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Home » Sandwiches » Kale Pesto Grilled Cheese with a Rosé

Kale Pesto Grilled Cheese with a Rosé

Published: May 13, 2017 · Modified: Feb 27, 2023 by Cooking Chat · This post may contain affiliate links

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Kale Pesto Grilled Cheese is easy to put together and full of flavor! Serve it with a rosé wine for a relaxing weekend brunch. Check out the recipe and wine pairing details along with other ideas from the Wine Pairing Weekend bloggers! See this post for more on how to make kale pesto.

kale pesto grilled cheese is easy to make and full of flavor! serve with a rosé wine for a relaxing weekend lunch.

Brunch is a combination of breakfast and lunch, right? Well, I definitely lean more to the brunch side of things with this Kale Pesto Grilled Cheese!

I’m an early riser, and usually have my breakfast by 6 a.m. or so even on a weekend. Perhaps 7 if I was up later than usual. Usually I’m up solo for a bit, so breakfast is just simple cereal and coffee. By the time we are ready for a meal together here, others have usually done their own food thing when they awake, and we are getting closer lunch time and food.

If it’s a special occasion like Mother’s Day, some wine with our first meal together adds to the relaxing feel of the day. I like to break out our sandwich press on such occasions, and make something like this Kale Pesto Grilled Cheese. And of course, pair it with a good wine!

kale pesto grilled cheese

If you like this recipe, you might also like our Turkey Pesto Panini recipe.

Making this recipe

This kale pesto grilled cheese is great to to make when you leftover kale pesto on hand, which is often the case in my house! I’m often making a big batch to toss with pasta, and typically have a bit extra. You can grab my recipe for making kale pesto here.  You could certainly substitute traditional basil pesto in this recipe if you like.

I like to use the Cuisinart Griddler Panini and Sandwich Press when making grilled cheese and panini. It makes nice griddle marks on the bread and gets the cheese to melt evenly. You can make this in a skillet if that is your preferred method for making grilled cheese. Note: The sandwich press link is served up through the Amazon affiliate program. If you choose to make a purchase through those links, I would receive a commission. I only link to products that I use and recommend!

If you like this recipe, you should also check out our Turkey Pesto Panini and our Moroccan Turkey Panini.

A Rosé pairing

Cass Rosé is a very good GSM blend from Paso Robles.I tend think of a rosé as a good day time wine for some reason. Perhaps it is because that pink rosé looks good on our glass patio table, or by a pool on a hot day.

With the gooey cheese and flavorful pesto, I was definitely looking for something more substantial than a light poolside sipping rosé to go with this grilled cheese. So I picked a 2016 Cass Oasis Rosé ($20, 12.9% ABV) from Paso Robles. This rosé is a Grenache / Syrah / Mourvedre blend.

I tasted watermelon and jam in this medium bodied wine with good mouthfeel. I’d say this Cass Rosé is a good match for our kale pesto grilled cheese. I would also anticipate a good Chardonnay could work well here. Whatever is in your glass, a special cheers to all celebrating Mother’s Day this weekend. A good excuse to open some wine a bit earlier then usual!

Print

Recipe card

Kale Pesto Grilled Cheese

kale pesto grilled cheese
Print Recipe

Tasty sandwich featuring savory melted cheese along with zesty kale pesto.

  • Author: Cooking Chat
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 5 mins
  • Total Time: 10 mins
  • Yield: 1 serving 1x
  • Category: Sandwich
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 slices whole wheat bread
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 slices provolone cheese
  • 2 tbsp kale pesto

Instructions

  1. Preheat a sandwich press.
  2. Spread half the butter on one side of a piece of bread. Spread the remaining butter on one side of the second piece of bread. Place both buttered sides down on a plate.
  3. Spread one tablespoon of the kale pesto on each of the unbuttered sides of bread.
  4. On one of the slices of bread, add the slices of cheese on top of the kale pesto. Take the other slice of bread and close the sandwich.
  5. Carefully move the sandwich and set it in the heated press. Gently press down on the sandwich maker.
  6. The sandwich takes about 5 minutes to get the cheese melted and develop those nice griddle marks. Keep an eye on the cheese as the sandwich heats, you don’t need to cook it much past the point where the cheese has started to melt.
  7. When the sandwich is ready, use a plastic spatula to remove the sandwich from the press. Plate the sandwich, cutting it in half if you like for presentation effects. I like to serve it with a good pickle and some chips. And of course, a glass of wine. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Amazon affiliate link included for the sandwich press that we use regularly. That means I’d earn a small commission if you should choose to click through and make a purchase.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @CookingChatWine on Instagram and hashtag it #CookingChat

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kale pesto grilled cheese with a rosé wine

