The Tri-City Herald's Food & Wine section Nov. 2 will feature Menu Planner, a weekly feature giving seven days of dinner menus, shopping hints and tips on using leftovers from one meal in a new way later in the week. The section also includes more recipes plus buying, cooking and health tips on a variety of food-related subjects.

Pesto Grilled Cheese

A mixture of cheeses is usually advised, but should the cheese be sliced or shredded? This grilled cheese recipe opts for slices and sneaks a little bit of pesto and a slice of tomato into the melt.

Ingredients

2 slices Italian bread

1 tablespoon softened butter, divided

1 tablespoon prepared pesto sauce, divided

1 slice provolone cheese

2 slices tomato

1 slice American cheese

Instructions

Spread one side of a slice of bread with butter, and place it, buttered side down, into a nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Spread the top of the bread slice in the skillet with half the pesto sauce, and place a slice of provolone cheese, the tomato slices and the slice of American cheese onto the pesto.

Spread remaining pesto on one side of the second slice of bread, and place the bread slice, pesto side down, onto the sandwich. Butter the top of the sandwich.

Gently fry the sandwich, flipping once, until both sides of the bread are golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes per side.

Per sandwich: 517 calories (64 percent from fat), 37 grams total fat (20 grams saturated), 82 milligrams cholesterol, 27 grams carbohydrates, 20 grams protein, 1,143 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber.

Source: allrecipes.com

From: The Kansas City Star