Looking for broccoli rabe recipe ideas? Then you need to try this Broccoli Rabe Grilled Cheese! This scrumptious rapini sandwich is easy to make and bursting with bold Italian flavors you'll fall in love with ... make it for dinner tonight!
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When I lived in NYC, our local grocery store had a half-price special on sandwiches Friday evenings, so my husband often stopped by to pick some up for dinner. And one day, he brought home the BEST grilled cheese that I'd had in a long time!
It was so tasty, that I immediately decided that I had to recreate it. And that's how this delicious Broccoli Rabe Grilled Cheese Sandwich came about!
You are going to love this gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwich! The spicy broccoli rabe and provolone filling makes it feel fancier than your normal toasted cheese. And yet it's easy to make. If you've never cooked this bitter green before, this mouthwatering sandwich is the perfect place to start.
Serve this yummy sandwich anytime you're craving a meal with bold flavors. It's simple enough to serve on weeknights, and it makes great casual weekend meal, too!
Ready to get started? Then keep reading for all the details!
Ingredients
This Grilled Italian Sandwich recipe uses simple, easy-to-find ingredients! Here's what you'll need:
- Broccoli Rabe - You'll need one bunch of broccoli rabe to make this sandwich. Also known as rapini, this leafy green veggie looks similar to broccolini, however it has sharp, bitter flavor (similar to mustard greens).
- Provolone - With its mild, smokey flavor, provolone cheese pairs perfectly with the rapini. And it melts great, too!
- Garlic + Crushed Red Pepper Flakes - After blanching it, you'll sauté the broccoli rabe in olive oil, along with fresh garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Both of which work perfectly with the bold flavors in this sandwich. Feel free to adjust the heat level by adding more (or less) red pepper flakes to taste.
- Bread - For best results, choose a bread with a firm texture that will stand up to the garlicky broccoli rabe and smoky provolone. I used a round Italian loaf, but other artisan-styles breads (like sourdough) will also work great.
- Olive Oil - You'll use extra virgin olive oil to sauté the broccoli rabe and to cook the sandwich.
You'll Also Need
You'll need a large pot to blanch the broccoli rabe, as well as a large skillet to sauté it, and to cook the sandwich. I used a cast iron skillet, but a nonstick skillet would also work great.
How to Make a Broccoli Rabe Grilled Cheese
This Broccoli Rabe Sandwich has a few steps, but it's super easy to make! You'll find a detailed recipe card below, but here's an overview of the steps:
- Prep broccoli rabe. You'll start by blanching the broccoli rabe for a minute in boiling water. Once you've done that, you'll chop it, then sauté it in a little olive oil along with the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Tip: Blanching the rapini, helps cut down on its bitter flavor, so don't skip this step!
- Assemble sandwich. Next, you'll assemble the sandwiches by adding a layer of cheese to a slice of bread, followed by the sautéed greens, then more cheese. Once you've done that, you'll brush both sides of the sandwich with olive oil.
- Cook sandwich. Finish by cooking the sandwiches over medium heat until golden brown on both sides.
All right, time to dig into your scrumptious Broccoli Rabe Grilled Cheese. You are going to love the bold, spicy flavor!
Sandwich Variations
Feel like tweaking the recipe a bit? Here are a few easy ideas to try:
- Veggies - This recipe is fairly flexible. Sautéed mushrooms or bell peppers would pair perfectly with the rapini, and sun dried tomatoes would be delish, too. You could even swap out the broccoli rabe for broccolini or regular broccoli, or greens, such as spinach or kale ... just keep in that doing so would give the sandwich a totally different, much milder flavor.
- Cheese - Try experimenting with different cheeses, too. Choose a cheese that melts well, such as havarti, Monterey jack, pepper jack, fontina, gruyere, or gouda. Goat cheese would also be tasty, though I'd pair it with a melty cheese.
- Butter or Mayonnaise - Replace the olive oil on the outside of the bread with butter or mayonnaise, if you prefer.
- Dipping Sauce - This sandwich would be super delish dipped in Homemade Marinara!
