It’s a classic. Grilled cheese. We eat it when we’re kids. We eat it as adults. There is just something that is so comforting about that sandwich. It’s comfort food. You can enjoy it in any season because it pairs well with soups, salads, or a side of potato chips. You can eat it with just cheese, or dress it up with caramelized onions, a slice or two of tomato, sauteed mushrooms, or whatever might please your palate that day. Gourmet grilled cheese restaurants and food shops are popping up everywhere. And we love it.
But sometimes cheese doesn’t love you back. When I discovered I was lactose intolerant, I had to find an alternative to one of my favorite comfort foods. My local grocery store, while it doesn’t have much, did have a variety of different flavors of Veggie Slices, one of the products that Galaxy National Foods produces. Having had good luck with their Veggie Shreds, I decided I would give it a shot.
Out of all the choices offered, I decided to go with the pepper jack flavor for my sandwich. After purchasing it, I brought it home and immediately started to warm up a skillet to make my sandwich. I opened the pack and pulled out one of the slices, very much like American cheese slices. Peeling back the plastic, I took out the “cheese” slice and placed it on some gluten-free bread. And so…into the pan it went.
My biggest concern was how it would melt. I love a gooey sandwich, where when you pull the grilled cheese slices apart, the cheese just stretches with it. I noticed that as my bread was toasting, the cheese wasn’t really melting. I gave it a flip, and continued it on the other side.
Plating up, I sliced it up…
Veggie Slices do melt…a little. But, I won’t hold the lack of gooey melty goodness against the company. Why? Because it tastes good. Just like cheese. This pepper jack flavor doesn’t have the spicy bite of real pepper jack, but there are undertones of that flavor. I mean, nothing will be as good as the real thing. But this is a good enough substitute. The “cheese” tasted like cheese…so that was a good start. And the slice did melt…just not up to what I grew up with. But…this is a different sort of grilled cheese, right? So it will be different.
Another thing I loved about Veggie Slices is how they are loaded with calcium. These slices don’t have any cholesterol or lactose in them. AND…they are gluten-free. Not only that, the calorie and fat content of these little slices are quite low, making them a great option for cheese lovers who are looking to cut a little fat out of their diet.
I think a lower heat might help the Veggie Slices melt better. A gradual heating of the bread as it toasts might give it a bit more time. But this product has a place in my fridge now. And I have two other flavors just waiting for me to give them a try. And I can’t wait…because for a cheese alternative…Veggie Slices does well. I was impressed. When my only complaint is that the pepper jack lacked the spice associated with it, well…that’s speaks highly of the product.
I look forward to trying Veggie Slices on gluten-free veggie burgers and other meals in the very near future. Great product for the cheese lover in all of us.
The Celiathlete 