2. East Side Pesto Melt (The Ultimate Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwich!)
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East Side Pesto Melt (The Ultimate Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwich!)

East Side Pesto Melt (The Ultimate Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwich!)
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Today in the Great Lakes Kitchen we’re making a ridiculous sandwich that I’m particularly proud of. This crispy, delicious combination of basil pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, bacon, and Italian cheeses is a mouthwatering sandwich that I’m calling the East Side Pesto Melt.

There’s a lot of ingredients and a bunch of steps, but if you want to try something you’ve probably never tasted before, give this sandwich a try!

East Side Pesto Melt (The Ultimate Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwich!)
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East Side Pesto Melt (The Ultimate Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwich!)

Recipe by Great Lakes
5.0 from 71 votes
Course: Lunch, DinnerCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Moderate
Servings

4

Sandwiches
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

8

minutes
Total time

23

minutes

Sandwich ingredients

  • Basil Pesto

  • Sun-dried Tomato Spread

  • 1 Cup Mayonnaise

  • 1 Tablespoon Grated Parmesan Cheese

  • 6 Strips Bacon

  • 8 Slices Italian White Bread

  • 8 Thin Slices Fontina Cheese (can substitute with Provolone or Havarti)

  • 8 Thick Slices Mozzarella Cheese

  • Basil Pesto Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Fresh Basil (tightly packed into measuring cup)

  • 3 Garlic Cloves

  • 1/4 Cup Pine Nuts

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

  • 1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

  • 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • Sun-Dried Tomato Spread Ingredients

  • 8.5 Ounces Sun-dried Tomatoes in Oil (comes in a jar)

  • 6 Ounces Tomato Paste

  • 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

  • 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon Dry Basil

  • 1 Tablespoon White Vinegar

Directions

  • Basil Pesto
  • Combine all ingredients and blend thoroughly with immersion blender or food processor.
  • Sun-Dried Tomato Spread
  • Combine all ingredients and blend thoroughly with immersion blender or food processor.
  • The Sandwich
  • Mix 1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese with 1 cup of mayo.
  • Fry bacon until cooked but not crispy, and roughly chop up into small pieces.
  • Lay out bread and place one slice of Fontina on each slice of bread, followed by one slice mozzarella. The cheese should cover the bread, edge-to-edge.
  • Spread a layer of pesto atop the mozzarella on 4 of the slices.
  • Spread a layer of sun-dried tomato spread atop the mozzarella on the other 4 slices.
  • Sprinkle bacon pieces atop the sun-dried tomato spread on 4 slices.
  • Carefully join the sandwich halves together.
  • Spread a thin layer of the mayo on the outside of the top slices on each sandwich.
  • Place sandwich, mayo-side down, onto a hot skillet. Then spread mayo on the bread that is now facing up.
  • Check the bottom after a couple minutes, and turn sandwich over when bottom is golden brown. Cook for another couple minutes, until golden brown.
  • Remove sandwich from skillet and slice in half with a sharp knife. Enjoy!

Recipe Video

Great Lakes Prepping YouTube Channel