I love Pesto Chicken, but realized that I have never actually made the pesto from scratch. Typically, I purchase ready made pesto at the store. I had to change that and set to work crafting my perfect rendition of pesto. This is not traditional pesto (surprise, surprise…). But, it does make the perfect accompaniment to chicken. Instead of going the pasta route, I turned to my other great comfort food love. It’s Pesto Chicken Grilled Cheese.
About Pesto
Pesto is made with fresh basil, pine nuts, fresh garlic, rich Parmesan cheese, and olive oil. Traditionally, it is made with a mortar and pestle, smashing the pine nuts and garlic into a paste and then incorporating the other ingredients until it becomes a smooth, bright green sauce. Lots of modern recipes opt for using a food processor to make pesto. They recommend combining everything except the oil into the food processor and then blending in the oil while the food processor is running.
No Fancy Tools Required
What happens if you don’t have a mortar and pestle or don’t own a food processor? Or maybe you’re like me and don’t want to haul out the food processor for a little bit of sauce. Good news! This recipe doesn’t require anything more than a knife and a cutting board. Granted, it’s a bit more “rustic” than traditional pesto, but it’s super easy, doesn’t require fancy equipment and adds some fun texture to the final dish. Get the full recipe and instructions by scrolling down.
Pesto Chicken Ingredients
I also changed things up on the ingredients. Instead of using pine nuts (which are crazy expensive!) I swapped in walnuts. They have the same general texture of pine nuts, but have a bit more bite to them. Also, I didn’t just stick to the basil for the greens. I adore arugula and wanted to break up the sweetness of the basil with some bitter, peppery greens. And finally, because I like a little extra pep in my step, one tablespoon of red wine vinegar brought the entire concoction together in harmonious balance.
Once you’ve got the pesto, the rest of this Pesto Chicken Grilled Cheese comes together easily. I selected a mild Havarti for the cheese, some simple browned chicken to make this sandwich eat like a meal and a nice crusty French for the bread.
But, like always, you can always make it your own. How do you like your pesto? Have you ever gotten creative with it? I’d love to hear your creative take!
My Pesto Chicken Sandwich Recipe
[tasty-recipe id=”7064″]
