Homemade pesto pairs with sharp Swiss and Parmesan on sourdough bread for the perfect restaurant quality lunch.
I love fresh pesto! Basil is always a part of my kitchen garden, you know, the one I have right outside the door filled with dinner ingredients! Basil also grows really well and in abundance so it's perfect to find ways to use it up.
Looking for something a little less traditional? Stinging Nettle Pesto is a fun way to add new greens to your diet. And if your kids aren't yet on board with strong-tasting sourdough or fancy sandwiches, feel free to pull out the cheddar and melt it on Crustless Sandwich Bread and send them on their way.
Key Ingredients
Pesto - We're going to make our own with fresh basil, toasted pine nuts, and some Parmesan.
Bread - I love to use a good rustic Dutch Oven Sourdough Loaf for a sandwich like this because it's sturdy and hearty even when sliced thin.
Cheese - Swiss both looks good against the green pesto and also has a strong taste to stand up to the other flavours in the sandwich.
How to Make Pesto Grilled Cheese
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Gently toast pine nuts in a skillet.
Step 2: Pulse until chopped.
Step 3: Add remaining ingredients and drizzle in oil while processor is running.
Step 4: Layer bread with pesto and cheese and grill to perfection.
FAQs
Pesto is pretty forgiving. I've made it with both basil and stinging nettle. You can swap out the pine nuts for walnuts, which are often a little bit cheaper as well as easier to find. Some people even use cashews for pesto so feel free to play around with the ingredients based on what you have on hand.
Honestly, people will say you need something that "melts well" but really all cheese is good in my book! Since we Make Our Own Cheese it's always an adventure! Whatever is aged good is what we open next so cheddar, alpine, anything you have goes.
Photos by Dante from Shire by the Sea
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Grilled Pesto and Cheese Melt
Ingredients
- ½ cup pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 8 slices sourdough bread sliced thinly
- 4 thick slices Swiss cheese
- Butter for grilling sandwiches
Instructions
- In a large skillet, with a splash of oil or fat, roast pine nuts on medium heat, being sure to constantly stir so as not to burn. This should only take 3 minutes or so. Let cool off burner.
- In a food processor add cooled pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic cloves, and sea salt. Pulse until well chopped.
- Add the basil and shredded Parmesan and pulse again until smooth.
- Drizzle in the olive oil, a bit at a time while food processor is running, making sure the pesto is well blended.
- Slice Swiss cheese thickly and heat skillet over medium heat with butter added to the pan and make sure the melted butter is covering entire pan.
- Assemble the bread with pesto first, spread evenly, and cheese on top. Cover with other slice and place in the heated pan, flipping one or twice until the cheese is melted and the toast is a golden brown. Be attentive to the grilling process, as it's easy to burn.
- Lower heat if necessary to finish the others. Add more butter in between sandwiches and make sure all bread surfaces have enough butter to grill.
- When grilled cheese sandwiches are done, plate and serve hot with salt and pepper, to season.
Notes
- Use any cheese you have on hand, though I like to make sure it has a strong flavour to contend with the pesto.
- We always use homemade bread!
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