Mega Chicken Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich

The Ultimate Chicken Pesto Sandwich

I think one of the first food orders I ever made in Starbucks was a chicken pesto panini (or was it a chicken pesto toastie!?) who knows, you get the gist 🤣 Any who, it was bloomin’ delish, BUT, I saw room for improvement! So, here’s my take on the classic pesto chicken sandwich. First things first, let’s see what you’ll need:

Chicken – Leftover Rotisserie chicken works perfectly here. Pesto – Homemade Basil Pesto for the win! Can also sub your favourite store-bought. Cheese – Mozzarella works best here (discussed below). Bread – Large thick white slices. Sun Dried Tomatoes – Pesto and sun dried tomatoes are a match made in heaven! Butter – A sandwich, without butter?! 😱

You’re looking Mozzar-hella good over there!

When it comes to the cheese, it totally has to be mozzarella. Besides the fact it gives the perfect ‘cheese pull effect’, it actually partners with pesto really neatly for a couple of different reasons. Firstly, unlike many different kinds of cheese, when it’s heated it doesn’t produce a huge amount of oil. The pesto itself is already incredibly oily, so to prevent the grilled cheese from turning into a brick of oil, mozzarella was the most sensible choice. Secondly, it has quite a subtle flavour. I really wanted the flavour of the pesto to shine through, so it was important not to overshadow it with a strong tasting cheese.

Chicken Pesto

Alrighty, chicken pesto, the star of the show. The easiest option is to shred up some leftover chicken, but you can use fresh chicken, cook and shred from there. Up to you! You can absolutely make this part in advance and it’s as simple as combining pesto with shredded chicken. Just tightly cover and store in the fridge until needed.

Chicken Pesto Grilled Cheese

The best way to serve/make this sandwich is in grilled cheese form. Fresh mozzarella is great, but when melted until ooey-gooey inside crispy and buttery slices of toast? Yeah, gotta be done.

Can I make this into a panini?

Absolutely! Same ingredients, just use ciabatta and a panini grill. Or, a griddle pan with another heavy pot or pan pushed down on top to mimic a panini grill.

How to make a Chicken Pesto Grilled Cheese (quick summary)

Serving Chicken Pesto Grilled Cheese

These are in are incredibly filling so just one sandwich is perfect for a hearty lunch. But if you’re looking to load up on some sides go ahead and add some Sweet Potato Fries, Avocado Fries or French Fries! If you’re after more basil pesto recipes then have a ganders at my Baked Pesto Chicken, Pesto Pasta Salad, Chicken Pesto Burritos and Cheesy Pesto Garlic Bread. If you’re looking for more similar recipes check these beauties out!