Barefoot Contessa's Roasted Pepper and Goat Cheese Sandwiches

ms_bold's Note:

I had seen Ina Garten prepare this sandwich on one of her Barefoot Contessa episodes. It looked to die for, and when I finally had time to try it, my suspicions were confirmed. It is so flavorful and just down right yummy. She also prepared a Fresh Pea soup to pair with it, I can't wait to try that, too.

• Total Time: 50 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 4 large red bell peppers, may substitute yellow
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1 large ciabatta, halved horizontally
• 1 (11 ounce) garlic and herb goat cheese, at room temperature
• 8 -10 large basil leaves
• 3 slices red onions, very thin
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
2. Place the whole peppers on a sheet pan and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the skins are completely wrinkled and the peppers are charred, turning them twice during roasting. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Set aside for 30 minutes, or until the peppers are cool enough to handle.
3. Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
4. Remove the stem from each pepper and cut them in quarters. Remove the peels and seeds and place the peppers in a bowl along with any juices that have collected. Discard the stems, peels, and seeds. Pour the oil and vinegar mixture over the peppers. Stir in the capers. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend.
5. To assemble the sandwiches, spread the bottom half of the loaf with the goat cheese. Add a layer of peppers and then a layer of basil leaves. Separate the onions into rings and spread out on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with the top half of the ciabatta and cut into individual servings.

Reviews

[Claudia Dawn]

Excellent! Very easy to make and can't beat the flavor. I used Ciabatta Bread for the ciabatta bread.

[mommymakeit4u]

Thought this was a nice blend of flavours, then again, I love anything with goat cheese!! Next time I'd half the amount of kosher salt as I did find it a bit on the salty side. Thanks for posting!!

[Ilysse]

Made this with Barefoot Contessa's Fresh Pea Soup for a very yummy but easy dinner. Everyone loved these sandwiches. I followed Sharon123's lead and used ciabatta rolls which I heated up in the oven b4 making these. I used jarred bell peppers (cheaper than making my own) which I drained and added the oil and vin etc to. I also had issues getting goat cheese (it would be out of date by the time I used it) so I used rondele cheese spread. I also left out the capers because no one likes them and used a sweet vidalia onion rather than red...this was a very yummy sandwich that everyone enjoyed. This paired with the soup was a wonderful meal that I will make again. No one even complained about the lack of chips ;)