Roasted Strawberry Goat Cheese Grilled Sandwich

I have made a few of these sandwiches over the last few weeks and finally decided to take photos and blog one. And by "decided" I mean Tinsley finally took a nap during when I normally eat lunch so I was able to. I'm so excited to get to share this with you because not only is the sandwich delicious, the roasted strawberries are wonderful too! In fact, they are the best part.

Roasted Strawberry Goat Cheese Grilled Sandwich

Roasting strawberries, or any berry for that matter, is a great thing to do when they are not quite in season yet and the flavor is less than perfection. Roasting them really brings out the sweetness and takes them to the next level. 

If you aren't a sandwich person, or if you don't like goat cheese, you should still try strawberries this way. They are great in oatmeal or mixed in with yogurt also! 

Roasted Strawberry Goat Cheese Grilled Sandwich

    makes 1 sandwich

8 strawberries

1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar*

Pinch of sea salt

1 oz goat cheese

2 slices bread, whole wheat or whole grain

Butter or butter spray 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut strawberries in to quarters and toss in a bowl with balsamic vinegar and sea salt. Put on baking sheet and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes. 

Strawberries will be slightly caramelized and oh so sweet! 

Next, get cast iron skillet {or other skillet or panini press} hot and butter one side of each piece of bread. I like the butter spray for this, but either is great. On the non buttered side, load one piece of bread with roasted strawberries and the other with goat cheese. 

Close sandwich up and place in cast iron skillet. Cook until golden brown on the first side, flip, and good second side. Remove and cut into fun triangles, and serve hot. {Is is just me or does everyone think sandwiches taste better if they're in fun triangles?} The goat cheese will be slightly melty in some spots and hold it's form in some spots. Isn't your mouth watering?! 

*If you don't like balsamic vinegar, lead it out. You won't be missing a thing! I have made this sandwich with out it plenty of times and it's still delicious! You can skip the salt as well if you like. Another option is to spray the strawberries with a little olive oil spray before roasting.