The Ultimate Grilled Cheeze

Whoa! If someone were to experience a dream of eating a perfect grilled cheeze, I’d like to think it would look something like this. This hit all the tastebuds! I made it with homemade fig jam, homemade cashew mozzarella, marinated carrot bacon, newly picked arugula from my garden, and fresh bread from the local bakery. It was a win-win-win-win-win! To be honest, the stars aligned for me on this one and really this idea just came to me out of thin air. Almost as a dream you could say……

---

The Goods:

For the carrot bacon:

• 2 large carrots, peeled into strips

• 1 tbsp agave

• 2 tbsp coconut aminos

• 2 tbsp liquid smoke

• 1 tbsp liquid aminos

For the cashew mozzarella:

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes and drained

• 1/4 cup vegan plain unsweetened yogurt

• 1 cup filtered water

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp nutritional yeast

• 1 tsp miso paste

• 1/4 cup tapioca

For the fig jam:

• 16 figs, rough chopped

• 1/4 cup coconut sugar

• 2 lemons, juiced

• 2 cup filtered water, divided

For the ultimate grilled cheese:

• 1 tbsp vegan butter

• 2 slices of sourdough or choice of bread

• carrot bacon (from above)

• cashew mozzarella (from above)

• fig jam (from above)

• arugula

The Method:

For the carrot bacon:

1. Pour all liquid ingredients into a small bowl and stir.

2. Peel carrots, toss in marinade, and marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

3. Once carrots are ready to cook, heat cast iron on medium high heat. Add marinaded carrots and carefully with tongs cook for 5-8 minutes until golden brown and caramelized.

4. Remove from heat and set aside for later.

For the cashew mozzarella:

1. Soak cashews in hot water for 15 minutes then drain, and add into high powered blender along with the other ingredients. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes until smooth and creamy.

2. In a sauce pan, pour in the cheeze sauce and cook on medium/low heat for 8-11 minutes. Stir very frequently, this needs full attention. Remember not too much heat, too fast, it’s really important not to burn it. Cook until the cheese begins to “turn” from smooth and creamy to thick and glossy after about 8-11 minutes.

3. After it becomes thick and glossy, remove from heat. and let cool for 10 minutes before serving. It’s melty, cheesey, and garlicy! Keep a lid on it to keep warm. Set aside.

For the Fig Jam:

1. (Note: It will take about 1 hour to fully cook the jam.)

2. Rough chop the figs, coconut sugar, and lemon juice, and only 1/2 cup water into sauce pan on medium/high heat.

3. Cook down for 15 minute covered, stir occasionally.

4. Use a spatula to smash any large chunks of figs, and add another 1/2 cup water. Every 15-20 minutes, add 1/2 cup water, and cook it down until it evaporates. We used about 2 cups water total in 1 hour.

5. Remove from heat when the texture is thick and consistent. Let cool, and store in sanitized jars for 1-2 weeks.

For the Ultimate Grilled Cheese!

1. Spread butter on each side of bread, and toast on cast iron or favorite pan on medium/high heat.

2. Once both sides are golden brown, remove from heat, and place on serving plate.

3. Time to build! Spread fig jam on one side of each slice, next up carrot bacon on just one slice, then cheese on the other slice (don’t be shy), and top one slice with arugula.

4. Carefully place both sides together with everything in between, cut in half.

5. Have fun with this one, stack it as tall or thin as you want, no wrong way to stack this grilled cheese. Enjoy!

6. Helpful hack- Use sandwich skewers to hold it upright

Thanks so much for checking out our recipes! I hope you find something here that satisfies your cravings or encourages you to try something new. Make sure to check back every week to see our new recipes!

---

Want more? Check out our YouTube channel!