Jenny's Favorite Sandwich

Jenny is in perpetual search for easy, weeknight recipes to attempt to feed her family. When they balk, she just eats more.

Are you sitting around thinking to yourself, “I want to eat the most delicious sandwich in the whole entire world for dinner, if only someone would tell me what it is?” 

Covered! You do need a tad of planning, but just a tad, if you’re going to reap the full benefits of Grilled Aged Cheddar Cheese Sandwich with Pistachio Sage Pesto. By that I mean, make your own apple sauce, which you are probably doing these days anyway, especially if you live on the east coast and have little else to excite you in the market except some tubers, and to procure some sage and, if you don’t have them on hand, pistachios (Trader Joe’s often sells bagged of already-shelled meats, if you care) and sourdough bread. 

I threw the pesto together in the Vitamix and spread it on the bread slices, as instructed, and then tossed on the who-knew ingredient, applesauce. From there the cheese was added, and the entire sandwich went into the pan of butter, and ten minutes from the beginning of this process, we had dinner. I guess I could have made a salad, but hey, so could have someone else! 

Sage and apples are a divine combination, as many of you know from some stove top pork chop weddings, and the sharp fatty goodness of cheddar cheese just brings it all together in a delightful way. 

In closing I would like to say that I think I would like Emily Weinberger to move into my house and make things like this for me every night, and that I have absolutely no compensatory skill or product to offer her whatsoever, except the entire first season of Mary Tyler Moore. 

Grilled Aged Cheddar Cheese Sandwich with Pistachio Sage Pesto by Emily Weinberger

Makes 1 cup pesto, 4 sandwiches

For the Pesto: 

1 cup sage
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup shelled pistachios
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3/4 cup olive oil

For the Sandwiches:

8 slices of your favorite sourdough bread
1 tablespoon pistachio sage pesto
2 teaspoons applesauce
1/4 pound sharp, aged cheddar cheese, sliced
1 tablespoon butter

See the full recipe (and save it and print it) here.

Photo by James Ransom