Jam-packed with crispy broccoli, herby pesto and ooey gooey mozzarella cheese, this Roasted Broccoli Grilled Cheese with Pesto will leave you feeling happy and full!
Of all the vegetables, roasted broccoli is by far my favorite. We have a hard time making it through a week without having a big pan of it at least one night.
But when we end up with a little too much broccoli on hand, we'll make these veggie-packed grilled cheeses for dinner! We still start by roasting the broccoli, but then we squish it between two slices of bread with some sliced mozzarella and a big dollop of pesto, and toast it up! Oh man, goodness on goodness.
This Roasted Broccoli Grilled Cheese with Pesto makes for an awesome weekend lunch or vegetarian weeknight dinner! The broccoli roasts up quickly in the oven, then it's piled high on good sourdough bread smothered in herby, garlicky pesto. Serve with a pile of chips, fries, side salad or nothing at all!
How to Make a Broccoli Grilled Cheese with Pesto:
First, we'll roast up the broccoli. For this recipe, I typically cut the broccoli florets to be quite a bit smaller than I would if I was roasted them as a side - about an inch or so. The smaller they are, the faster they roast up. And the easier it is to get them to stay tucked inside the grilled cheese.
Once the broccoli is roasted, we'll prep the grilled cheese. Spread some pesto on the bread, top with slices of mozzarella, then a few heaping spoonfuls of the broccoli and a little more mozz. Top with the other side of bread and push together to try to hold the broccoli inside.
In a hot pan, toast the sandwich on both sides until golden brown and the cheese is melty. Serve hot with fries, chips or a side salad!
With all the greens oozing out of this gorgeous little Roasted Broccoli Pesto Melt, it's impossible to feel guilty about making grilled cheese for dinner.
Take a big bite and enjoy your good life choices!
Other Broccoli Recipes:
Chickpea Pasta with Roasted Broccoli Sauce
25-Minute Perfect Roasted Broccoli
Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Greek Yogurt Dressing
Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Penne with Sausage and Broccoli
Roasted Broccoli Grilled Cheese with Pesto
Ingredients
- 4 slices sourdough bread
- 1 small head of broccoli cuts into small florets
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
- salt & pepper
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp pesto store bought or homemade
- 8 slices mozzarella
- 1 tbsp butter for the pan
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 425°F
- On a baking sheet, toss the broccoli florets, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper in the olive oil to coat. Roast for 25 minutes or until broccoli gets crispy and starts to brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for a couple minutes.
- Heat a skillet to medium and butter one side of each slice of bread. Put one piece of bread butter side down in the hot skillet, then top with pesto, 2 slices of cheese, 1/2 the broccoli mixture, 2 more slices of cheese and another slice of bread, butter side up.
- Cook for 5-6 minutes or until the bottom bread is browned and the cheese is starting to melt. Flip carefully and cook another 5 minutes or until done. Repeat with second sandwich.
[…] usually drizzle/spread/dollop my classic pesto on everything from Broccoli Melts to Chickpea Crepes to Savory French Toast. And I’m pretty sure this Tomato Version would be […]