Zucchini grilled cheese sandwich recipe (2024)

Zucchini Grilled Cheese

This zucchini grilled cheese sandwich is loaded with deliciously roasted vegetables and FIVE different kinds of cheese!

I think it’s funny that there are certain foods that are supposed to be more suited for different seasons.

While we obviously gravitate towards cold foods in the summer, we don’t swear off everything that should be served hot. So why is soup so weird to cook in the summer?

Why can’t I just make my amazing vegan lentil soup in July? There shouldn’t be anything stopping me from serving cauliflower soup if I really want it, right?

But maybe you’re entirely happy to cook the most wintery dishes all through June, July and August.

Maybe I’m the only one who thinks twice before gathering up all my ingredients for all the comfort foods that are usually reserved for snowy days and frosty nights.

It’s these feelings and my unseasonable craving for a grilled cheese sandwich that led me to create the perfect grilled cheese for summer. Really, this zucchini grilled cheese is so much more than zucchini, summer squash, bread and cheese.

To be honest, this recipe is something that I’m going to be serving again and again.

I made this loaded zucchini grilled cheese sandwich for my husband, James, last night and he said right away that we needed to make it for everyone – his entire family – when we all gather at the family cabin later this summer.

It’s rare to find a sandwich recipe that will almost positively please a crowd of people (including some vegetarians) on a warm day, especially one that’s not a crazy amount of trouble to prepare.

And this zucchini grilled cheese sandwich is packed with pure goodness–I promise everyone will love it. It’s also easily customizable.

Add more veggies and it will only get better. Take out what you don’t like (but try it with everything – this combination is amazing!).

I’m thinking grilled onions would be a delicious way to change it up. Red peppers or spinach could be lovely. These pickled green tomatoes would be delicious. Just don’t alter the most important part of the sandwich. Cheese. Lots of cheese.

Plus, glazes, sauces and dips are all fair game when it comes to grilled cheese.

James and I wolfed ours down without any condiments, but now I wish I would have drizzled a bit of balsamic on the zucchini and tomatoes before cooking the sandwich.

I know the kids would have dipped their sandwiches in ranch dressing if they had had some. But that’s not really a tip because they’ll dip anything in ranch “just to try”.

I have one thing to note: the cheese is the star of this zucchini grilled cheese.

I used Sargento Blends 5 Cheese Italian Slices because it’s some of my favorite cheeses blended into a consistency that melts beautifully. Truly. It melts in a way I’ve never been able to get my “usual” cheese to melt.

The Italian blend includes Mozzarella, Romano, Parmesan, Fontina, and Asiago cheese!

How to make a zucchini grilled cheese

Slice up a tomato and set it aside. Then slice some fresh zucchini and summer squash into thin slices. About 1/4 inch each.

If you have extra yellow squash you should try this Mexican squash recipe, and if you have extra zucchini this zucchini involtini looks amazing!

Lay the zucchini and summer squash slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast at 425 for 20 minutes, turning over after 10 minutes.

It’s ok to let them get a little brown. That makes them extra tasty. And if you’re looking for a sweet way to use up your produce, this Lemon Summer Squash Bread looks amazing!

Get your ingredients together. You wanta cheese or cheese blend that melts really well. Fontina or muenster are perfect for grilled cheese! You also need sliced tomatoes, roasted zucchini, roasted summer squash, arugula and bread.

Prepare your bread. I used a thick-sliced sourdough, but use any kind of bread you want.

Butter one side of each slice and place it buttered side down wherever you’re building your zucchini grilled cheese sandwich.

Layer the cheese on the bread. I have big slices of bread, so there are two slices of cheese on the bottom.

If your bread is smaller, use one slice. Just make sure the bread is covered, because the cheesiness is essential for a delicious zucchini grilled cheese.

Throw on tomatoes and roasted zucchini and summer squash.

Throw a small handful of arugula leaves on top of the veggies.

This is the magic step. Put more cheese on top of all of the vegetables. Cheese is the glue here.

If you don’t put a second layer of cheese on, your sandwich will fall apart. Sad. Don’t be sad, use more cheese.

Top everything with your second slice of bread, buttered side up.

Heat up a frying pan on medium-low or low heat. You want your bread to just barely sizzle when you put it in there. Let it cook slowly so the cheese melts without the bread burning.

Check after two minutes in the frying pan and see if your zucchini grilled cheese is golden on the bottom. It probably won’t be. Check it every minute or so until it’s the color you want.

Flip and repeat on the other side.

This. This is the zucchini grilled cheese you’ve been waiting for.

The outside is golden. The inside is amazing.

Zucchini Grilled Cheese Recipe

It’s very simple, but maybe you still need a recipe for this zucchini grilled cheese sandwich. Here it is:

Zucchini grilled cheese ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1 fresh zucchini
• 1 fresh summer squash
• 1 tomato
• 1 package of arugula
• 8 slices of your favorite cheese
• butter
• 8 slices of bread (I used sourdough)

Zucchini grilled cheese directions:

1. Slice the tomato and set aside. Slice the zucchini and summer squash. Drizzle with olive oil and roast at 450 for 20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes.
2. Butter one side of each slice of bread.
3. Layer on slices of cheese, tomatoes, roasted zucchini, roasted summer squash and arugula. Top with more cheese and another slice of bread, butter side up.
4. Warm up a frying pan on medium low or low heat. Just hot enough to sizzle a tiny bit when the bread hits the pan. Put the bread in the pan and let it cook for two minutes. Start checking it and cook until it’s your favorite shade of golden brown.
5. Remove from heat, slice in half and serve.