You’re Right: It’s the Cheese

Many of us love grilled cheese sandwiches but hesitate to indulge ourselves because they’re usually filled with high-fat cheese and brushed with melted butter before grilling. This low-fat version combines skimmed milk-based Mexican Panela cheese and nonfat Jack cheese with vegetables to give lots of flavor with much less fat.

Spray the bread with nonstick cooking spray instead of brushing it with melted butter. Don’t press down on the top of waffle iron to flatten the sandwich, though, or the bread may become tough.

The finished sandwich will have a golden waffle pattern and should be hot and oozing with cheese.

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Grilled Panela and Tomato Sandwich

Active Work Time: 5 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 15 minutes

1 ounce thinly sliced Panela cheese

2 slices white bread

3 thin slices tomato

Cracked black pepper

4 basil leaves

1 thin slice red onion

1/2 ounce shredded nonfat Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese

Nonstick cooking spray

Arrange Panela cheese on 1 slice bread and top with tomato slices. Sprinkle with cracked black pepper to taste and top with basil leaves and red onion. Sprinkle with Jack cheese. Top with second slice bread.

Lightly spray both sides of sandwich with nonstick cooking spray. Place sandwich in middle of preheated, nonstick waffle iron and close lid. Grill until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

1 serving. Each serving: 225 calories; 607 mg sodium; 10 mg cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 21 grams protein; 0.36 gram fiber.