Ultimate Fall Comfort Food: Pesto Grilled Cheese with Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto #momsmeet #BarillaUS #BarillaPesto #CreamyGenovese

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Confession: I absolutely, positively LOVE pesto.

My family might even say I'm a little bit pesto obsessed.

I'd eat it every day if I could. Really though, who can blame a girl? Pesto is absolutely delicious... no matter how you serve it up! And oh, there are no shortage of ways to do so! 

Pesto is a pantry staple in my home, so when I was given the chance to try out the Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto and share some of my favorite ways to serve it, I couldn't wait! If you've ever shopped for pasta, you know Barilla! The Barilla Group is recognized worldwide as a symbol of Italian know-how. All of their products and brands bring to the world foods that are joyful, healthy, honest, and inspired by the Italian lifestyle and the Mediterranean diet. While I'd not yet tried this particular pesto sauce, I already knew this was a brand I could rely on!



Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto is a flavor-packed and versatile sauce imported from Parma, Italy,  made with fragrant Italian basil and freshly grated Italian cheese. It offers a creamy, smooth texture that is quite different from most pesto that I have personally seen and tried myself. To preserve the natural color of basil and the fresh aroma of Italian Cheese, Barilla minimizes the handling of ingredients and rapidly prepares their recipe in as little as three hours from the start of ingredient preparation to the tightening of the lid. What I love most about this particular sauce is that it extremely versatile. Because it does not require heating before using, it really opens up a whole world of possibilities! It's great for more traditional uses like stirring into pasta (one jar mixes well with 16 oz of pasta) or marinating meats or veggies, but can also be used for spreading onto sandwiches (hot or cold) or as a delicious dip too! Like I said, I could eat pesto every day... and this certainly gives me more options! 

While there are many ways that we love to use this amazing sauce around here, today I'm sharing a super simple recipe that is perfect for fall: Pesto Grilled Cheese!



Pesto Grilled Cheese

• Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto
• Bread
• Butter
• Cheese (Provolone or Mozzarella) 

1. Butter the outside of your bread, and lay buttered side down on griddle/skillet. (We love using an electric griddle for grilled cheese--- it allows us to do more sandwiches at once, and get a more even cook than on the stove!)

2. Add a layer of pesto sauce to your bread. You can add as much or as little as you prefer, based on your own preferences. 

3. Layer on your cheese. I personally prefer provolone (2 slices for extra cheesiness), but mozzarella works great too. You could also mix it up and do a slice of each, or try your own combination with your favorite cheeses! 

4. Top with your other slice of buttered bread, butter side up. You can add another layer of pesto on this slice of bread as well, if desired...again, it's all personal preference! I do find that adding too much can make things a little messier! 

5. Cook until both sides are evenly browned and cheese is melted. 

This delicious grilled cheese is the ultimate comfort food and pairs great with a delicious tomato soup. (You can find the recipe for my homemade tomato soup here, or use your own favorite recipe or canned soup if you have one). My husband is admittedly not quite as pesto obsessed as I am, but agrees that this is THE way to serve it up... and truly an ideal meal for these cool autumn nights! Yum! 

Ready to bring some pesto goodness to your menu? Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto is available to purchase at Target (SuperTarget), Publix, Stop & Shop (Super Stop & Shop), Meijer, ShopRite, Hy-Vee, Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, and more. To find a store near you, visit momsmeet.link/barillalocate. A 6.2-ounce jar of Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto typically retails for $3.29 and a little bit truly goes a long way.  


Learn more and connect online at the links below:

barilla.com
facebook.com/barillausa
instagram.com/barillausa

How do you pesto? Share your favorite ways to incorporate pesto into your menu in the comments!