Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Grilled cheese is my favorite guilty pleasure, and I’m happy to skip lunch so that I can consume an indecent amount of grilled cheese for dinner. That’s especially true with these Italian-style grilled cheese sandwiches zhushed up with sun-dried tomato pesto. My 13-year-old son, Zach, calls them “pizza paninis” since they taste like hot, crispy pizza sandwiches. I serve them with a green salad for a quick weeknight meal; they also make a comforting after school snack for growing teenage boys who suddenly require a pre-dinner ‘dinner.’

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SUN-DRIED TOMATO PESTO (MAKES 1-1/2 CUPS)
1 (8.5-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons pine nuts
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 tablespoons water
FOR THE GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES
8 slices Italian bread
4 tablespoons softened butter
8 oz Fontina or Gruyere (or any good melting cheese), sliced or grated
1/2 cup sun-dried tomato pesto

INSTRUCTIONS
FOR THE SUN-DRIED TOMATO PESTO

• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the sun-dried tomatoes with their oil, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, sugar, basil, pine nuts, Parmigiano-Reggiano and 2 tablespoons of water. Pulse, scraping down the sides as necessary, until the mixture is finely puréed.
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