Pesto, Turkey And Swiss On Sourdough W/ Fresh Basil and Sautéed Tomato

A Little Twist On Caprese

Grilled cheese is no longer a thing of the past, but rather a fashionable trend that has people filling restaurants to the brim that specialize in twisted up experimentations on the classic grilled cheese sandwich. You can find grilled cheese stuffed with just about anything you can think of, so why not pest and turkey? Here is a nice twist on the classic grilled cheese and caprese sandwich.

House-Made Pesto:

1/3 c pine nuts

4 c fresh sweet basil leaves

2/3 c parmesan, grated

1/2 c olive oil

Kosher salt to taste

The Rest:

8 slices sourdough bread

Nonstick cooking spray

16 slices oven roasted turkey lunchmeat, thin sliced

8 slices deli Swiss cheese

1 pt grape tomatoes, sliced in half

1 c fresh sweet basil leaves

Preheat oven to 400

Let’s start this off by making your pesto. Add the first 3 ingredients to your food processor. Pulse a few times then, puree as you slowly add oil until the pesto becomes a past-like consistency. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate until ready to use.

Now, it’s time to bring it together. Since this is not a traditional grilled cheese, were going to start off by toasting the bread on both sides. Heat a nonstick pan or flat top to medium high heat.  Spray each slice of bread on one side with nonstick cooking spray. Lay them on your flat top, sprayed side down. Allow them to toast up for roughly 1 minute or until they start browning. Spray other sides and flip. Spread 1 tbs pesto on 4 slices of bread then, top with 1 slice of Swiss. Allow bottoms of the bread to toast and remove. Allow them to cool on a cooling rack.

On a cutting board, you can make 4 individual stacks of 4 slices of turkey, topped with 1 slice of Swiss, each. Place each stack on the pesto coated bread.

Heat a nonstick saute pan over medium high heat. Add the tomatoes and 1/4 c pesto. Sauté for 3-5 minutes or until your tomatoes start to caramelize and wilt a bit. Set aside. Arrange open faced sandwiches on a lined sheet pan and bake for 5-7 minutes or until cheese has melted. Remove from oven and spoon equal amounts of the pesto tomatoes over each sandwich and top with fresh basil leaves. Finish off with remaining slices of bread and serve.