Best Gluten-Free Lunch Idea: Bell Pepper Sandwich

This Bell Pepper Sandwich is breadless, incredibly delicious, and one of the best gluten-free lunch ideas ever! It's essentially ham and cheese panini with peppers in lieu of bread, making it both unique and gluten-free.

This recipe is such a fun way to make a sandwich without bread.

As many of you know, since one of my sons has Celiac Disease, I'm always trying to come up with new, awesome gluten-free recipes. This Bell Pepper Sandwich is exactly that.

Bell pepper is the "bread," and it's delicious with the nut-like flavor of the Gruyère — melting beneath a slightly sweet slice of ham, peppery arugula, and tangy mustard.

And this beautiful recipe can be made inside of 20 minutes!

We've already mentioned some of them, but let's check out this list of  all the things this bell pepper sandwich is, and can be called, shall we?

• A ham and cheese sandwich.
• A breadless sandwich.
• A grilled cheese sandwich.
• A gluten-free sandwich.
• A Keto-friendly sandwich.
•  And a Panini sandwich.

Jump to:

• The Key Ingredients
• How to Make Them
• Variations
• Recipe Tips
• More Must-Try Gluten-Free Lunch Ideas
• Bell Pepper Sandwich Recipe (Breadless)

The Key Ingredients

• bell peppers - Any color you like! I love using a few different colors, though I don't recommend green, unless you happen to love it. Look for firm and shiny peppers that are fairly symmetrical.
• whole grain mustard - I love the texture a whole grain mustard adds to the sandwich, though a smooth mustard is also lovely. Preferably Dijon!
• Gruyère - The creamy texture and nutty flavor of Gruyère is fantastic with the saltiness from the ham and slight crunch in the bell pepper. You can substitute with Swiss, Provolone, Fontina, or whatever you'd like. (A hard cheese is best since we want the melty texture.)
• applewood smoked ham (or your favorite ham)e
• arugula - Arugula (also called Rocket), has a sharp peppery flavor and makes this sandwich even more interesting. You can of course substitute it with a green you love if arugula doesn't suit you. Spinach would be my second choice.

How to Make Them

You can make this on a stove-top grill or griddle, though if you have a panini press, it's the best choice.

- Cut the peppers into what will become the "bread" by cutting a bit off the top and bottom, and removing the membranes and seeds. You will essentially have a hollowed out pepper without the top and bottom.

- Make a slit that goes only halfway through the pepper, on each side. This way, when it's pressed down, it will easily fold. (I usually spread the mustard on at this point, but you can also do it when you add the other ingredients.)

- Add the mustard (if you haven't already), ham, cheese and arugula inside the pepper.

- Place the filled pepper on the bottom plate of the panini press.

- Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then grill the sandwich.

(More detailed instructions are below.)

Variations

• You can of course mix this up with your own favorite cheese, greens, etc. Swiss, Mozarrella, Cheddar, it's your call. Hard cheeses are typically best for this recipe.
• Spinach, chard or kale are some alternative greens you can use. Or fill it with anything else you like, tomatoes, bacon, turkey, etc.
• Vegetarian version. Skip the ham and add a thin tomato slice.
• Vegan version. Omit the ham and cheese and use sautéed mushrooms and spinach instead.
• You can try this breadless sandwich with other veggies -- portobello mushrooms, cabbage leaves or zucchini slices would all be fun.

Recipe Tips

• Don't worry if you accidentally slice all the way through the pepper when you're cutting the slits. It will still turn out well, it's just easier to manage when it's intact.
• It's much easier to eat this bell pepper sandwich if it's cooked because the pepper becomes softer. That said, it's also okay to eat it raw. It'll still be delicious, just with a much crunchier texture. And in the case of this recipe, the cheese will be firm and not melted.

More Must-Try Gluten-Free Lunch Ideas

• Pepper Jack-Turkey Lettuce Tacos 
• Salmon Rice Bowl with Avocado and Peach
• Apple Cranberry Salad with Chicken
• Shrimp Quinoa Bowl with Pineapple
• Portobello Pizzas with Sausage
• Banh Mi Cucumber Subs

So the next time you find yourself looking for delicious gluten-free lunch ideas, I hope you'll stop her for this amazing breadless bell pepper sandwich!

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