Pesto Grilled Cheese

Sophisticated grilled cheese sandwich with Gouda, Parmesan, pesto and tomatoes!

I always know when summer starts to wind down. I don’t have to look at the calendar or even watch for cooler temperatures and other signs of fall.

Nope, for me I can tell summer is coming to an end when our county fair is over, I’m back at work getting ready for the school year, and our garden finally starts to produce tons of food! 

Rod’s garden has been producing zucchini, basil, tomatoes, peppers, beans,  tons of cucumbers and a bunch of other produce. Rod and  I have separate gardens. Can you believe that!!! My garden area is a series of garden beds that we first put in when we built our house.

Rod’s garden is a bit further away from the house that we keep expanding. It’s where we have all our fruit trees, a patch of raspberries (one of two patches), 12 blueberry bushes and a huge space for his garden.

This year my garden consists of weeds (seriously, all my beds are nothing but weeds!) I started out with a couple of different types of lettuce and some garlic, but once that was done I didn’t replant. The weeds quickly took over and I just didn’t keep up! It happens sometimes.

Rod’s garden….well, his garden is definitely thriving and winning this year! Luckily I’m allowed to go to his garden and pick whatever I want –  at least whenever he isn’t home! Next year, I am going to step up my game and offer some serious gardening competition.

Every year Rod waits and waits and waits for tomatoes to ripen. He really doesn’t care for tomatoes you can buy in the store, but he loves garden fresh tomatoes.

He often hides stashes packages of homemade bacon in our deep freeze. He pulls them out when the tomatoes are ready and makes epic BLT sandwiches. This Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich now rivals those epic BLTs.

We’ve eaten these twice already this week! It’s a good thing Rod has lots of tomato plants (15 plants) with tons of tomatoes still coming! We are going to be eating lots of sandwiches!

What kind of cheese is best for grilled cheese?

For these sandwiches I used a combination of gouda and Parmesan cheeses. You could also use provolone cheese, cheddar cheese or a Monterey Jack cheese. 

To make these sandwiches, you’ll need:

• Good sourdough bread – it adds great flavor and the bread grills up perfectly
• Basil Pesto – make your own or buy at store
• Homegrown or local grown, vine ripened tomatoes
• Sliced Gouda cheese and shredded Parmesan cheese – the combination is perfect

What to serve with Pesto Grilled Cheese?

These grilled cheese sandwiches pair perfectly with Creamy Tomato Soup and Quinoa Salad.

Don’t forget to PIN for later!

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below or snap a picture and tag me on Instagram #beyondthechickencoop

5 from 5 votes

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Pesto Grilled Cheese

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

20 mins

 

Grilled cheese sandwich with pesto, tomatoes, Gouda and Parmesan cheeses.

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, Grilled cheese sandwiches, Pesto grilled cheese

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 780 kcal

Author: Kathy

Ingredients

• 8 slices sourdough bread
• 1/4 cup butter softened
• 1/4 cup pesto
• 2 tomatoes sliced
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
• 8 slices Gouda cheese

Instructions

1. Butter one side of each slice of bread.

2. Place 4 buttered slices on a cutting board or baking sheet with the buttered side down. 

3. Spread pesto onto each of the 4 slices. Add tomatoes, Parmesan and Gouda cheeses. Place remaining bread on top with buttered side up.

4. Preheat a griddle or a cast iron skillet on medium heat. Place 1-2 sandwiches on griddle. Cook for 2-3 minutes until bottom bread is nicely browned. Flip sandwiches and continue cooking for 2-3 more minutes until other side is brown and cheese is melted throughout.  Repeat with remaining sandwiches. 

Nutrition Facts

Pesto Grilled Cheese

Amount Per Serving

Calories 780 Calories from Fat 333

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 37g 57%

Saturated Fat 20g 100%

Cholesterol 104mg 35%

Sodium 1497mg 62%

Potassium 382mg 11%

Total Carbohydrates 77g 26%

Dietary Fiber 4g 16%

Sugars 6g

Protein 33g 66%

Vitamin A 31.3%

Vitamin C 10.5%

Calcium 58.5%

Iron 28.3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.