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    Home » Recipes » Burgers, Sandwiches, and Wraps Recipes

    Basil Pesto + Brie Grilled Cheese with Charred Broccoli and Chili Honey

    Published: Jun 7, 2021 Last Modified: Jun 7, 2021 by Allison

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    Basil Pesto and Brie Grilled cheese with Charred Broccoli and Chili Honey: Fresh and tangy basil pesto, creamy brie, smoky roasted broccoli and onions, and spicy honey come together to create one amazing grilled cheese sandwich. 

    straight on shot of the pesto, brie, and roasted broccoli grilled cheese sandwiches stacked on top of each other on a wooden board

    Monday calls for something healthy, but just the slightest bit indulgent to ease your way into the work week, don’t you think? 

    This basil pesto, brie, and roasted broccoli pesto with chili-spiced honey is just the thing. I’m not one to make bold claims or toot my own horn, but I will say that this is one of the best sandwiches I have had in a long time. There’s something magical about how the luxurious basil pesto compliments the creamy brie, along with the roasted, almost charred broccoli and onion. The idea for the hot honey popped into my head at the last minute, and I’m so glad that I added it. Spicy honey and cheese are a match made in heaven. The sweetness adds that extra layer of complexity to these sandwiches. It might seem like an afterthought, but it really is essential, in my opinion! 

    These grilled cheese sandwiches are much more sophisticated than your standard grilled cheese, but they are not too challenging to make. You just need to roast up some broccoli and red onion and make a basil pesto, which will take under 30 minutes. From there, assemble the sandwiches and cook them on a skillet for a few minutes per side, until the bread is browned and the cheese has melted. 

    The perfect side to these decadent sandwiches? This arugula, pea, beet, and avocado salad with creamy hemp goddess dressing. 

    straight on shot of one of the basil pesto brie grilled cheese sandwiches being picked up by hand to be eaten

    ingredients you’ll need

    For the charred broccoli and red onion, you’ll need broccoli, red onion, extra virgin olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper. 

    For the basil pesto, you’ll need raw cashews, extra virgin olive oil, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, pepper, basil, and garlic. 

    For the sandwiches, you’ll need hearty sourdough bread, brie, butter, honey, and red pepper flakes. 

    the method

    Roast the broccoli and onion: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the broccoli florets and onion on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with oregano, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast for 22-25 minutes, until slightly charred in some spots. 

    overhead shot of the roasted broccoli and onion on a baking sheet

    Meanwhile, make the basil pesto: Place the cashews in a food processor fitted with the ‘S’ blade and process until coarsely ground. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth. 

    overhead shot of the basil pesto in a jar

    Warm the honey and red pepper flakes in a small pot over low heat. 

    Finally, make the sandwiches: Spread the outside of each slice of bread with butter. On the inside, spread desired amount of pesto (around 2 tablespoons is a nice amount), followed by some charred broccoli, a drizzle of honey, and a few slices of brie. Top with the second slice of bread. 

    process shot showing how to make the broccoli brie pesto grilled cheese

    close up overhead shot of the charred broccoli

    Warm a skillet (I highly recommend cast iron) over medium heat. Once hot, add the sandwiches (you can only cook one or two at a time, depending on the size of your sandwiches and skillet) and cook for 3-5 minutes per side, until golden and crispy. 

    Slice and enjoy immediately! If you have any left over, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in a skillet for a couple minutes per side. 

    overhead shot of the sandwiches right before they're cooked

    overhead shot of the cooked broccoli, brie and pesto grilled cheese in a cast iron skillet

    A few final thoughts

    This sandwich can also be made with baked tofu in place of the brie for a vegan version. Or use your favourite vegan “brie” cheese. 

    If you don’t feel like making a sandwich, make a pesto power bowl with the charred broccoli, pesto, chickpeas, and quinoa or roasted potatoes instead. 🙂 

    more sandwich recipes

    • Moroccan Breakfast Sandwiches with Egg, Harissa and Mint Tahini Sauce
    • Smashed Chickpea Avocado Dill Pickle Sandwiches
    • Vegan Tempeh BLT Sandwiches

    And that’s all I have to say about these Basil Pesto + Brie Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Charred Broccoli and Chili Honey! If you make them, let me know how you enjoyed them, and if you post a photo to Instagram, be sure to tag it @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen. I love seeing what you have made!

    straight on shot of the grilled cheese sandwiches in a tall stack on a wooden board with a blue background

    Enjoy!  

    Print
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    straight on shot of the pesto, brie, and roasted broccoli grilled cheese sandwiches stacked on top of each other on a wooden board

    Basil Pesto + Brie Grilled Cheese with Charred Broccoli and Chili Honey


    • Author: Allison
    • Total Time: 45 minutes
    • Yield: 3 sandwiches 1x
    • Diet: Vegetarian
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    A touch more sophisticated than your average grilled cheese sandwich, this version combines basil pesto, charred broccoli and red onion, brie, and hot honey for a very flavourful and healthy meal.


    Ingredients

    Scale

    Charred Broccoli and Red Onion

    • 4 cups broccoli florets (from 1 bunch of broccoli)
    • ½ of a large red onion, sliced
    • 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • Pinch each sea salt and pepper

    Basil Pesto (makes extra)

    • ½ cup raw cashews
    • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • ¼ cup nutritional yeast or Parmesan
    • ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste
    • ¼–½ teaspoon sea salt (to taste)
    • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
    • 2 cups fresh basil
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced

    For the sandwiches

    • 1 tablespoon honey
    • Pinch of red pepper flakes
    • 6 slices whole grain sourdough bread
    • 3 tablespoons organic butter
    • Sliced brie, enough to cover the bread slices

    Instructions

    1. Roast the broccoli and onion: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the broccoli florets and onion on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with oregano, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast for 22-25 minutes, until slightly charred in some spots.
    2. Meanwhile, make the basil pesto: Place the cashews in a food processor fitted with the ‘S’ blade and process until coarsely ground. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth.
    3. Warm the honey and red pepper flakes in a small pot over low heat, so that it becomes a bit runny and easier to drizzle.
    4. Finally, make the sandwiches: Spread the outside of each slice of bread with butter. On the inside, spread desired amount of pesto (around 2 tablespoons is a nice amount), followed by some charred broccoli, a drizzle of honey, and a few slices of brie. Top with the second slice of bread.
    5. Warm a skillet (I highly recommend cast iron) over medium heat. Once hot, add the sandwiches (you can only cook one or two at a time, depending on the size of your sandwiches and skillet) and cook for 3-5 minutes per side, until golden and crispy.
    6. Slice and enjoy immediately! If you have any left over, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in a skillet for a couple minutes per side.
    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 30 minutes
    • Category: Main Course

    Keywords: pesto brie broccoli grilled cheese sandwich recipe

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    Tag @upbeet.kitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #upbeetkitchen

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    Hi, I'm Allison! Welcome to Up Beet Kitchen, a food blog that specializes in wholesome and feel good recipes for people on the move! I love to work with whole foods to fuel healthy, active lifestyles.

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