You know those days when you are craving something cheesy and comforting, but you can't decide between a pizza or a sandwich? Well, how about you have both with this Vegetable packed Pizza Sandwich? Crunchy peppers, garlicky pizza sauce and covered in cheese in a sandwich. It's what dreams are made of.
Would you like to save this post?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Lunchtime never has to be boring again. This is a great fridge raid sandwich, as it's easy to adapt with whatever bread, cheese and vegetables you have on hand.
All the flavours of a pizza in a deliciously comforting sandwich that can be nutrient dense too.
Jump to:
Why You Will Love It
- An exciting new sandwich option
- Saves making a whole pizza
- Kids love it
- Easy to adapt
- Can be packed with vegetables.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Bread - You could use any bread for this, but sourdough is our preference. Tiger loaf slices work well, or you could even make a pizza bagel or panini.
- Tomato puree (paste) - This is a great time saving option, but you could use a pizza sauce instead, or even BBQ sauce to add extra flavour.
- Garlic - Use pre crushed garlic in a jar if you prefer.
- Oregano - You can use a mixture of dried oregano and basil.
- Olive oil
- Bell peppers
- Cheese slices - We used Emmental for this, as it adds a lovely creamy and nutty flavour. But you could use any cheese that melts well.
- Beef tomato
- Rocket lettuce (arugula) - you could swap this for spinach.
More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.
Step by Step Instructions
One: In a bowl, mix together the tomato puree, garlic, salt, pepper and oregano.
Two: Add the oil to a pan and add the mixed peppers. Gently cook for 3-4 minutes until softened.
Three: Spread the tomato sauce on 2 of the bread slices then top the bread with the cooked peppers.
Four: Add the cheese slices on top and put them under the grill for 3-4 minutes until melted.
Five: Top with tomato slices and add rocket lettuce.
Six: Top with other slices of bread and serve.
Pizza Sauce
We wanted this pizza to be as easy as possible, so we just spread some tomato puree on the bread and let all the other flavours shine though. However, if you want that more authentic pizza flavour, then you could use a more traditional pizza sauce.
You could even use a really good quality BBQ sauce instead, or our Healthy Homemade BBQ Sauce, to add a nice sweet and smokey flavour to it.
What Veg Can be Added?
These Vegetable Pizza Sandwiches are packed full of vegetables, so you can make your favourite comfort foods that little bit healthier, and we could all do with some more vitamins and minerals in our life, right? We are all about the colourful meals and this is bursting with colour.
We added bell peppers and rocket lettuce, but this sandwich is easy to adapt with whatever you have on hand. You could add mushrooms and courgettes and swap the rocket lettuce for other greens like spinach or even crunchy romaine.
How to Adapt
Apart from adding different vegetables, there are other ways that you can adapt these too. Can't have a meal without meat in it? This pizza sandwich is a good way to use up some leftover roast meat, so shred up some chicken (from our Slow Cooker Whole Chicken) and add it before you put the cheese on.
Speaking of cheese, you can use lots of different cheese in this recipe. We went with slices of Emmental, but mature cheddar or mozzarella work well.
How to Cook It
We put the halves of the sandwich under the grill to melt everything. However, you could put it all in a sandwich toaster or even cook it in a pan with a little bitter - that would make the outside of the bed get nice and crispy and golden.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Don't like the peppery taste of rocket? Swap it for spinach for an iron boost.
- We used Emmental cheese in this recipe, but you could use mature cheddar or mozzarella instead.
- Feel free to swap the vegetables to use what you have, or what you prefer. Mushrooms and courgettes work well.
- If you feel the need to add meat to this, add some shredded cooked chicken just before adding the cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is a delicious meat free sandwich, however if you wanted to add some meat then there are lots of options. Shredded chicken works well, or you could go with some more traditional meaty pizza toppings like chorizo, pepperoni or salami.
These are best made fresh, otherwise they will go soggy when stored. So try to only make as much as you need, to avoid waste.