Serving Suggestions
This Broccoli Rabe Sandwich makes great meal all on its own, but you could also pair it with a soup or salad on the side. It would be delish with this Creamy Tomato Soup, yummy Vegetable Soup, or this tasty Minestrone. If you'd like to pair it with a salad, try this easy Green Salad or this Cranberry Kale Salad.
Related Recipes
Looking for more creative sandwich ideas? Try one of these delicious recipes next:
- Sourdough Bread Grilled Cheese
- Sun Dried Tomato and Artichoke Grilled Cheese
- Cranberry Brie Sandwich
- Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Halloumi Cheese Sandwich
- Mushroom Torta
- Brie Apple Sandwich
- Mushroom Ricotta Open Faced Sandwich
- Vegetarian Muffaletta
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Broccoli rabe is a leafy green cruciferous vegetable, which looks similar to broccolini, but it's more leafy. It's leaves, stems, and buds are all edible, and it has a sharp bitter flavor. Broccoli rabe (which also known as rapini) is native to Europe, and it's popular in Italy, as well as parts of Spain.
To take the bitterness out of broccoli rabe, you should blanch it before using it in recipes. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add the broccoli rabe. Cook it for one minute or until it's bright green. Rinse it under cold water, then drain well. Once you've done that, you can sauté it or use however you'd like.
All the parts of broccoli rabe (including the leaves, stems, and buds) are edible. Make sure to trim about an inch off the ends before preparing it.
Broccoli rabe is pronounced brock-uh-lee rob.
While broccoli rabe looks similar to broccoli and broccolini, but they're actually quite different. Broccoli grows in dense heads and has an earthy, mildly bitter flavor. Broccoli rabe on the other hands is leafy with long stalks and small buds. It's know for its sharp, bitter flavor, and it can be an acquired taste. Meanwhile, broccolini (which is sometimes called baby broccoli) is a hybrid of broccoli and Chinese broccoli, has long, slender stalks, and is more tender and mild than regular broccoli.
Broccoli Rabe Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 bunch broccoli rabe
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for sandwich assembly
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- kosher salt
- 8 slices good-quality bread (such as Italian or sourdough)
- 16 slices provolone cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to boil, then drop in broccoli rabe. Cook for 1 minute.
- Drain broccoli rabe in a colander and rinse under cold water until cool. Using your hands, squeeze as much water out of the broccoli as possible.
- Roughly chop the broccoli, removing any large, tough stems.
- Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat.
- Saute garlic and crushed red pepper flakes in oil until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add broccoli rabe to pan and cook until heated through and tender (about 3 to 5 minutes). Remove pan from heat and season to taste with salt.
Assemble sandwiches:
- Place 2 slices of cheese on a piece of bread. Top cheese with a ¼ of the broccoli rabe, then 2 more cheese slices. Cover with another bread slice. Repeat process with remaining ingredients.
- Heat a pan over medium heat.
- Brush outside of sandwiches generously with olive oil, then place in pan.
- Cook sandwiches on one side until golden brown. Flip and cook until other side is also browned. (You may need to do this in batches.)
- Remove from pan, then serve sandwiches immediately. Enjoy!
Nutrition
These look absolutely wonderful
Thank you so much, Magny!
Oh Ginnie, this looks amazing! I can't wait to try it!
What a healthy sandwich! Thanks for sharing this at my fabulous friday Party
Maria
Stopping by from Strut Your Stuff link party. What a great way to make it healthier. Going to try this and see if I can sneak it past the kids. Thanks for sharing!
Oh dear. These look absolutely delightful; I love reinventing classic recipes! :]
Yum! Like broccoli cheese soup and grilled cheese, all rolled into one! Thanks for sharing at Fridays Unfolded!
Alison
Nancherrow
Absolutely love broccoli rabe and this looks fantastic! Pinned! Thanks so much for sharing at The Wednesday Roundup! Hope to see you again next week! ~Angela @ LeMoine Family Kitchen
We really love broccoli and this is a GREAT sandwich
I'd eat it any time 🙂
Oh boy, this grilled cheese looks incredible Ginnie! Love broccoli rabe and can't wait to try this - pinning 🙂
Thanks for the recipe for this sandwich! My family loves broccoli rabe! I pinned and will try sometime!
Julie
This looks like such a yummy sandwich~now I am hungry. Have a great day!