Let’s Do Brunch! #winePW Pairings

  • Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm will post “My Choice for a Casual, Relaxed Brunch……comes in a box!! #WinePW”
  •  Cindy from Grape Experiences is posting “Let’s Do Brunch with Blinis and Bellinis” 
  • Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla is pairing “Blueberries and Bubbles: Mustikkakeitto + Elderflower-Prosecco Cocktail“ 
  • Michelle of Rockin’ Red Blog asks “Bubbles for Breakfast? It Must Be Brunch!“ 
  • Lori from Dracaena Wines is sharing “When You Don’t Want a Typical Quiche for Your #WinePW Brunch”” 
  • Jill from L’occasion has a few “Fresh American Wines for Brunch.” 
  • David from Cooking Chat has “Kale Pesto Grilled Cheese with a Rosé”
  • Jeff of Food Wine Click suggests you “Add a Little Sparkle to Your Brunch.” 
  • Lauren the Swirling Dervish says that “Spring Brunch: A Trio of Salads with Fresh Wines to Match
  • Gwen and Sue of Wine Predator is sharing “May There Be Bubbles for Brunch! Plus Negronis, Strata for #WinePW

No brunch blog post? No worries!  Catch our live Twitter Chat on Saturday, May 13 PST by searching for the #winePW hashtag on Twitter at 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PST. This week is actually “Brunch Week” so you’ll find lots of brunch ideas on social media!

Next month is “Wine Pairings for Grilled Meat” on June 10 hosted by Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla. (#winePW 37).  You can get a list of all the past and upcoming #winePW events by visiting the Wine Pairing Weekend page.

« Italian Sparkling Wine Beyond Prosecco #ItalianFWT
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Wendy Klik

    May 13, 2017 at 7:37 am

    Three of my favorite things…Pesto, Cheese and Wine….a perfect meal to share with loved ones.

    Reply
    • Cooking Chat

      May 13, 2017 at 7:58 am

      Thanks Wendy, I’d say we have similar favorites!

      Reply
  2. Gwendolyn Alley, MA

    May 13, 2017 at 11:19 am

    Sounds simply delicious! Love kale pesto — Sue’s made it and I’ll have to try your recipe! And nice contrasts with the grilled cheese. Very pretty too!

    Reply
    • Cooking Chat

      May 14, 2017 at 7:32 am

      Thanks Gwendolyn!

      Reply
  3. Lauren Walsh

    May 13, 2017 at 11:50 am

    Okay, I want this for my lunch today! A perfect example of how quality fresh ingredients simply prepared result in a real winner of a dish. Great pairing, too!

    Reply
    • Cooking Chat

      May 14, 2017 at 7:31 am

      Thanks Lauren! Sometimes simple is the way to go.

      Reply
  4. Michelle Williams

    May 13, 2017 at 4:02 pm

    I like the idea of having a sandwich for brunch.

    Reply
  5. Jeff

    May 14, 2017 at 9:17 am

    Looks great, David. I can even see the sandwiches cut into smaller pieces and available to add to a brunch buffet plate!

    Reply
    • Cooking Chat

      May 15, 2017 at 8:31 pm

      Great idea Jeff!

      Reply
  6. Lori

    May 14, 2017 at 11:30 am

    We are big fans of Cass! Haven’t had that exact wine though, but will look for it on our next visit! I also make a huge batch of pesto. I rather make it once and then pull what I need rather than make smaller batches multiple times. I actually put them in ice trays and freeze them. Then pull the number of cubes I need.

    Reply
  7. Jill BARTH

    May 19, 2017 at 5:50 pm

    People everywhere love a grilled sandwich, and this looks like an outstanding suggestion. A Paso Robles rosé is high on the list of tasty delights. Thanks for these suggestions!

    Reply
  8. Jeff

    May 28, 2017 at 9:36 am

    I’ll bet this is fantastic! And what a great color!

    Reply
    • Cooking Chat

      May 28, 2017 at 12:05 pm

      Thanks Jeff, we enjoyed it!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. When You Don't Want a Typical Quiche for Your #WinePW Brunch • Dracaena Wines says:
    May 13, 2017 at 7:57 am

    […] David from Cooking Chat has “Kale Pesto Grilled Cheese with a Rosé”  […]

    Reply
  2. Let’s Do Brunch with Blinis and Bellinis - Grape Experiences says:
    May 13, 2017 at 8:38 am

    […] David from Cooking Chat has “Kale Pesto Grilled Cheese with a Rosé” […]

    Reply
  3. The best gourmet grilled cheese sandwich ideas | Sip Bite Go says:
    November 5, 2018 at 1:54 pm

    […] try your hand at a new pesto recipe with this Kale Pesto Grilled Cheese by Cooking Chat […]

    Reply

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Hi there! I'm David. I love creating tasty, (mostly) healthy recipes, finding great wine pairings, and sharing good food with family and friends. learn more about me!

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