pistachio pesto grilled cheese

When the weather looks like spring, but doesn’t feel quite warm enough to be spring, pistachio pesto grilled cheese sandwiches are the perfect compromise. Fresh flavors combined with warm comfort food is ideal for a crisp night.

Flavor-packed pistachio pesto grilled cheese is comfort food at it's best.

Flavor-packed pistachio pesto grilled cheese is comfort food at it's best.

Whoever created the grilled cheese deserves generous praise. I mean, toasty, buttery bread, filled with gooey cheese? Yes, please. The addition of sweet and garlicky pistachio pesto takes this one over the top and makes it far superior to the plain-ol’ American cheese version.

Flavor-packed pistachio pesto grilled cheese is comfort food at it's best.

The perfect grilled cheese is made on low heat with butter in the pan and freshly grated cheese – the meltier the better. Thick, seedy bread is also best, but we’ll use what we have. This pesto is the easiest spread you can make and so delicious, and a grilled cheese sandwich doesn’t even need explaining, but we will anyways!

Flavor-packed pistachio pesto grilled cheese is comfort food at it's best.

Flavor-packed pistachio pesto grilled cheese is comfort food at it's best.

We throw together pistachios, garlic, olive oil and rosemary, which is hearty, no matter the season and is the perfect bridge between winter and spring. The mixture turns a bright bright green from the pistachios when pulsed. It is garlicky until cooked, but the leftovers still make a great dip. Spread a thick layer of green on one side of the bread, pile shredded cheese on the other, and then the best part comes – toasting and melting. The cheese melts and melts and melts, the bread is golden and the green pesto seeps out of the sandwich sides.

Flavor-packed pistachio pesto grilled cheese is comfort food at it's best.

Flavor-packed pistachio pesto grilled cheese is comfort food at it's best.

Word on the radar is that we will get some real spring weather this week, and I really hope so, but until then, you can find this grilled cheese in our lunches and this pesto on our dinners.

Flavor-packed pistachio pesto grilled cheese is comfort food at it's best.

Pistachio Pesto Grilled Cheese
Pistachio Pesto (recipe below)
Butter, for pan
Shredded cheese (Greyuere, mozzarella and monterey jack all work well with this)
Bread, sliced

There aren’t measurements for the ingredients above because you can make this as personal as you want, with however much of each ingredient you feel up for each time. As they say in Pirates of the Carribean, they are more like guidelines.

Place a pat of butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat (usually about 1 tablespoon per sandwich) and let the butter melt.

While the butter melts, spread a layer of pesto across one slice of bread and pile the grated cheese on the other side. Press the two sides together and place the sandwich in the pan, cheese side down. Grill until cheese is melted and bread is golden and toasty. Flip the sandwich and cook until golden on the other side. Remove from the skillet, slice and serve!

Pistachio Pesto
2/3 cup pistachios
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until all ingredients are incorporated and the nuts are well chopped. If you find that your pesto is thicker than you want it to be, add more olive oil, one tablespoon at a time. Keep refrigerated and use as a spread, dip, or sauce.

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