Grilled Cheese and Bean Sandwiches

Did your favorite teams win this weekend? Some of mine did, but some didn't. It might be a tough year for me, but win or lose, fall is great for one thing alone: football! Okay, so maybe not just football by itself, but rather all of the things that come with it. Like food for example. 

We had some company over to watch football Saturday afternoon so I put together a little spread including pita wedges and cucumber to dip in hummus, alongside some red grapes. 

That was the healthy plate.

Then came grilled cheese sandwiches (after taking these pictures, I ended up cutting the remaining sandwiches into fourths for easier snacking). 

These weren't your ordinary grilled cheese sandwiches though. They were kicked up a notch, inspired by the sandwich from Purée. The bread is slathered with a white bean spread before being filled with smoked provolone cheese and fresh spinach leaves. Then, of course, grilled on the stovetop for just a couple of minutes to get that cheese nice and melty.

Not only was the filling of this sandwich amazing, but the bread deserves a lot of credit too. I picked up a fresh loaf of Honey Whole Wheat from Great Harvest Bread Co. on Friday (coupon for a free loaf!!) and haven't looked back. 

I may or may not shoved a piece of bread in Greg's face saying, "How good does this smell!?" He says I'm weird. I say I'm....well, weird. 

Grilled Cheese and Bean Sandwiches

(Inspired by Purée)

Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

8 slices whole wheat bread

1/4 cup margarine (divided)

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

4 slices smoked provolone cheese

1 cup raw baby spinach leaves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Prepare the white bean spread by adding beans to a food processor and blending for about 2 minutes or until beans are smooth. Add salt and pepper. Pulse a few more times to incorporate seasonings.

2. Heat large skillet over medium-low heat. Meanwhile, spread about 1/2 tablespoon of margarine on one side of each slice of bread. On opposite side of the margarine, spread about 1-2 tablespoons of bean mixture onto bread. Lay 4 slices of the bread margarine-side down on skillet (meaning the bean spread side will be facing up). Top each of those slices with one slice of cheese and about 1/4 of the spinach leaves. Lay a second slice of bread, this time margarine-side facing up, on top of the slices on the skillet. 

3. Let cook about 3 minutes, flip and let cook another 2-3 minutes, or until bread is golden brown. 

4. Remove from skillet, slice as desired, and serve immediately.