Three Vegan and Vegetarian Sandwiches to Shake Up Your Lunchtime Repertoire

Somewhere between the grilled cheese and the egg salad sandwich, the best of both worlds collide. You could easily eat this sandwich cold, but I always enjoy it hot. The cheese blissfully melts and binds the egg salad together, so the filling oozes just enough to make it adventurous but not enough to make it embarrassing. The lemon zest adds a certain “pop” to the sandwich, especially with the fresh herbs. Speaking of herbs, use whatever you happen to have on hand. I prefer the softer herbs, such as parsley, dill, basil, tarragon or chives. Woodsy herbs, such as rosemary and thyme, might add too much of a literal and figurative bite. This one is a kid-pleaser, a grown-up pleaser and an everyone-in-between pleaser.

Makes 2 hearty or 3 medium-size sandwiches

• 2 large hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, plus more for the bread
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh soft herbs
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1⁄4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1⁄2 cup (about 4 ounces) grated cheddar cheese
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 to 6 slices sourdough bread

In a small bowl, combine the eggs, mayonnaise, herbs, mustard, lemon zest and paprika. Fold in the cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spread one side of each slice of bread with a little mayonnaise. Flip the slices over and divide the egg and cheese filling between 2 to 3 slices of bread. Top with the remaining bread slices.

Preheat a skillet over medium-low heat. Griddle on each side until a deep golden brown and the cheese is melted, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

© 2022 by Jackie Freeman. Excerpted from "A Hearty Book of Veggie Sandwiches" by permission of Sasquatch Books.