Friday, November 8, 2013

Artichoke and Pesto Grilled Cheese

I just had the best grilled cheese sandwich. Melted muenster cheese, topped with artichokes, and homemade pesto...yum! 
Homemade pesto is so easy too. It's the perfect way of using leftover herbs. The basic things you need are usually some kind of nuts, herbs, and olive oil. Other optional additions can include Parmesan, lime, spices, etc. 
For today's pesto, I grounded 1/4 cup of pistachio, bunch of parsley leaves, 1 garlic clove, 1/4 cup of olive oil, salt and pepper in a mini food processor. I also decided to mix in a tablespoon of grated Parmesan. The parsley and garlic made the pesto so flavorful, and the pistachio really added texture to it. 
I spread a generous portion of pesto on two slices of whole grain bread. Then topped one side with three slices of muenster cheese. Yes, three. They were thin slices. Plus what's a good grilled cheese sandwich without the cheese, right?
On the other slice of bread I topped it with artichoke hearts from the salad bar. Okay, I must confess. I'm addicted to these little artichokes from the Kroger salad bar. I have seriously bought $10 worth before, just for snacking. 
These artichoke hearts are so much better than the jarred. It's fresher and tangier, which really adds a nice bite along with the pesto. 
Arranged the sandwich together and grilled it in a buttered skillet over medium heat. Be patient in letting it melt together. It'll be worth it.