smokey tomato grilled sammie // chao cheese

Sandwiches are so much fun to make- the possibilities are endless. I had so much fun creating this Sandwich with Field Roast Deli Slices + Chao Cheese. I was lucky enough to have been selected along with Chuck Pepper, as Field Roasts 2015 Cooks in the Field. We get to create recipes each month, for six months highlighting Chao Cheese. This was especially exciting for me, often times, here on the East Coast it takes a little while for new products to make their way to us, let me tell you Chao Cheese does not disappoint.

In our pre vegan days, Justin was a total cheese addict. Seriously, he pretty much ate cheese at every meal and a cheese sandwich or two for lunch was typical. He turned his nose up at practically every vegan cheese I threw at him- he would tolerate it in small amounts on his breakfast sammie or with crackers + vegan pepperoni. Truthfully, I wasn't holding my breath when I asked him to try a slice of Chao. I thought to myself here we go again, but to my surprise he absolutely love it, the cheese reminded him of the deli slices from his childhood, and you know what, he is totally right- only, they are so much better than those old school deli slices.

This sandwich is bold, fun and easy to make. The black bean spread is totally addictive, you can use the leftover spread in a quesadilla or as a dip for crackers or veggies. 

Homemade bread is loaded with fresh veggies, banana peppers, Field Roast Deli Slices + Chao Cheese - then grilled to buttery perfection. It is a sandwich that takes less than 10 minutes to make, but tastes like it took all day.

The homemade bread is totally optional, but is so worth the effort. If not, any artisan bread works!

Growing up my Mom would always make us Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Campbell Tomato Soup- it was one of my all time favorite lunches. Once in a while, she would get all fancy and add basic yellow mustard + deli ham to our grilled cheese. This sandwich is a grown up version of a childhood favorite.

(I still love me a basic grilled cheese with a side of tomato soup for dunking! It is my go to rainy day comfort food)

I hope you can find yourself some Chao Cheese, you don't want to miss out on all the fun the next few months are sure to bring, Make sure you check out Chuck's recipe's too (he is a Kitchen Genius!), over at Field Roast - let us know what you think of Chao, I'd love to know if you love it just as much as I do - seriously, I want to make sure I'm not the only one head excited about Chao!

Smokey Tomato Grilled Sammie

makes 1 sandwich 
Prep Time: 6 minutes // Cook Time: 4 minutes

you will need:

for the black bean spread

1 cup of black beans, drained + rinsed

 juice of 1/2 a lime 

3-5 dashes of  Cholula chipotle hot sauce

salt to taste

for the sandwich
2 slices of Rustic bread
1/2 small carrot // shredded or ribboned

 Field Roast Smoked Tomato Deli Slices // 2 slices
3 tomato slices
4-6 banana peppers (rings)

 Tomato Cayenne Chao Cheese// 1 slice, cut in half

1/2 cup baby spinach 

dab of Vegan butter // about 1-2  tsp

assembly:

to make the black bean spread

In the bowl of your food processor (a mini processor is great if you have one) fitted with an s blade - add drained + rinsed black beans, juice of 1/2 a lime, salt + Cholula. Process until black bean spread is smooth - about 1-2 minutes.

to make the sandwich
Spread about 1 tablespoon of black bean spread on one side of each slice of bread (2 tbsp total).  Place the ribboned or shredded carrot on one slice of the bread. Layer both slices of Field Roast Smoked Tomato Deli Slices on top of the carrots, folding the slices in half to fit the bread. Next, lay the tomato slices on top of the deli slices. Top with the banana peppers + Chao cheese slices, starting with the banana pepper rings. Top the remaining slice of bread with baby spinach, place the 2 slices of bread together creating a sandwich.

Heat a small fry pan over medium heat, add a dab of vegan butter + allow butter to melt. Place the sandwich in the pan and cover with a lid. Cook for 2 minutes, uncover + flip once bread is golden brown. Cook the other side for 2 additional minutes until bread is golden.

Remove from the pan , cut in half + enjoy!