This is a late post, but I promise it’s for a good reason. These sandwiches. Usually, in blog-world, recipes are made and photographed quite some time before they are posted. This was what we actually ate for dinner tonight and they were so good that I didn’t want to save it for a later post. It may be too late to make them tonight, but you can consider it a jumpstart for tomorrow’s menu. These are a version of grilled cheese sandwiches, with a little shaved steak, lots of delicious vegetables, melted cheese, and a quick tomato jam. Perfect for a cool Fall evening, these can also be made without the steak for my vegetarian friends, and they’re just as good. Here’s how to make them, and if you give them a try, let me know what you think. I’d love to hear from you!

  
Toasted Steak and Vegetable Sandwiches

1 large Red Onion, sliced

2 medium Green Peppers, sliced

10 oz Mushrooms, sliced

1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

Kosher Salt and Black Pepper

1 lb. Steak, shaved paper thin (optional)

1 recipe quick tomato jam (recipe follows)

4 ounces Cheddar, Swiss or Gouda, sliced

8 slices Vienna or French Bread

2 Tablespoons Butter, softened

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil to the pan, and add in the onions and peppers. Cook until softened and the edges are browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan.

Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to the same skillet and add in mushrooms. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar. Combine with the peppers and onions in a medium bowl.

Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil to the same pan and add in steak. Season with salt and pepper and cook until done to your liking. Since it is thin, it will cook quickly. Set aside.

  
Quick Tomato Jam

1 1/2 cups grape Tomatoes, halved

1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

1 teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar

1/4 teaspoon dried Thyme

Kosher Salt and Black Pepper

Place tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, and thyme in a small saucepan with 1 Tablespoon water. Place over medium heat and cook until tomatoes wilt and liquid is reduced, about 5 minutes, stirring and smashing the tomatoes as they cook. Once it has cooked down, season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Now it’s time to build the sandwiches. Butter four slices of the bread and place them butter side down in the skillet. Layer on steak, veggies, tomato jam, and cheese. Butter the remaining four slices of bread and top the sandwiches with them. Cook over medium heat until the cheese is melted and the veggies are warmed through, flipping once to brown the other side.

Since these had so many veggies, we didn’t serve them with anything, but a simple salad, kettle chips or even a few sliced apples would be great additions to this sandwich. Eat well and enjoy!