Fontina & Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

with Maitake Mushrooms & Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds

30 MIN

2 Servings

From the Test Kitchen

For this sophisticated spin on classic comfort food, we’re featuring maitake mushrooms—an exceptionally tasty, ruffled variety. The mushrooms’ bold, earthy flavor is a perfect match for the creamy Fontina and homemade arugula-almond pesto in our grilled cheese sandwiches. We’re serving more of the mushrooms and pesto on the side, to dress up slices of roasted sweet potato.

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Nutrition

PER SERVING
Calories

700 Cals (est.)

fresh

ingredients

4 slices Sourdough Bread
4 oz Fontina Cheese
4 oz Maitake Mushrooms
2 cloves Garlic
2 oz Arugula
½ lb Sweet Potato
2 Tbsps Sliced Almonds
1 Shallot
1 Tbsp Sherry Vinegar

time-saving

tips & techniques

step-by-step

instructions

Cook Along

1 Prepare the ingredients:

Preheat the oven to 475°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Slice the sweet potato into ¼-inch-thick rounds. Tear the mushrooms into bite-sized pieces. Peel and mince the garlic. Cut off and discard any rind from the cheese; thinly slice the cheese. Finely chop the almonds. Peel the shallot; mince to get 2 tablespoons (you may have extra). Place in a medium bowl with the vinegar.

2 Roast the sweet potato:

Place the sweet potato on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to thoroughly coat. Arrange in a single, even layer and roast, flipping halfway through, 22 to 24 minutes, or until lightly browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and set aside in a warm place.

3 Brown the mushrooms:

While the sweet potato roasts, in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 6 minutes, or until browned and slightly crispy. Add the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the garlic is lightly browned and fragrant; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate. Wipe out the pan.

4 Make the pesto:

While the sweet potato continues to roast, in the same pan, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the arugula; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until wilted. Transfer to a cutting board and finely chop. Transfer to the bowl with the shallot-vinegar mixture. Stir in the almonds; season with salt and pepper. Slowly stir in enough olive oil to create a rough paste; season with salt and pepper to taste. Wipe out the pan.

5 Assemble & cook the sandwiches:

While the sweet potato continues to roast, place the bread slices on a work surface. Divide half the pesto (reserving the rest) between 2 of the bread slices. Top with the cheese and half the browned mushrooms (reserving the rest); season with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining bread slices. In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium until hot. Add the sandwiches and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until browned and the cheese has melted. (If the pan seems dry, add an additional teaspoon of olive oil before flipping the sandwiches.) Transfer to a cutting board.

6 Plate your dish:

Cut the cooked sandwiches in half. Divide the sandwiches, roasted sweet potato and remaining browned mushrooms between 2 plates. Top the sweet potato and mushrooms with a few spoonfuls of the remaining pesto. Enjoy!