If you don't have a grill to put these under, then you can form the sandwiches and gently cook them on a griddle pan. But really careful when turning them over, so everything doesn't fall out.
More Sandwich Recipes
If you've tried this pizza sandwich recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Pizza Sandwich
Ingredients
- 4 slices of Sourdough bread
- 4 tablespoons of Tomato puree
- 2 Garlic clove - crushed
- 1 tablespoon of Dried oregano
- 1 pinch of Fine sea salt and ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of Olive oil
- 1 Yellow bell pepper - sliced
- 1 Red bell pepper - sliced
- 2 Cheese slices
- 1 Beef tomato - sliced
- 2 handful of Rocket (arugula)
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together 4 tablespoons of Tomato puree, 2 Garlic clove, 1 pinch of Fine sea salt and ground black pepper and 1 tbsp of Dried oregano.
- Add 1 tsp of Olive oil to a pan and add 1 Yellow bell pepper and 1 Red bell pepper. Gently cook for 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Spread the tomato sauce on 2 of the 4 slices of Sourdough bread. Top the bread with the cooked peppers and 2 Cheese slices.
- Put them under the grill for 3-4 minutes until melted.
- Top with 1 Beef tomato and 2 handful of Rocket (arugula).
- Finish with other slices of bread and serve.
Recipe Notes
- Don't like the peppery taste of rocket? Swap it for spinach for an iron boost.
- We used Swiss cheese in this recipe, but you could use mature cheddar or mozzarella instead.
- Feel free to swap the vegetables to use what you have, or what you prefer. Mushrooms and courgettes work well.
- If you feel the need to add meat to this, add some shredded cooked chicken just before adding the cheese.
Nutritional Information
Would you like to save this post?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Where nutritional information is provided, it is approximate and calculated using online tools. Values can vary depending on the ingredients and brands used, but we endeavour to be as accurate as possible.
All timings are a guide and may vary depending on the ingredients, equipment and, where relevant, the appliance used. Changing the serving size may also affect the time needed.
The London Mum says
Delicious and I love the jam packed vegetables!
Ami@NaiveCookCooks says
These sandwiches look amazing Dannii! I am on a sandwich kick lately and love this pizza version!
Naturalhealing says
Hmmmm great recipe
Thanks for sharing this Dann
John Adams says
Going to try this with my kids. Reckon they'd love it.
Sara Field says
love the recipe.. gonna try soon.
Tandy | Lavender and Lime says
I think I might be tempted to turn these into a snackwhich to avoid the mess. They look scrummy
fashion-mommy says
They look like the epitome of comfort food, I love this idea so much.
Liz Mays says
Mmm, I know I'd love these sandwiches. They look amazing! I think this would be a fun new lunch to try.
Kelly says
Pizza is a favorite around here and I love that you made them easier in sandwich form! Such a great idea! They would be a hit with my family for sure!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
I've never heard of or seen Pizzassimo sauce around here.. not sure if it's in the states? But i'll have to look next time I'm at the store, because I know if you recommend it, then it must be good! Love that you took the problem of deciding between pizza and a sandwich out of the equation with this bad boy creation! And I LOVE that it's also packed with veggies! Nothing better than being able to satisfy naughty cravings and still staying healthy! YAY! Cheers, girlfriend!
Amy Deverson says
Ahhh such a good idea! Two of the greatest things in one - definitely giving it a try :)
Jo says
This is my kinda snack! Bet it's messy to eat tho ha! X
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Yesss you're making pizza things! Haha my favourite thing to do. I can't believe I've never thought of pizza sandwiches before! They look yummy.
Kitty Morris says
Pizza sandwiches are an absolute favourite of mine! I like using part baked ciabatta or similar and adding vegetarian chorizo and spinach, nom!
http://www.kittyramblesalot.com
Kushi says
Love the idea! Looks so flavorful and delicious!