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Middle Eastern Style Grilled Feta Cheese Sandwich

Need a different kind of grilled cheese that is super easy to make? This Middle Eastern style grilled feta cheese sandwich will do the trick! This grilled cheese is filled with fresh spinach, sweet pomegranate and dates, mint and coated in a crispy za'atar spice mix. And of course all the cheese you want. 

 

Hand holding the sandwich cut open to show the insides.

 

The best breakfast foods are quick and easy to make. They should be flavorful and lots of texture and minimal thinking required. Yes, it may sound impossible. But that is where grilled cheeses come into play, I also love this parmesan crusted grilled cheese or a blackberry basil grilled cheese for a sweeter note. 

 

More breakfast food ideas

 

More breakfast foods I enjoy on a regular basis are of course chives scrambled eggs, mayonnaise, whole wheat bread rolls and strawberry scones in the summer.

 

For things that are great for prepping ahead, these are also things I love to make: I always have a jar of mango coconut granola in my cupboard and homemade sweetened condensed milk in the fridge. Preferably lavender honey as well. Homemade sweet buns in the freezer. 

 

Some more Middle Eastern favorites include green shakshuka and Turkish eggs!

 

See how easy it is to have a vast array of different breakfast foods ready within minutes? Having these things prepared in advance, you always have the option. And they last a really long time too, so you don't have to worry about that.

 

But sometimes, I just really want a warm sandwich with gooey melty cheese, and this time it is Middle Eastern-inspired.

 

Sandwich seen from above, on a dark cutting board.

 

Best grilled cheese cheeses

 

Are the ones you like the most. Of course, some cheeses melt better than others, but apart from that it's your sandwich. Cheeses that melt really well are:

 

  • Swiss - or Jarlsberg which is slightly nuttier and sweeter than Swiss. Jarlsberg is what I usually use because it's a delicious Norwegian cheese. Both Swiss and Jarlsberg are good melty cheeses.
  • Havarti - a Danish cheese that is creamy and mild and melts well. A perfect sandwich cheese.
  • Mozzarella - the classic cheese pull cheese. It is so mild it could be combined with pretty much anything.
  • Fontina - a rich and creamy cheese with tones of nutty butter. Doesn't melt quite as well as provolone but still a good melt.
  • Provolone - kind of similar to fontina, is a mild cheese and melts really well. That is why I would recommend this cheese here.
  • Gruyère - a kind of Swiss cheese that is quite nutty with a great melt. It's often used in fondues and in French onion soup. It is also used in the croque monsiuer sandwich! If you want to splurge, you can definitely use gruyère here.
  • Monterey Jack - mild with a slight buttery sweetness. A really good melty cheese that could work in this recipe.
  • Gouda - especially young gouda have a mild flavor and soft texture. A cheese that can be used with nearly everything!
  • Cheddar - a sharp flavor that perhaps crashes a bit with the tangy feta cheese, so I would rather leave it for my cheddar grilled cheese recipe.
  • Colby - a softer and moister cheese, but still quite similar to cheddar and therefore not something I recommend for this particular sandwich.

 

For this sandwich, I would use Swiss, Jarlsberg, Provolone or Gouda. But really, whatever floats your boat.

 

Feta sandwich cut open and stacked on top of each other.

 

Notice that feta cheese is not on this list? Feta cheese doesn't really melt and give you that cheese pull effect, but it gets softer and gooey so in my book, it is very much delicious in a sandwich.

 

Recipes using feta cheese

 

I love using feta cheese in simple salads, like this watermelon salad or a grilled peach and bacon salad. But it is also great as a topping for casseroles like this green shakshuka with pesto eggs, or even as a garnish on Moroccan tahini carrots.

 

Did you know you could also bake feta cheese? It's amazing in this warm chicken salad!

 

Anything mild that could benefit from an extra oomph of tangy flavor and creamy texture, feta cheese would be a good bet.

 

From other bloggers, you could try making tomato feta and zucchini muffins, Mediterranean quinoa salad, roasted broccoli and potatoes or pesto feta phyllo cups! All vastly different ways of using feta, but all look really amazing. 

 

Ingredients

 

Ingredients in this feta grilled cheese include:

 

  • White bread - or whole wheat if you prefer
  • Feta cheese - obviously
  • Jarlsberg cheese - or any of the above
  • Spinach - something green and fresh!
  • Pomegranate - I'm addicted to pomegranate in Middle Eastern dishes
  • Dates - same here
  • Fresh mint - oh my it is amazing on pretty much anything
  • Za'atar - the perfect Middle Eastern spice mix
  • Olive oil - for spreading the za'atar perfectly

 

If you want, you could also add in some creamy saucy dressing like a tzatziki or raita, avocado sauce or even a spicy tomato aïoli. I like to serve it plain and use the sauces as dips so you can mix and match!

 

Sandwich open before grilling it.

 

How to make this grilled cheese with feta

 

Spread spinach, mint, pomegranates and date on one slice of bread. On the other, add the provolone kind of cheese and crumbled feta cheese. Press the slices of bread together. On the top, drizzle with olive oil and 1 teaspoon za’atar, press the spice mix gently into the bread. 

 

In a medium-hot skillet, place the olive oil side of the sandwich down in the pan. Drizzle the (now) top slice with olive oil and 1 teaspoon za’atar as well. Gently press down the spices. Cover with a lid and flip the grilled cheese after about 2-3 minutes or until nice and crisp.

 

Grilled cheese cut open to see the insides.

 

Serve this delicious grilled feta cheese sandwich as it is, or with sauces as mentioned above or even soups if you wish. Enjoy!

 

Did you like this recipe? Here are more Middle Eastern recipes you may like:

 

 

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Comment below or tag me @thegingerwithspice on Instagram. And don’t forget to Pin it for later! To make sure you’re never missing another recipe, please feel free to subscribe to my newsletter. As a thanks you will receive a free e-cookbook Travels Through the Seasons, with many delicious recipes from around the world that suit different seasons of the year. 

 

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📖 Recipe

Grilled cheese cut open to see the insides.

Middle Eastern Style Grilled Feta Cheese Sandwich

Yield: 1
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

This grilled feta cheese sandwich is filled with fresh spinach, sweet pomegranate and dates, mint and coated in a crispy za'atar spice mix.

Ingredients

  • 2 slices white bread (or your favorite kind)
  • 2 tablespoon feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1 slice of melty cheese (Jarlsberg/Swiss/Provolone)
  • 3 tablespoon chopped spinach
  • 2 tablespoon pomegranate arils
  • 1 teaspoon mint, chopped
  • 1 date, chopped
  • 2 teaspoon za’atar
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

  1. Spread spinach, mint, pomegranates and date on one slice of bread. On the other, add the provolone kind of cheese and crumbled feta cheese. Press the slices of bread together. On the top, drizzle with olive oil and 1 teaspoon za’atar, press the spices gently into the bread.
  2. In a medium hot skillet, place the olive oil side of the sandwich down in the pan. Drizzle the (now) top slice with olive oil and 1 teaspoon za’atar. Gently press down the spices. Cover with a lid and flip the grilled cheese after about 2-3 minutes or until golden and crispy on the outside.
  3. Serve as is, with sauces like tzatziki, raita, avocado sauce or spicy tomato aïoli. Also good as a side for soups!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 364Total Fat: 26.7gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 392mgCarbohydrates: 21.3gFiber: 2.5gSugar: 8.7gProtein: 12.3g

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