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Seen in Season 3 Episode 6: Take the Deviled Eggs… and Season 3 Episode 13: Dear Richard and Emily
Confession. I’ve never heard of a pepper sandwich outside the world of Gilmore Girls. I mean, obviously it’s a thing, but is a regional thing? Do people not like to eat it a lot? AM I WEIRD?! I always sounded good when Lorelai mentioned it, I just never got off my butt and tried to make one, until now!
Like most sandwiches, a pepper sandwich can be whatever you want it to be. I tried a couple options. Different cheeses, breads, even different red pepper types. The cheese, doesn’t matter as much. I prefer a creamy white cheese as it balances the slight tang from the red pepper. The bread is a little more important. The roasted peppers are wet, so you want a bread that can toast well and hold up to the wetness of the peppers. Ciabatta is a nice choice for this. The most important bit is the peppers. Poking online, I saw someone yell, “DON’T USE JARRED ROASTED RED PEPPERS!! JUST, NO!” I admit that it made me want to try the jarred peppers because they were so serious about it. Alas, they were right, jarred roasted red peppers are nothing compared to fresh ones. Take the time people!
I also originally wanted to use jarred peppers because I had a hard time envisioning Lorelai roasting peppers for 30 minutes, but I just decided that the maid made it for her and it was all good, ha!
Roasted Red Pepper Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 Red Bell Peppers
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
- 1 Teaspoon Lime Juice
- 6 Slices Mozzarella
- Mixed Greens
- Salt and Pepper
- 4 Slices Sturdy Bread (would suggest Ciabatta)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 C)
- Once oven is preheated, place the red bell peppers on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. I like to flip my peppers halfway through. Your peppers will char a bit
- While the peppers are in the oven, finely chop the garlic
- Mix the mayonnaise, garlic, lime juice, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Set aside or in the fridge. (This can also be made the night before for a more deeper flavor)
- When peppers are done, take them out of the oven and cover with tin foil for about 30 minutes to give them a nice steam
- After 30 minutes, peel the skin off the peppers and discard
- Cut the stem off the peppers and remove the seeds and ribs from the inside
- Cut your red bell pepper into 1-2 inch strips
- Set oven to 400 degrees F (205 C)
- Begin constructing your sandwich. Spread the garlic mayo on one or both pieces of bread. On your bottom slice, add as many red bell peppers as desired. On the top slice, place the mozzarella cheese (I used 3 slices slightly overlapping each other)
- Put your bread pieces open faced on a cookie sheet and place in the oven
- The doneness of the sandwich depends on your preferences. I did about 10 minutes in the oven and kept a very watchful eye on it and I would recommend you do that same. Bread can go from nice and toasty to burnt very quickly. The red peppers will attempt to make the bread a little soggy, so be sure to check on that piece when you’re toasting.
- Add some mixed greens and voila!
