Category Archives: Sandwiches

Roasted Asparagus Grilled Cheese with Artichoke & Arugula Pesto

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Roasted Asparagus Grilled Cheese with Artichoke Arugula Pesto

Spring might be my favorite season. Well maybe fall is too, but let’s focus on spring for now. Not only is it warm, bright, and colorful, but the whole atmosphere seems to change. People have lightness in their steps, smiles on their faces, and are generally happier. In Minnesota, where the weather has been playing games with our hearts for months, there’s been a clear shift in the air now that the sun is out and our breaths are no longer visible outside. It’s nice.

Apart from the color and general happiness of those around me, I also love the produce that comes with spring. The farmer’s markets have started to to open up, our co-op’s selection of items has widened, and all I want to do lately is eat the short-season green stuff before it goes away.

Roasted Asparagus Grilled Cheese with Artichoke Arugula Pesto

During a particularly strong case of spring fever this week, I decided to dress up a grilled cheese to make it scream spring in every way. First I blended together pistachios, garlic, arugula, parsley, lemon and artichokes for a super seasonal pesto. Luckily, you really only need a few tablespoons of the pesto for the sandwich, so you’ll have bonus pesto to eat with pretzels, crackers, vegetables, etc. I actually dipped an artichoke heart in the artichoke pesto, but I’m also kind of insane and have been known to eat tomatoes with ketchup, so take everything I say with a grain of salt.

Roasted Asparagus Grilled Cheese with Artichoke Arugula Pesto

For the inside of the springtime sandwich, I roasted up some deliciously fresh and bright asparagus, then stacked the sandwich with the pesto on both sides, two layers of cheese, and the roasted asparagus. As if that weren’t enough, I also mixed together some softened butter and parmesan to spread gently on the outsides for a crisp parmesan crust.

Roasted Asparagus Grilled Cheese with Artichoke Arugula Pesto

I knew the sandwich would be delicious, but it surprised me with its uniqueness. Between the buttery parmesan crust, the roasted asparagus, and the smoky gouda, you could nearly get overloaded on richness, but the creamy and fresh pesto brightens up the whole sandwich. There’s just a hint of lemon in every bite, but it’s enough to heighten all of the other flavors, and give the sandwich an addictive quality…

…So addictive, in fact, that I had a hard time photographing all the yumminess, since one bite turned into six bites REAL quick, and once you chomp down six bites of a sandwich it ain’t a pretty-looking thing.
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California Caprese Grilled Cheese

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caprese grilled cheese with avocado and sundried tomato pesto5

You know those tasks that sit in the back of your mind, making themselves quietly comfortable until the most inopportune times? Then, when you’re doing something like falling asleep or driving, you remember that one thing (or those twenty things) you need to do, think “dang it!” momentarily, but then those responsibilities fade away away as quickly as they came.

There are several (SEVERAL) tasks that fit this description for me, ranging from paying my dental bill to organizing my closet, but the only one I acted on recently was making a Recipe Index page. I can’t even describe to you the satisfaction and pride I felt after completing that task on Friday.

caprese grilled cheese with avocado and sundried tomato pesto1

As I built the “Burgers/Sandwiches” section of the page, I came to the realization that I’ve never posted a sandwich recipe. Not a one! Plenty of burgers, but no sandwiches. You’d probably think this means I’m not a big sandwich eater, but you would be dead wrong. In fact, I’m obsessed with sandwiches. I eat them all the time, so why not share them with my internet friends?

To remedy this huge, HUGE issue, today I’m sharing my very favorite type of sandwich: tomatoes two ways (including a pesto!), creamy mozzarella, and rich avocado, all sandwiched between hearty, seeded bread. I literally eat something along these lines at least once a week. The Beast and I call it our “Grown-Up Grilled Cheese Night,” so it’s obviously a very adult, refined meal.

caprese grilled cheese with avocado and sundried tomato pesto3

If my grown-up grilled cheese needed to get ready for a fancy night out, it’d drench itself in this balsamic drizzle. It makes the whole delicious combination even more appealing; The tomatoes get sweeter, the subtle flavors of the mozzarella and avocado are heightened, and when the drizzle hits the basil you will INSIST that you’re eating bruschetta for dinner…and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
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