Asparagus Grilled Cheese Sandwich

The other day I got a reader request for an asparagus grilled cheese sandwich topped with
an egg which sounded good. I was immediatly thinking about acroque-madame which is a grilled ham and cheese sandwich topped with an egg and I was thinking a fried egg. It was the end of the week however, and although I was lucky enough to have some asparagus left in the fridge, I was fresh out of eggs so I had to settle for just an asparagus grilled cheese sandwich. Since this sandwich was only going to have a few ingredients, I decided to roast the asparagus to enhance its natural flavour. For the sandwich, I started with a whole grain bread with a slight sweetness to it and I added some oka cheese that I had in the fridge that needed to be finished. (I would also have easily gone with some gruyere if I had had some on hand.) I finished the sandwich off with a hit of grainy mustard to add even more flavour and a bit of bite. I have to say, this roasted asparagus grilled cheese sandwich is one really nice way to enjoy some fresh summer asparagus! 

Asparagus Grilled Cheese Sandwich

ingredients

• 6-8 stalk asparagus (trimmed and cleaned)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons grainy mustard
• 1 slice oka cheese (or your favorite, gruyere would also be really nice)
• 2 slices of bread
• 1 tablespoon butter (room temperature)

directions

1. Toss the asparagus in the oil, salt and pepper.
2. Arrange the asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet.
3. Roast in a preheated 400F/200C oven until tender, about 10-30 minutes. (Note: Roasting time can vary greatly depending on how thick your asparagus is.)
4. Butter the outside of each slice of bread, spread the mustard on the inside, sprinkle half of the cheese on one slice of bread, top with the asparagus, the remaining cheese and finally the other slice of bread.
5. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat, add the sandwich and grill until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 2-4 minutes per side.

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