is rich in fiber, which provides food for the beneficial bacteria in the cheese. The fiber will also help fill you up and get things moving through your gut—perfect if you’re trying to prevent constipation.
• Spinach is a leafy green packed with antioxidants that help lower inflammation and may reduce your risk of cancer. Spinach is great for eye health, and its nitrates may help reduce blood pressure. 
• Tomatoes add vitamin C to this sandwich, which will help your body better absorb the iron in the spinach. Tomatoes are also rich in antioxidants, like lycopene, which are linked to a reduced risk of cancer and heart disease.