Gluten-Free Toasted Sandwiches – the perfect lunch choice!
A decent gluten-free toasted sandwich is hard to come by, but these focaccia sandwiches really raise the game for are a very satisfying lunch or snack.
Of course, you first need to start off with either some store-bought or homemade gluten-free focaccia bread that can be sliced open to then top with your favourite fillings. I have video instructions to make gluten-free focaccia bread, which, by the way, is a very easy recipe!
Sandwich Fillings
Stuck on filling ideas? I have listed four suggested fillings in the recipe card, of which two are vegetarian fillings.
How are the sandwiches toasted?
I have given cooking instruction for three different methods:
- Panini maker (my 1st choice)
- Griddle pan
- Oven
Can these be made in advance?
Ready-assembled untoasted focaccia sandwiches are a make-ahead friendly snack to have ready in the fridge to toast when the time comes for a decent sandwich lunch or snack.
Make sure to wrap each sandwich tightly in plastic. This will keep them compact and moulded for toasting, even after one day or so.
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Enjoy creating your own filling together with the family, especially with children who will take more interest in ingredients and hopefully more vegetables to add!
Gluten-Free Toasted Focaccia Sandwiches
These elaborate sandwiches are a good way to use up excess day-old gluten-free focaccia bread by adding one of the suggested fillings and toasting them in a panini, griddle pan or oven.A make-ahead friendly snack to have ready in the fridge to toast when the time comes for a decent sandwich lunch or snack.
Equipment
- Panini Maker, or
Ingredients
- 1 tray ready-made store-bought or gluten-free focaccia bread
CAPRESE FILLING (Vegetarian)
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- 1 ball mozzarella cheese, torn or sliced
- 8 fresh basil leaves, torn
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
GRILLED VEGETABLE FILLING ((Vegetarian)
- 1 eggplant, sliced
- 1 zucchini/courgette, sliced
- 1 red peppers/capsicum, sliced
- 1 packet Haloumi cheese, sliced thickly
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp store-bought pesto or homemade pesto.
- freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
PROSCIUTTO FILLING
- 6 slices prosciutto
- 1 ball mozzarella cheese, torn or sliced
- 10 fresh rocket/arugula leaves
- 1 tbsp butter
- freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
CLASSIC CHEESE & HAM FILLING
- 6 slices Cheddar or Monterey cheese
- 6 slices ham
- 1 white or yellow onion, sliced thinly
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp white pepper
Instructions
- Slice the focaccia bread in half to open up the middle to start filling the base with one or all of the suggested focaccia sandwich filling
CAPRESE FILLING (Vegetarian)
- Place the tomato slices on the base of the focaccia bread. Sprinkle the salt over the tomatoes.
- Add half of the fresh basil leaves on top of the tomatoes.
- Add the torn or sliced mozzarella on top of the tomatoes & basil leaves.
- Add the remaining fresh basil leaves, drizzle the olive oil and crack some fresh black pepper.
- Cover the filling with the top part of the focaccia bread. Set aside or cover tightly in plastic and chill for later.
GRILLED VEGETABLE FILLING ((Vegetarian)
- Preheat a griddle or normal frying pan to medium-high heat.
- Add the olive oil followed by the sliced eggplant, zucchini and peppers to char-grill and soften for 10 mins. Set aside.
- Add the sliced halloumi cheese to sear for one minute on each side. Set aside. The cheese will cook further when being toasted.
- Spread half of the pesto sauce over the base of the focaccia bread.
- Top this with the char-grilled vegetables and halloumi, followed by the rest of the pesto sauce and some freshly cracked black pepper.
- Cover the filling with the top part of the focaccia bread. Set aside or cover tightly in plastic and chill for later.
PROSCIUTTO FILLING
- Butter the inside of each focaccia slice.
- Place the rocket leaves, then the prosciutto slices followed by the mozzarella cheese and some freshly cracked black pepper.
- Cover the filling with the top part of the focaccia bread. Set aside or cover tightly in plastic and chill for later.
CLASSIC CHEESE & HAM FILLING
- Butter the inside of each focaccia slice.
- Place the cheese, ham and onion slices on the base of the focaccia bread.
- Sprinkle some white pepper over the filling and cover with the top part of the focaccia bread. Set aside or cover tightly in plastic and chill for later.
TOASTING THE FOCACCIA SANDWICH
Panini Maker
- Preheat the panini maker to medium-high.
- Add two assembled focaccia sandwiches at a time. Close the panini maker lid down and press it down for 30 secs so that the sandwiches seal together.
- Leave to toast for 10 mins, or until the focaccia bread looks toasted and the fillings have melted or softened.
Griddle Pan
- Preheat the griddle pan to medium-high.
- Add two assembled focaccia sandwiches at a time. Using a wide spatula, press down the tops of the focaccia often for 5 minutes.
- Carefully turn the focaccia sandwich over and repeat pressing down for another 5 minutes, until the focaccia bread looks toasted and the fillings have melted or softened.
Oven
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Wrap each focaccia sandwich in foil and bake for 15 minutes directly on the oven rack.
- Remove the foil and return the focaccia sandwiches on a baking tray to bake a further 5 minutes, or until the focaccia bread looks toasted and the fillings have melted or softened.
Notes
- Assembled focaccia sandwiches keep for 2 days chilled
- Not suitable to freeze
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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