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Pesto Chicken Grilled Cheese

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Chicken grilled cheese sandwiches with pesto are a great quick and easy meal that kids and adults alike will love. Crusty sourdough bread is layered with basil pesto, grilled chicken breasts, and plenty of provolone cheese before being toasted and grilled on a skillet!

Chicken grilled cheese sandwiches with pesto are a great quick and easy meal that kids and adults alike will love.
chicken grilled cheese sandwiches stacked on a plate
chicken grilled cheese sandwiches stacked on a plate

Nothing says good comfort food like a lovely grilled cheese sandwich. 

top down view of grilled cheese sandwich with chicken on white plate

A classic grilled cheese sandwich is great, but its even better to level them up and add in some fun “adult” ingredients.

Adding basil pesto and grilled chicken to these sandwiches is a simple way to make a classic sandwich more flavorful and fun for adults, without it being too much for kids, too.

pesto chicken cheese sandwich cut in half on white plate

How to make this sandwich

This grilled cheese sandwich with chicken breast is a super simple recipe to make! Make sure you scroll down to the recipe card below, but here is a brief overview of how to make this:

  1. Heat the chef’s craft chicken breast according to package directions.
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  3. Smear one side of each piece of bread with pesto.
  4. Place provolone on top of half of the bread slices, followed by the chicken breast fillet, followed by more cheese, and then topped with the second slice of bread, pesto side down. Spread butter on top of the sandwich.
  5. Carefully place the sandwich on the hot skillet, turning the sandwich over as you do so that the buttered side is now facing down into the skillet.
  6. Butter the top piece of bread.
  7. Fry each side of the sandwich until golden and crispy. The center should be hot and the provolone should just begin to melt out the sides.

Frequently asked questions:

What kind of bread should I use for this? 

This sandwich works great with any kind of bread you like, but my favorite to use is sourdough sandwich bread

What kind of cheese should I use?

I like using provolone slices, but you could also use mozzarella or havarti, too.

collage showing steps for chicken pesto sandwich

How to serve this to your family

Serve this pesto chicken sandwich with your favorite soup (like quick tomato basil soup with cheese tortellini) or with a salad (like summer kale salad).

Add colorful ingredients to plates when you serve this sandwich – mini bell peppers, carrots, and sugar snap peas all off great crunchy texture in a variety of colors! Adding fruits like raspberries, blueberries or fresh cherries add a great juicy burst of flavor and color, too! 

chicken grilled cheese stacked on plate with bag of chicken behind

Table conversations with kids

How to talk to our kids is as important to them as what we feed them. This sandwich offers a great opportunity to talk about all different kinds of flavors and textures! Try these conversation starters:

  • Talk about the texture! What is the texture of your bread? Is it soft or crunchy? How is the texture of your bread different from the texture of the melted cheese? What kind of texture do you think the chicken adds to the sandwich?
  • Talk about smells! How does your sandwich smell? Can you detect the smells of the different ingredients? What does the smell remind you of?
  • What flavors can you detect? What flavors do you think would add to this sandwich?
  • What colors do you see on your plate? Did we make the entire rainbow? How could we add more colors?

Read more about how to explore the sense of taste with your kids.

chicken sandwich with cheese on plate

Kids in the kitchen: How your kids can help you cook

Inviting kids into the kitchen to cook is not only important for their independence and teaching them important life skills, but it also helps them to be more confident and curious in their own eating habits. 

This chicken pesto grilled cheese helps kids practice their spreading technique, their sandwich building techniques, and their griddle work. 

  • Kids aged 1-3 can help you add the cheese slices to the sandwiches.
  • Kids aged 4-6 can do everything above plus help you spread the pesto and butter on the sandwiches .
  • Kids aged 7-10+ can help you do everything above, plus help you cook the chicken.

*Please note that these recommendations are generalized, and to please use your personal discretion with your child’s skill level. And always, always supervise! Read more about how to have your children help you in the kitchen.

two grilled cheese sandwiches with chicken stacked on plate

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chicken grilled cheese sandwiches stacked on a plate

Pesto Chicken Grilled Cheese

Chicken grilled cheese sandwiches with pesto are a great quick and easy meal that kids and adults alike will love.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: 30 Minute Meal
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 Sandwiches
Calories: 1172kcal
Author: Jenni – The Gingered Whisk

Ingredients

  • 8 slices crusty bread like sourdough bread or French bread
  • 4 Chef’s Craft Chicken Breast Fillets
  • ½ cup basil pesto
  • 16 slices provolone cheese
  • 8 spreads butter

Instructions

  • Heat the chef’s craft chicken breast according to package directions.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Smear one side of each piece of bread with pesto.
  • Place provolone on top, followed by the chicken breast fillet, followed by more cheese, and then topped with the second slice of bread.
  • Spread butter on top of the sandwich.
  • Carefully place the sandwich on the hot skillet, turning the sandwich over as you do so that the buttered side is now facing down into the skillet.
  • Butter the top piece of bread.
  • Fry each side of the sandwich until golden and crispy. The center should be hot and the provolone should just begin to melt out the sides.

Video

Notes

Serve immediately, alongside your favorite soup or salad.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 1172kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 72g | Fat: 75g | Saturated Fat: 38g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 31g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 229mg | Sodium: 1891mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g

One Comment

  1. Made this for lunch today, with some alterations:
    – No clue what Chef’s Craft Chicken Breast Filets are. I used several slices sliced deli chicken instead.
    – Unless you REALLY love pesto, putting it only on one side is plenty. Both sides was a bit strong for me. My husband doesn’t like pesto, so he had none and said it was really good!

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