Go Back
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Veggie Grilled Cheese Bar

Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

Cheeses:

  • 8 ounces Tillamook Pepper Jack grated
  • 8 ounces Tillamook Sharp Cheddar grated
  • 8 ounces Tillamook Smoked Black Pepper White Cheddar grated
  • 8 ounces Tillamook Smoked Cheddar grated

Vegetables:

  • 1 bunch of rainbow carrots tops reserved and peeled
  • Olive oil
  • 1 bunch of asparagus
  • 1 bunch of broccoli
  • 2 yellow onions peeled and sliced
  • 2 leeks trimmed and cooked in 2 tablespoons Tillamook unsalted butter over medium heat for 20 minutes, until crispy. Season with salt.
  • 1 watermelon radish thinly sliced

Carrot top pesto:

  • 2 cups of carrot top leaves
  • 1 garlic clove peeled
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons cashews
  • Pinch of crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt or to taste

Other additions:

  • 1/2 cup Tillamook unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 loaf of sour dough bread
  • 1 loaf of challah

Instructions

  • Start with grating all your cheese. If you have a really large food processor, you can grate it very quickly using the grater attachment. I used a box grater, you know, the old fashioned way.
  • To roast your vegetables, start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F. Add the carrots to a parchment-lined baking sheet and toss with a teaspoon of olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven to cook for 5 minutes. At the 5 minute mark, add the asparagus to the same baking sheet; toss the asparagus with a teaspoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Transfer the baking sheet back to the oven to roast for an additional 5 minutes. At the 5 minute mark, add the broccoli and again, toss with a teaspoon of olive oil, salt and pepper; roast all of the vegetables for an additional 10 minutes. Remove and set aside. (It’s ok if the veggies are completely room temperature, they’ll reheat a bit when you make the sandwiches.)
  • In a medium sauté pan, add a teaspoon of olive oil, add the sliced onions and cook until caramelized, being sure to stir them every few minutes, for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in an additional small sauté pan, melt a few tablespoons of unsalted butter. When melted add the leeks. Cook until crispy, about 20 minutes. Season with a few pinches of salt.
  • To make the carrot top pesto, add all of the ingredients to a food processor; pulse until smooth. Adjust salt to taste.
  • Transfer carrots, asparagus, broccoli to plates. Add the caramelized onions, leeks and pesto to small bowls. Slice up the bread! Set out the cheeses and butter. Add some flowers. Have fun with it!

Notes

Obviously, this isn’t really a recipe but a guideline and list of ingredients I used to build the grilled cheese bar.