Although we just had yet another snow storm here last week, the signs of spring are slowly starting to show up. This week I came across some cheap asparagus in the grocery store and though it may not be local, it will certainly help hold me over until the local asparagus arrives. I have been experimenting with pesto grilled cheese sandwiches for a while now and when I saw the asparagus I was reminded of the asparagus pesto that I made last year and I thought that an asparagus pesto grilled cheese sandwich would be the perfect way to welcome the first of this years asparagus in. The asparagus pesto is pretty tasty all by itself but when you smother it in melted cheese and wrap it in crisp buttery bread it is truly something amazing! With all of the flavour in the pesto I was going to need a cheese that could stand on it own two feet and I figured that a Wisconsin gruyere would go perfectly with the sweet and juicy asparagus.
One problem with pesto grilled cheese sandwiches is that pesto is generally have a lot of moisture so I like to use bread that is a day or two old and I like to lightly toast it first. This way the bread will be able to withstand the extra moisture better. Even with the pre-toasting, this is a pretty messy sandwich but, if a sandwich isn’t messy, is it really worth eating?
Asparagus Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich
An ooey-gooey grilled cheese sandwich with a tasty asparagu pesto!
ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 slices whole grain bread, very lightly toasted
- 2 slices Wisconsin gruyere
- 2 tablespoons asparagus pesto (see below)
directions
- Heat a pan over a little below medium heat.
- Butter one side of each piece of bread.
- Place one slice, butter side down, in the pan, top with the cheese, pesto and the remaining slice of bread, butter side up.
- Grill until the cheese has melted and the bread is golden brown on both sides, about 2-4 minutes per side.
Asparagus Pesto
A fresh spring asparagus pesto!
ingredients
- 1 cup asparagus, blanched
- 1/2 cup baby spinach
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
- 4 tablespoons parmigiano reggiano, grated
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 lemon, zest and juice
- salt and pepper to taste
directions
- Place everything into a food processor and puree.
Hooray to grilled cheese!!
Asparagus pesto! That's a new one for me!
I just checked out the recipe – fabulous! Asparagus pesto sounds incredible. Another winning sandwich recipe, Kevin :).
That looks fantastic. The addition of the pine nuts is brilliant! What an idea. YUM!!!
This looks to die for! I love the idea of asparagus pesto!
That is my ideal grilled cheese. Looks amazing!
This looks absolutely scrumptious!
What a great new way to use aspargus! I was denied eating it as a child and now can't get enough! Off to the kitchen! 🙂
I love grilled cheese and I love pesto, so the idea of adding some asparagus to the mix sounds fantastic.
The asparagus pesto sounds amazing! Great recipe 🙂
I love outside-the-box pesto! Yummy
Your grilled cheese sandwiches always look to die for. I can't wait to try this one out. YUM. (I'm hungry now.)
Being a Wisconsin Cheese Girl, this is right up my alley!! Love it, anne
I would LOVE to be making this soon!
I love it when you make something I am competent enough to make.
omg so delicious,
I just made this, and I added some lightly sauteed shallots. Holy yum!
where do I get the recipe?
Anonymous: The recipe is here: http://wisconsincheesetalk.com/2011/04/25/asparagus-pesto-grilled-cheese-sandwich/
Hi Kevin, This sanger sounds so delightful also delicate and I’d love to try it. But, since I live in Australia and can’t purchase Wisconsin Gruyere will any other Gruyere do the trick. My mouth is salivating even now to try it, so cant wait much longer. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes and I’ll admit I’ve served MANY over the years.
Cheers, Josephine.
Hi Kevin, Sorry, I forgot to also ask of how long does this pesto last if not used all at the one time? Will it be fine if I put it into a sealed container in the fridge? Thank you.
Cheers from Australia,
Josephine.
Any gruyere will work and you can also try other cheeses such as parmesan, asiago, etc. I would use it within a few days when stored in the fridge. Store it in the freezer for longer periods of time. Enjoy!