Welcome to pure unadulterated cheesiness. Pure unadulterated deliciousness. Pure unadulterated awesomeness. I’m realizing I actually have no idea what “adulterated” means. I hope it doesn’t mean gross, because now I’m committed.
Here, my friends, I offer you an Artichoke Arugula Pesto Grilled Cheese. Pure unadulterated, um, lunch.
I love a good grilled cheese. Which, incidentally, I typically don’t call “grilled cheese.” In our house, it’s called toasted cheese, but when in Rome … or when writing a food blog … you do as the Romans/bloggers do. And pretty much everyone else. So “grilled cheese” it is. At least in print.
This Artichoke Arugula Pesto Grilled Cheese was inspired by an incredible sandwich that I’ve enjoyed for years at one of my favorite restaurants. It’s a smoked mozzarella sandwich slathered with pesto and topped with tomatoes. It’s perfection. They’ve recently removed it from the menu (WHAT) but, so far, they’re still willing to make it for me when I ask. So that’s cool.
But I wanted to make something similar at home. And I wanted it to have artichoke hearts. And arugula. And cheddar instead of mozzarella. Really, I suppose the only similarity is that this, too, is a grilled cheese with pesto.
Allow me to daydream for a minute, here. Pesto on grilled cheese is a very, very good thing. The pesto gets all warm and melty, its intense green goodness simultaneously infiltrating the bread and mingling with glorious melted cheese.
This particular version features a super-addicting pesto made with arugula, artichoke hearts, walnuts, and lemon. When combined with golden buttered bread and salty-sharp cheddar cheese, the result is heaven.
Pure unadulterated bliss.
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