Seasonal: Squash & Balsamic Onion Grilled Cheese

The last butternut squash recipe was so popular, lets try another! This one is vegetarian and can easily be made vegan. Nabbed from Food Network Mag, I tweaked it to use less butter and make more sense. I also found you can use any Autumn squash, any cheese (and any nut): Acorn & Havarti, Pumpkin & Cheddar or this Butternut with Manchego:

Squash and Balsamic Onion Grilled Cheese

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

cooking spray

1/2 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and sliced 1/4 inch thick

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 Maui or other sweet onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

8 slices country white bread

8 slices manchego cheese

1 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Makes 4 sandwiches.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Melt only 2 tablespoons of the butter. In a bowl, toss the squash with the melted butter, maple syrup, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste and then spread on the prepared baking sheet. Roast until golden and soft, about 20 minutes. Set aside and let cool.

Meanwhile, melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and toss to coat. Cook, without stirring, until the onion begins to develop a deep brown color, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir and add the balsamic vinegar, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, until the onion mixture thickens and develops an intense sweetness, about 15 more minutes.

Heat a heavy griddle or flat pan over medium heat and start building the sandwiches. Grab one slice of bread and add the ingredients in this order: cheese, squash, caramelized onion, sliced almonds and more cheese. Close with another bread slice. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 3 more sandwiches.

Coat pan with cooking spray and re-coat as you flip sandwiches. Lightly cook each sandwich, in batches if necessary, until the cheese starts to melt, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Cut in half and serve with your favorite sandwich side. Goes great with old-fashioned tomato soup!

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Balsamic vinegar is a great thing to have on hand. It is increasingly popular in recipes and good for you, too! Bionaturae is organic and super affordable (around $4) compared to other organic brands.