Who doesn’t love a good grilled cheese? Especially when it’s more than just the cheese smashed in between two slices of bread. Add a little meat, veggies or sauce and before you know it you look like some kind of gourmet chef. I haven’t made a grilled cheese in a really long time due to the fact my mom bought me a panini maker two Christmases ago and it’s my favorite invention ever. You don’t need to oil it up and it perfectly grills your sandwiches. With cool grill marks so you look impressive. Yeah I’ll take that over a blackened piece of toast any day. Seriously invest in one if you’ve never heard of it or don’t have one.
I decided yesterday that I would make a grilled cheese with the Vegan Teese Mozzarella Cheese that Chicago Vegan Foods sent me. They also sent me Teese Creamy Cheddar Cheese Sauce and Dandies Vegan Marshmallows which will be featured sometime soon! Teese also comes in a Cheddar flavor and contains no dairy, soy, gluten or wheat. I first heard of this product due to my love for The Chicago Diner and noticing it on several restaurant menus in the Chicago area.
Instead of using my panini press, I thought I would use my new Earth Balance Olive Oil Buttery Spread on my griddle and throw my grilled cheese on that for a bit. Since I’m no grilled cheese wizard, I unfortunately cooked it for a bit too long and burnt one side BUT it tasted pretty wonderful anyways so… it’s all good.
- 1 tbsp Earth Balance spread
- 2 slices of Ezekial bread
- Spinach leaves (as many as you wish)
- 2 tbsp pesto (I used Hope Foods brand at Whole Foods)
- 2 slices of tomato
- 3 half inch slices of Vegan Teese Mozzarella Cheese
- Use ½ tbsp of the buttery spread to coat your griddle/pan and turn on your stove to medium-high heat.
- Coat the outer sides of each slice of bread with the other ½ tbsp of your buttery spread.
- On the inside of each slice, use 1 tbsp of pesto, your tomato, spinach and cheese.
- Place on the griddle for around 5 minutes, flipping each side every now and then to check it doesn't burn.
The Teese came in a little tub tightly wrapped and when I unwrapped it, it almost looked fake. It was just a huge shiny white blob yet to my surprise when I sliced it, it looked exactly like regular mozzarella cheese. I used my favorite, Ezekial bread, with some spinach and tomato. As I was grilling the sandwich, it took quite a while to melt and I might have not put enough butter on my bread and pan because it burned too fast for me to cook it longer. The cheese did not have a gummy texture that it’s relative Daiya seems to have sometimes. Unfortunately I could not taste the full flavor of the cheese due to the fact the pesto I used somewhat overpowered it. The next time I use this cheese I might just my panini press to cook it for longer and use just tomato, spinach and cheese with no pesto. Avocado would be a nice addition too.
Even if the cheese didn’t deliver a HUGE flavor punch and was not melted all the way, I still enjoyed my first “grilled cheese” in years. Like I’ve said before, I don’t eat dairy and because of this, using vegan cheeses is usually what I tend to do. However, I don’t always believe they melt the right way or have the right taste. I’m glad that Chicago Vegan Foods’ Teese did not deliver a plastic fake taste which was my #1 fear. I would rate their product an 8/10. I have heard other reviews and bloggers use the product and it melts perfectly so there’s always room for another test-run!
Even when made dairy-free and vegan, regular American classics can taste just as good without the normal ingredients you’re used to. Go outside of your comfort zone when trying foods and just because you’re not vegan or vegetarian that doesn’t mean you can’t try products like Teese! To me, eating vegan is just like always craving Italian or Mexican food. If you think about it, many vegan products are so similar to regular dairy and meat items. If you didn’t know they were vegan, you’d most likely still enjoy them. So to that I say, why not try vegan foods and products? Find that inner vegan inside of ya!
-Addie
