Creamy Pesto Grilling Cheese Ciabattas
with Tomato, Balsamic Glaze & Potato Wedges
- Wheat
- Soy
- Milk
Our grilling cheese makes the perfect vegetarian sandwich, if we do say so ourselves. Before it’s cooked, the cheese starts off dense and firm. Sear that big hunk of cheese in a bit of oil, however, and the outside gets beautifully charred while the inside gets warm and soft. It took us by surprise, but by golly, it’s tasty. Layer that between toasty ciabatta buns along with juicy tomato, creamy pesto, and a rich balsamic glaze, and you have a next-level sandwich. Being cheesy never tasted so good.
Ingredients
12 ounce
Potatoes
2 unit
Ciabatta
(Contains: Wheat, Soy)
2 tablespoon
Sour Cream
8 ounce
Grilling Cheese
4 tablespoon
Pesto
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Tomato
1 tablespoon
Tuscan Heat Spice
5 teaspoon
Balsamic Glaze
Not included in your delivery
1 tablespoon (tbsp)
Cooking Oil
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry produce. • Cut potatoes into ½-inch-thick wedges. Slice tomato crosswise into ¼-inch-thick rounds. • Toss potatoes on a baking sheet with a large drizzle of oil, 1 tsp Tuscan Heat Spice (2 tsp for 4 servings), salt, and pepper. (You’ll use the remaining Tuscan Heat Spice later.) • Roast on top rack until browned and crispy, 20-25 minutes.
• While potatoes roast, halve ciabattas. Place, cut sides up, directly on oven rack. Toast until golden, 3-5 minutes. • In a small bowl, combine sour cream with half the pesto (all for 4 servings). Season with salt and pepper.
• Halve grilling cheese crosswise. Place remaining Tuscan Heat Spice on a plate; press cheese into spice, coating all over. (It’s OK if not all the spice sticks.) • Heat a drizzle of oil in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat. Add cheese and cook until browned, 1-3 minutes per side.
• Divide buns between plates; spread cut sides of bottom buns with creamy pesto sauce. Drizzle cut sides of top buns with as much balsamic glaze as you like. Fill buns with cheese and tomato. Halve on a diagonal and serve with potato wedges on the side.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many loved the delicious combination of grilling cheese, pesto, and balsamic glaze, calling it a "flavor explosion" 🎉.
- Ease of prep: Customers found this quick and easy to make, with some noting it's perfect for lunch or a weeknight dinner.
- Suggestions: Some recommend slicing the cheese thinner or adding greens like arugula for freshness and balance.
- Portions: Several felt the sandwich was very filling, with some suggesting a lighter side than potatoes.
- Texture: A few found the grilling cheese too thick or rubbery; others loved its unique melty-yet-firm consistency.
Reviews from our home cooks
This was absolutely delicious and easy to make. Never can go wrong with pesto or balsamic glaze. Please bring back more of those grilling cheese recipes that HF had in the past. Those recipes were always my favorite served with roasted or grilled veggies and couscous or farro.
Nothing I would change about this. I was a little braver than the last time I got a dish with the grilling cheese and let it soften more. That and the creamy pesto made this delicious!
The creamy pesto and sweet balsamic complemented the "squeaky cheese" sandwich really well- and the spice on both the potato wedges and cheese added another layer of flavor!
So, so good! I'd never heard of "grilling cheese" but it makes a great sandwich. Love the creamy pesto sauce and will be making it for other things. GREAT recipe!
I love grilled cheese and this was no disappointment. This cheese grills so well! I like the crispness of the outside yet soft an creamy on the inside. My only complaint is about the rolls. I am allergic to corn and since they were dusted with cornmeal I couldn't use them. I'm sure they are great though! This recipe is definitely my favorite so far. Easy to make and I love the pesto and balsamic. I have never had grilled cheese like this. I will definitely order again!
This was delicious and different. And the pesto and balsamic glaze made the sandwich taste light and fresh, and the cheese was so indulgent and rich. Great balance of flavors. The seasoning on the fries was also really good and added a nice heat.
I love this grilling cheese. I had never heard of it until Hello Fresh. I can't seem to find it locally, so short of making it, I'll be choosing it on HF when it's available. The pesto spread and tomatoes added a good balance of fats and fresh acidity. My husband liked the balsamic vinegar punch (I'm not a vinegar fan).
The grilling cheese is such a fun meal! We're big pesto fans so none of it went to waste. The whole meal was done in a few minutes and we enjoyed it thoroughly!
Love that grilling cheese! Mmmmmmmm warm and soft on toasty bread with the pesto spread I crave. Those fat little seasoned baked fries are a satisfying accompaniment that I enjoy popping into my mouth until they're all gone.
That is A LOT of cheese. I was not a huge fan of the sandwich. The pesto and tomato were great but the cheese could have been like half what it was and still be plenty. The potato wedges are BOMB though. Added them to my recipe repertoire for sure.
