Roasted Vegetable Sandwich with Goat Cheese, Spinach, & Balsamic

There's really nothing like a crispy, cheesy, veggie-loaded, melty sandwich. Especially when said sandwich is made with a new (to us) sweet grill pan that came with a weighted glass press (I'm sure there's a more technical name, but that's what we're calling it, or "sweet new pan" for short). We found this baby at one of our many Salvation Army outings & it has already owned a good comfy spot in our pots & pan cupboard.

This pan has all the beauty of a Foreman grill, but with less clean-up & hassle. It's not quite as exciting as a panini grill, but it still (nearly) does the trick. If you know me well at all, yes, this is in fact Gillian Haas... the former hater of all things kitchen appliancey. I just wanted to let you know that I've changed my silly, stubborn ways (well, some of them). I now no longer can count all of the appliances I own on one hand & I actually kind of enjoy it. Heck, I just bought a manual lemon juicer the other day (what's happening to me?) I guess one day I just woke up & realized how not worth it it was to hand mix anything. My eyes were completely opened with my Kitchen Aid & now I'm diving in big time.

Back to the sandwich. There's nothing soggy or unsatisfying about this bundle of joy. The roasted vegetables are just barely crispy & bursting with flavor, the goat cheese & balsamic are the perfect double date, & the crispy ciabatta is the deal sealer. This sandwich can be made on the grill (with a veggie pan, which is in my "favorite things" on the right side), in a pan like our sweet new one, or you could simply bake the bread, roast the veggies, & then assemble, however grilling or pressing comes highly recommended.

Roasted Vegetable Sandwich with Goat Cheese, Spinach, & Balsamic

Ingredients
1/2 ciabatta demi baguette
1/2 small log of goat cheese
1 sweet bell peppers
1 zucchini, sliced into rounds (fairly thin, but not paper thin or they will burn)
1/2 pack of mushrooms, sliced
1/2 a red onion, sliced or white onions cut into petals
A splash of balsamic vinegar
Spinach
Butter
Salt & pepper

Directions
Pre-heat the broiler on your oven. Cut the pepper in half length-wise & remove the seeds. Place them skin side up, on a baking sheet covered in parchment or aluminum foil. Place under the broiler until the skin is bubbly & quite browned (10-15 minutes). Remove from the oven & place in the fridge for a few minutes but leave the broiler on.

Meanwhile, slice your onions, zucchini, & mushrooms. On a baking sheet, arrange the zucchini & mushroom slices in a single layer & sprinkle the onions on top. Sprinkle with a bit of salt & freshly ground pepper. Place under the broiler until the zucchini has dried & shriveled, but not browned too much (about 8-12 minutes). Remove from the oven & leave on the baking sheet to cool.

Take the peppers from the fridge & using the sharp edge of a knife, peel off the charred skin & discard. Place the peppers onto a paper towel & dry the surface off a bit.

Prepare your sandwiches: Cut the ciabatta into 2 pieces, then cut your ciabatta loaf pieces in half from the side & butter both sides. On the bottom half, place a generous layer of spinach. Top with a single layer of roasted pepper, then a layer of the zucchini & mushroom slices & a few onion pieces. Drizzle with some balsamic vinegar. Top with crumbled goat cheese, then place the top of the bun on top. Warm the entire sandwich in a panini press, on the grill, or if you're as fortunate as we were to find a sweet pan at the goodwill, use that!

Recipe adapted from Seasons And Summers