Potato Pesto Grilled Cheese

Easy and delicious grilled cheese!! With skillet roasted potatoes, basil pesto and pepper jack cheese! 

Bringing yet another lunch box favorite. 

A huge hit at school lunch table… 

Kids love it! 

It is bread, cheese and potato after all. 

Don’t own a waffle maker? Cook sandwiches in a regular skillet, just like any grilled cheese. 

This recipe is a simpler and a kid friendly version of that. 

More recipes with jarred pesto:

Pesto Caprese Toast

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Skill level – Easy

Potato Pesto Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

2 Yukon gold or yellow potatoes (medium- large), about 1 pound or 450 grams, peeled, halved and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices (may substitute russet potatoes) 

1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper powder

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 slices buttermilk bread (may use any white/ wheat bread)

4 teaspoons mayonnaise

1/2 cup basil pesto

4 slices pepper jack cheese (may substitute monterey jack)

Preparation:

1. Toss together sliced potatoes, salt, pepper and garlic powder together. 

2. Heat a 9-inch non-stick saute pan over medium heat. Add oil and as soon as the oil gets moderately hot, add potatoes, stir well. Cover pan with a lid, cook (stirring every 2-3 minutes), until potatoes are tender, about 9-12 minutes (a knife inserted into one or two pieces should go in without any resistance). Don’t worry if any of the potatoes break apart while stirring. It’s all going to be covered any way. Take pan off heat and continue making sandwiches (Potatoes can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days) 

3. Preheat a waffle iron. 

4. Spread some mayo one side of each bread slices. Place 4 slices (mayo side down) on a plate. Spread 2 tablespoons basil pesto on each slice, top with 1/4th cooked potatoes, a slice of cheese and top with remaining bread (mayo side up). 

5. Cook sandwiches, one at a time, close waffle iron and cook until deep golden and crisp, about 3-4 minutes. 

6. Repeat with remaining sandwiches, serve immediately (if not, refer notes)

Makes 4 sandwiches

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Notes:

1. If not eating immediately, then place cooked sandwiches on a wire rack to cool. This helps in not making the bottoms soggy.
2. Sandwiches can be cooked in a skillet instead of a waffle iron, just as any grilled cheese – Wipe the same skillet clean with a paper towel, place a sandwich, cook until the bottom is golden (pressing sandwich with a flat spatula, this helps in the sandwiches cooking faster/ crispier ) gently turn sandwich over, cook until the other side is golden as well (pressing again). 

(potato)