These Broccoli Melts Are Ooey-Gooey Delicious

We take grilled cheese to the next level with these Broccoli Melts that will make even picky eaters want to eat their broccoli. Antioxidant-rich broccoli becomes fork-tender and gets a flavor upgrade from garlic and herby Italian seasoning, while crushed red pepper provides a hint of subtle heat. This all melts into funky fontina cheese, while fiber-rich whole-wheat bread holds it all together, becoming crisp and toasty to perfectly complement the ooey-gooey center. These melts are the perfect weeknight food—quick and easy with minimal cleanup. Keep reading for our expert tips, including how to incorporate ingredients you already have on hand.

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Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! 

• To save time, buy precut broccoli florets or use a food processor to chop the broccoli. Just be careful not to overdo it, and pulse in batches if needed. 
• Finely chop the broccoli stems and add to the filling to cut down on food waste.

Nutrition Notes

• A cruciferous vegetable, broccoli is loaded with fiber, antioxidants and vitamins C and K. Noshing on broccoli frequently may help reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease, and improve your bone and skin health. Plus, the fiber in broccoli will help keep things moving through your gut and provide food for your beneficial gut bacteria. 
• Fontina cheese is one of our favorite cheeses for grilled cheese sandwiches, partly because of its ability to easily melt and partly because it offers a mild funky flavor. Like all cheese, it also offers some bone-supporting calcium and muscle-building protein. And the probiotics in fontina will add some beneficial bacteria to your gut.
• If you’re used to using white bread for your grilled cheese, get ready for a whole new experience with hearty whole-wheat bread. Besides crisping up to perfection, it also offers fiber and antioxidants that you won’t get from white bread. Like the fiber in broccoli, the fiber in whole-wheat bread is also good for your gut. All this fiber will also fill you up and keep you satisfied, plus help to manage blood sugar.