Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich

kitty | August 9, 2024   SKIP TO RECIPE  

A Pesto Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich cut in half to show the inside stacked on a plate

When you make this tasty Homemade Pesto and Pesto Chicken Pasta, you’re going have a good bit of bonus pesto leftover. You’re going to want to slather that herby, nutty goodness on some wholesome sourdough slices and make yourself a hearty Pesto Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich. It’s the absolute correct way to use up any remaining pesto, which is practically begging to be experienced with a good, crusty bread. All the components of this grilled cheese sandwich are so well-balanced in flavor, texture, and substance, making this a 1st place winner of a 2nd chance meal. 🐽

Making creative sandwiches is always fun and grilled cheese sandwiches are easily the best kind. Nothing beats a hot, crispy, melty grilled cheese, especially a pesto chicken-filled one. Grab your favorite sliced bread (please make it sourdough!), fry up some bacon 🥓, grill some chicken breast, and get to piling up a sturdy, primo sandwich. Layer a good spread of pesto on the bottom and top slices, then some mozzarella, pickled red onions, sun-dried tomatoes, chicken slices, bacon 🥓, then a sprinkle more of cheese. The cheese is the delicious glue that keeps this hefty sandwich together, pickled red onions provide a very necessary acidic bite and bit of crunch, and sundried tomatoes add a hint of sweetness and chew. All these toppings do wonders to complement the stellar pesto and humble chicken.  Grill that baby up in leftover bacon 🥓 fat and dig in! 🐖

This might be the tastiest grilled cheese you’ll ever eat, it’s THAT good. It’s also a perfect use for leftover pesto, so I must insist that while you have some, you HAVE to make this sandwich. The pesto is ripe for adorning a crispy crust of bread stuffed with yummy chicken and tasty toppings. After one bite, you’ll be so glad you did. 🐗

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 strips bacon 🥓🥓🥓🥓🥓🥓
  • 2 chicken breasts
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ cup Homemade Pesto
  • 6 slices sourdough bread
  • ½ mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • ¼ cup sundried tomatoes, slivered
  • ¼ cup pickled red onions

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In a large skillet or grill pan, cook the bacon to desired crispness. Set aside on a paper towel-lined plated. Reserve the bacon grease in the pan.
  2. Flatten the chicken breasts with a meat mallet or filet them in half. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder on both sides.
  3. Heat the reserved bacon grease in the grill pan over medium and cook the chicken until cooked through and lightly charred on both sides, about 10-12 minutes. Set aside to cool then thinly slice.
  4. Keep the grill pan heated over low and add more bacon grease, if needed.
  5. Assemble the sandwiches by spreading a tablespoon or so of pesto on the inside of the bottom and top slices of bread, then layer with cheese, pickled red onions, sundried tomatoes, sliced chicken, bacon, then more cheese and cover with the top slices of bread. Press down lightly to secure the filling.
  6. Increase the heat to medium-low and place one or 2 sandwiches on the pan at a time. Cook until both sides are crisped to your level of doneness and the cheese is melted, about 7-10 minutes total.
  7. Transfer to plates, cut in half and enjoy while still warm! 🐷

Closeup of a Pesto Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Closeup of the inside of a Pesto Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich cut in half stacked on a plate
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