Vegan Bacon Cheddar Grilled Cheese with Chimichurri
This vegan bacon cheddar grilled cheese with chimichurri is a plant-based twist on a classic. Smoky, crispy tofu bacon, creamy, savoury, plant-based cheese, and zesty chimichurri sauce are all layered between slices of toasty golden-grilled sourdough bread with no dairy yet packing a punch of nutrition. Perfect for a quick lunch, a hearty snack, or even a healthy weeknight meal, this vegan sandwich comes together in under 30 minutes and is super filling, thanks to all the wholesome ingredients.
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Why You’ll Love This Vegan Bacon Cheddar Grilled Cheese
High in Protein – With healthy fats and lots of plant protein from cashews and tofu, this sandwich is as nourishing as it is delicious. Even with the gourmet look of the real thing, this bacon cheddar grilled cheese recipe is free of animal products without sacrificing the flavour or texture you look for in a sandwich.
Dairy-Free – Overlooking melty, gooey cheese is one of the most complex parts of going vegan, but not anymore. This homemade vegan grilled cheese combines cashews and oat milk but still oozes with the same savoury goodness of dairy cheese, so you don’t have to compromise your health goals to enjoy your favourite snack.
Simple Ingredients, No Fuss Recipe – The list might seem like a lot, but all the ingredients are simple pantry staples you might already have stocked up on. Even better, if you’re short on time or prefer not to make homemade grilled cheese, just go for store-bought. The rest is just blending the ingredients and assembling.
Loved by Kids and Adults Alike – With the same smoky flavor, meaty texture, and an extremely gooey melted vegan cheese oozing out, not only kids but adults won’t notice that they aren’t biting into a traditional bacon cheddar grilled cheese.
Make-Ahead Friendly – Planning meals in advance? This easy bacon cheddar grilled cheese recipe has you covered! You can prepare the tofu bacon up to 4 days ahead and store it in the refrigerator. Simply reheat it when you’re ready to assemble your sandwich.
How to Make Your Grilled Cheese
Prepare the Vegan Cheddar Grilled Cheese
Dice the carrot into small pieces, then add it to a pot with boiling water and cashews. Simmer for 10 minutes or until carrots are fork-tender.
Strain and add carrots and cashews to a blender along with the rest of the cheese ingredients. Blend until smooth. Add the cheese sauce to the pot and cook over medium heat while stirring until thick, about 5 minutes.
Make the Tofu Bacon
Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a container. Slice your tofu into small strips, add them to the bacon marinade, and toss to combine. Pan-fry over medium heat until crispy.
Prepare the Chimichurri
Pulse all chimichurri ingredients together in a food processor or blender. Season with salt to taste.
Assemble the Vegan Cheedar Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Lay out sourdough bread slices. Add a generous layer of grilled vegan cheese and crispy tofu bacon bits, followed by more cheese. Spread chimichurri sauce over another bread slice, then close the sandwich.
Fry both sides of the sandwich in a skillet over medium heat until golden brown.
Serve and Enjoy!
Serve the sandwiches hot with extra chimichurri sauce on the side.
Recipe Tips for Vegan Bacon Grilled Cheese
Bread Matters: Sourdough bread is sturdy and holds up well to the gooey cheese and loaded toppings, making it the perfect choice for this recipe.
Make it Gluten-Free: If you’re gluten-intolerant, swap sourdough for your favourite gluten-free bread.
Make it Nut Free: Swap the cashews for sunflower seeds to make this recipe nut free.
Vegan Bacon Hack: If you’re short on time, you can use store-bought vegan bacon instead of making it from scratch. Cook it according to the package instructions and layer it on your sandwich.
Flavour Add-ons: Enhance the flavour and texture of your sandwich by adding thinly sliced red onions, fresh spinach, sliced Jalapeño, or even roasted red peppers.
Cooking Temperature: Cooking your grilled cheese on low or medium heat is the safest way to achieve a golden, crispy exterior without burning it. Avoid medium-high heat; it will char your sandwich before the cheese melts.
Storage Instructions: While I highly recommend serving this vegan grilled cheese right away, if you have leftovers, let the sandwich cool to room temperature before storing it. Wrap it in aluminum foil or plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Reheat: To reheat, place the sandwich in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Flip it halfway through to ensure even heating and preserve its crispy exterior.
More Vegan Recipes You’ll Love
Thai Green Curry Pie
Tofu Souvlaki Pita
Crispy Tofu Noodle Stir Fry
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Vegan Bacon Cheddar Grilled Cheese with Chimichurri
Ingredients
- 6 sour dough bread slices
Cashew Cheddar Cheese
- ½ cup Cashews
- 1 carrot
- 1 cup oat milk
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- ½ cup Nutritional Yeast
- ¾ tsp Salt
- 5-6 tbsp Tapioca Starch
- Turmeric for colour
Tofu Bacon
- ½ block tofu
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1.5 tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
- ¼ tsp Pepper
- ½ tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
- Dice your carrot into small pieces then add to a pot with boiling water along with your cashews. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the carrots are fork tender.
- Strain and add your carrots and cashews to a blender along with the rest of the cheese ingredients and blend until smooth.
- Add your cheese sauce back to your pot and cook over medium heat while stirring until it becomes thick, about 5 minutes.
- Make your tofu bacon marinade by mixing all ingredients together in a container.
- Slice your tofu into small strips, then add to your tofu bacon marinade and toss to combine.
- Pan fry over medium heat until crispy.
- Make your chimichurri by pulsing everything together in a food processor or blender. Season with salt to taste.
- Assemble your grilled cheese on sourdough bread. Add your cheese, bacon bits, followed by more cheese. Lather on your chimichurri sauce, close and fry both sides until golden.
- Serve with extra chimichurri sauce and enjoy!