Pumpkin Grilled Cheese w/ Hazelnut Butter

makes 4 sandwiches

recipe slightly adapted from ‘wichcraft: Craft a Sandwich into a Meal

  • 1 pound pumpkin, seeded & cut into 4 pieces
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 oz. of mozzarella, thinly sliced
  • 8 slices sourdough bread
  • 4 tablespoons Hazelnut Butter (see below)
  • 1-2 tablespoons salted butter

Preheat oven to 350F.

Toss pumpkin slices with 1 tablespoon olive oil on a sheet pan. Season pumpkin with salt & pepper and place in the oven. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until soft.

Preheat grill pan. Removed the pumpkin from the oven, add to a large bowl and mash with a fork. Season with remaining tablespoon of oil and salt & pepper to taste.

Place a thin layer of mozzarella on 4 slices of bread. Top with an even spread of hazelnut butter, followed by a layer of pumpkin. Cover with the 4 remaining bread slices. Butter both sides and grill 2-3 minutes per side on grill pan. Once cooked, remove, cut into halves & serve.

Hazelnut Brown Butter

(makes about 1/2 cup)

  • 4 tablespoons shelled hazelnuts
  • 1/2 teaspoon anise seeds
  • 3 tablespoons salted butter
  • 4 sage leaves
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

In a skillet over medium-high heat, toast the hazelnuts until deep brown in color, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the skillet, finely chop, and return to skillet. Add the anise seeds and allow them to toast for a few seconds, constantly shaking the pan to avoid burning. Add the butter and sage and stir constantly. Season with salt & pepper and continue to stir until the butter has a nutty brown color. Transfer butter to a container, remove sage leaves and refrigerate. Once the butter has cooled, stir to ensure that all ingredients are evenly mixed. Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to4 weeks.