Grilled Apple, Bacon, and Cheddar Sandwich with Roasted Onion Mayo

OK, So It's Not the Prettiest Looking Meal

Not much of an intro needed here. The “Lady” decided to make a grilled cheese sandwich with a bunch of crap on it. I veganized it. If you scroll down to the nutrition info, you will see that one of her sandwiches has almost 1000 calories and all the fat you need for a whole day. Way to go Paula!

My ex-boyfriend would like me to mention that that this recipe is “near the top” of all things I have cooked for him. I am not quite sure how I feel about that, but it is really tasty.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/grilled-apple-bacon-and-cheddar-sandwich-with-roasted-red-onion-mayo-recipe/index.html

I do have two points of interest regarding this concoction.

One: I used the recipe for gooey grilled cheese from the Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1570671516. My understanding is that the author does not take kindly to people posting her recipes, so I will not. I will say that the recipe is awesome and worth the cost of the book alone. If this is not agreeable to you, it is available on google books.

Two: Vegenaise is the best tasting vegan mayo. Grapeseed is the best flavor. Although lower in fat than typical mayo, I still feel like it is a bit high. Trader Joe’s reduced fat mayo is vegan, even though they don’t make a big deal about letting you know that on the jar. It is much lower in fat, but it doesn’t taste as good as Vegenaise. I combined the two 50:50 in my mayo so that I could have the best of both worlds.

Grilled Apple, Tempeh, and Uncheese Sandwich with Roasted Red Onion Mayo

Recipe is for one Sandwich:

• 2 slices sourdough bread or other hearty bread
• 4 slices tempeh bacon (recipe follows)
• 1/4 cup gooey grilled uncheese mix, can use commercial cheese, but it won’t be as tasty
• 1/4 of a granny smith apple, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 TBS Red onion mayo (recipe follows)

1. Preheat cast iron pan or griddle over medium heat.
2. Assemble sandwich by spreading one slice of bread with the uncheese, top with the apples, then the tempeh, then spread the other slice with the mayo.
3. Spread thin layer of Earth Balance on the outside of both slices of bread and grill for about 3 minutes on each side.
4. Cut on the diagonal and enjoy!

Tempeh Bacon

This is based on the tempeh bacon from Vegan with a Vengeance, but altered to accommodate what I had on hand

• 12 ounces tempeh, I used Surata http://www.suratasoy.com/
• 1 TBS apple cider vinegar
• 3 TBS orange juice
• 1 tsp adobo sauce from a can of chipotles
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1/4 tsp liquid smoke
• 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
• 4TBS soy sauce
• 1 tsp maple syrup

1. Slice the tempeh into very thin long strips.
2. Combine remaing ingredients.
3. Marinate the tempeh all day. I like to do this in a bog ziplock, with the air squeezed out.
4. When ready to prepare sandwiches, fry strips in small amount of vegetable oil until golden brown and crispy.

Roasted Red Onion Mayo

• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 cup vegan mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss onion with oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
2. Roast for 25-30 minutes, stirring occaisionally.
3. Once onions has cooled, combine with mayo in blender or food processor until smooth.

Nutrition Info

Paula’s Version

• Calories: 994
• Fat: 60 gm
• Saturated Fat: 29 gm
• Cholesterol: 157 milligrams

My Version

• Calories: 560
• Fat: 15 grams
• Saturated Fat: 1gram
• Cholesterol: 0 milligrams