Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients

• 75 g (½ cup)cashews
• 1carrot
• 45 ml (3 tbsp)nutritional yeast
• 5 ml (1 tsp)lemon juice
• 30 ml (2 tbsp)tapioca starch
• 5 ml (1 tsp)salt
• 1.25 ml (¼ tsp)garlic powder
• 1.25 ml (¼ tsp)onion powder
• 0.6 ml (⅛ tsp)turmeric
• 5 ml (1 tsp)mustard
• To tastemargarine
• 8 slicesbread

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the cashews

   Bring 1 litre of water to the boil in a medium saucepan. Add the chopped carrot and cashews and cook for 10 minutes, or until the carrot is tender when pierced with a fork.

2. 2

   Drain the mixture

   When cooked, strain the carrot and cashews, keeping the cooking water rather than discarding it.

3. 3

   Blend the sauce

   Put the cashews, carrot, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, mustard, tapioca starch and spices in a blender. Add 240 ml (1 cup) of the reserved cooking water and blend for 3 minutes, until smooth.

4. 4

   Thicken the sauce

   Pour the sauce back into the medium saucepan and stir over a medium heat with a spatula until thickened. Set it aside.

5. 5

   Grill the sandwiches

   Spread margarine on one side of each bread slice. Heat a saucepan and add 1 teaspoon of margarine. When hot, place a slice of bread in the pan, buttered side down. Spread enough cheese sauce over it to cover the bread, add any garnish you want, then top with another slice. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the bread is well toasted, then flip and cook until nicely browned.

6. 6

   Serve immediately

   Serve the sandwiches and eat them straight away.

What is a grilled cheese sandwich?

Grilled cheese is a familiar American sandwich made by toasting bread around a warm, melting cheese filling. This version replaces dairy cheese with a blended sauce built from cashews, carrot and nutritional yeast.

The method keeps the classic contrast of a crisp exterior and a soft centre. Tapioca starch helps the sauce thicken as it heats, making it easier to spread inside the sandwich.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 400 calories, 13g protein, 55g carbs, 14g fat.

Bread and tapioca starch provide most of the carbohydrates, while cashews and margarine contribute much of the fat; cashews, bread and nutritional yeast provide protein. Serve a sandwich with salad or vegetables for a more balanced plate.

The sauce ingredients

Cashews: once cooked and blended, they give the sauce a smooth, creamy base. Keep some of their cooking water to help the mixture blend evenly.

Carrot and yeast: carrot adds colour and sweetness, while nutritional yeast brings a savoury, cheese-like flavour. Mustard, lemon juice and the seasonings round out the taste.

Getting the sauce smooth

Blend the ingredients thoroughly, giving the mixture the full 3 minutes stated in the method. If it is very thick or the blender struggles, use only the reserved cooking water specified rather than adding extra ingredients.

Stir the blended sauce over medium heat until it thickens. Keep it moving with a spatula so it heats evenly and does not catch on the pan.

Building a crisp sandwich

Butter only one side of each slice, and put that side against the pan. The margarine in the pan helps the first side toast, while the spread on the bread gives it a golden finish.

Use enough sauce to cover the bread, but avoid piling it too high; a very full sandwich can be difficult to flip neatly. The method leaves garnish optional.

When the bread is ready

Cook the first side for about 3 minutes, using the colour and toastiness of the bread as your guide. Turn the sandwich carefully, then cook the second side until it is nicely browned.

The sauce is already cooked before it goes into the sandwich, so the final pan time is mainly for browning the bread and warming the filling.

What to serve alongside

A simple green salad, sliced tomatoes or a bowl of vegetable soup makes a fresh contrast to the rich, toasted sandwich. Serve the sandwiches as soon as they come off the pan, while the bread is crisp.

For four people, the recipe makes four sandwiches. Cut them in half for easier serving, especially alongside soup or salad.

Recipe notes & tips

• Chop the carrot before boiling so it cooks through in the stated 10 minutes.
• Reserve the cooking water before blending; it is needed for the sauce.
• Blend until smooth so the cashew sauce spreads easily.
• Stir the sauce continuously as it thickens to reduce the chance of it sticking.
• Use medium heat for grilling and let the bread colour before flipping.
• Serve straight from the pan to enjoy the crispest texture.

Variations

• Add tomato: tuck a few thin slices into the sandwich for a juicy contrast.
• Add herbs: stir chopped chives or parsley into the finished sauce.
• Add chilli: season the sauce with a pinch of chilli flakes for gentle heat.
• Use seeded bread: swap in seeded slices for a nuttier flavour and texture.
• Add greens: place a few spinach leaves inside before topping with the second slice.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Discarding the cooking water: reserve it after straining because the recipe uses 240 ml for blending.
• Blending briefly: give the sauce 3 minutes to become smooth and creamy.
• Skipping the stirring: keep the sauce moving over medium heat so it thickens evenly.
• Overfilling the bread: use enough sauce to cover the slice, but leave room to flip the sandwich.
• Turning too soon: wait until the first side is well toasted before flipping.
• Using high heat: cook over a moderate heat so the bread browns without scorching.

How to store

These sandwiches are best eaten straight away, while the bread is crisp. Refrigerate leftover sauce in a covered container and use within 3 days; reheat it gently in a saucepan, stirring until warm and smooth.

Frequently asked questions