This healthier grilled cheese is a filling, cheesy, crispy sandwich chock-full of fiber and vitamins A and C that is a great go-to meal for busy weeknights!
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🩵 About This Recipe
If you're a big fan of grilled cheese but you wish it could be a bit more nutritious, this recipe is for you! This healthy grilled cheese recipe retains the delicious creaminess of classic grilled cheese, but with the added benefit of extra nutrition and flavor.
The end result is a filling, cheesy, crispy sandwich chock-full of fiber and vitamins A and C. And with the arugula you also add a detoxifying, cancer-fighting superfood. Not bad for a dinner that you can prepare in 15-20 minutes!
🥘 Ingredients Needed
- pure pumpkin - adds some extra nutrition and extra creaminess to the sandwiches' filling.
- cheddar cheese - if you like, use a cheese with a lower fat content for another way to up the health factor by reducing the fat content.
- salt - to balance out the pumpkin flavor.
- chili powder - for a little bit of heat.
- paprika - goes so well with the cheese and pumpkin flavors!
- white whole grain bread - using whole grain bread is another point in the healthy category.
- butter - just a smidge!
🔪 Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin, shredded cheese, salt, chili powder, and paprika.
- Mix thoroughly.
- Butter one side of each slice of bread with the butter. Lay 4 of them on a baking sheet, buttered side down. Distribute about half of the pumpkin mixture among the 4 slices.
- Top each sandwich with a small handful of arugula.
- Distribute the rest of pumpkin mixture and spread over the arugula.
- Top each sandwich with another piece of bread, buttered side up.
- Bake for 6-8 minutes, then flip your sandwiches and bake for another 6 minutes, or until they're golden brown and crispy.
👪 FAQs
It's probably best not to make these too far in advance, as grilled cheese is best enjoyed right out of the pan (or the oven, in this case). Luckily, this recipe will only take you 20 minutes from start to finish!
Absolutely! Because it has a mild flavor, it provides a hearty addition to the filling of the sandwiches so you don't have to load them up with cheese. These healthy grilled cheese sandwiches are especially good for the fall and winter months.
Feel free to substitute fresh spinach, or to leave out this ingredient entirely.
If you have leftovers, make sure the sandwiches come down to room temperature before storing them in the fridge. You can wrap them in foil or store in an airtight container.
There are a couple of options. If you need something fast, you could go with the microwave, but this won't result in a very good texture for your bread. If you don't mind a little bit of extra time, throwing them in a hot pan or back into the oven for 10 minutes or so. This will ensure that your bread gets crispy and your cheese gets melty again!
📖 Variations
- You can always use whatever kind of cheese works best for you. Some pepper jack would add an extra kick to these healthy grilled cheese sandwiches, or mozzarella would make for a creamier, milder flavor.
- The bread is also totally customizable, and if you prefer something like a whole wheat, 12-grain, or even just regular white bread, those would taste just as good. Sourdough would be amazing!
- If you're looking to cut out as much fat as you can, pre-toast the bread. This way, you won't have to add very much buttery spread for the sandwiches to get crispy.
🥪 More Grilled Cheese Recipes
If this healthier grilled cheese recipe has you in the mood for more, check out these other great recipes! This Air Fryer Avocado Grilled Cheese is perfect, and there are so many other options as well!
Love pumpkin? For a unique yet totally tasty pumpkin option, try my Bacon and Pumpkin Pasta dish. It's really easy to make, too!
🥗 Suggested Side Dishes
Here are a few more more side dish ideas to pair with your healthy grilled cheese sandwiches!
Healthier Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe
Love this recipe? Awesome! Please give it a 5 star ⭐ rating below! And if you make this, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram. You can find me at DizzyBusyandHungry or #dizzybusyandhungry!
📋 Recipe Card
Cheddar Pumpkin Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 cup 100% pure pumpkin
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 8 slices white whole grain bread (or your favorite)
- butter (enough to spread on the slices of bread)
- 2 cups arugula (approximately)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin, shredded cheese, salt, chili powder, and paprika.1 cup 100% pure pumpkin, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, ½ teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Butter one side of each of the 8 slices of bread with the buttery spread. Lay 4 slices on a baking sheet, butter side down. Distribute about half of the pumpkin mixture among the 4 slices.8 slices white whole grain bread, butter
- Top with a small handful of arugula.2 cups arugula
- Distribute the remaining pumpkin mixture over the arugula.
- Top with the remaining 4 slices of bread, butter side up.
- Bake for 6-8 minutes, then flip sandwiches and bake for 6 more minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
Notes
Prep Tips:
- Use 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, for the best flavor and texture.
- Shred your own cheddar cheese if possible-it melts more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese.
- Spread the pumpkin mixture evenly all the way to the edges so every bite is full of flavor.
- Keep an eye on the sandwiches during the last few minutes of baking, as ovens can vary and bread can brown quickly.
Variations:
- Swap the arugula for fresh spinach, or leave the greens out altogether.
- Use your favorite bread, such as sourdough, whole grain, or classic white bread.
- Substitute mozzarella or pepper jack cheese for a different flavor.
- Add a pinch of cayenne pepper for extra heat.
- Try adding cooked bacon for a smoky, savory twist.
Serving Suggestions:
- Serve with tomato soup.
- Pair with a simple green salad or fresh fruit.
- Cut into halves or quarters for an appetizer or kid-friendly snack.
Storage:
- Store leftover sandwiches in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Reheat the sandwiches in a skillet or in a 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes to restore their crispy texture.
- Freezing is not recommended.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
This recipe was first published April 30,2013 and last updated September 11, 2020 with tips, step by step photos, and a recipe change.
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Happy cooking!
Rachel says
did not like this. needs way more cheese otherwise you're just biting into plain pumpkin, yuck.
Kristin King says
Thank you so much for pointing this out! I modified the recipe a while back to eliminate the Laughing Cow Wedges and increased the cheddar to compensate, but apparently I didn't update the recipe card properly. My apologies! The recipe is now fixed. Thanks again for the feedback!