I have been working as a Registered Dietitian for 8 years now, the majority of which has been spent working as a clinical inpatient RD in a hospital. I specialize primarily in critical care and stroke nutrition. In 2020 I opened my virtual private practice, Gut Healthy Dietitian, where I specialize primarily in gut and digestive-health related diseases and conditions. I have an Honours Bachelor of Science in Nutrition as well as a Graduate Diploma of Integrated Dietetic Internship.

Pear & Brie Pesto Grilled Cheese

Name: Pear & Brie Pesto Grilled Cheese
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: Sourdough Bread; Brie Cheese; Pear; Pesto; Extra-virgin Olive Oil

Recipe by Kelsey Russell-Murray

Ingredients

Time

Serves

The combination of gooey Brie, savoury pesto and sweet pear on crunchy, buttery bread is too good! So many flavours that work so well together. This delicious sandwich may be indulgent, but you can still support your gut health by choosing sourdough or sprouted bread and using olive oil instead of butter.

Vegetarian

Lunch

Quick Meal

Ingredients

4 slices

Sourdough Bread

8 1/2" thick slices

Brie Cheese

Pear

cored and sliced

4 Tbsp

Pesto

2 Tbsp

Extra-virgin Olive Oil

Instructions

Heat a large frying pan or skillet over medium-low heat.

To assemble the sandwiches: Brush one side of each bread slice with olive oil. Coat the other side of each bread slice with pesto. Layer one piece of bread with 3-4 slice of Brie and half of the pear. Transfer to frying pan or skillet.

Cover sandwiches and let cook or 2-3 minutes, until the bread starts to brown and the cheese starts to melt. Flip the sandwiches and then cover again. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the bread is browned and the cheese is melted.

Serve and enjoy!

Substitutions: Use gluten free bread if gluten free. Use sprouted wheat or whole wheat bread if you prefer. Use margarine or butter for olive oil. Omit pesto or swap for alternative spread of your choice – red pepper jelly would be delicious! Swap Brie for cheese of your choice, old cheddar would be tasty!