How to Use A Grown-Up Grilled Cheese Sandwich to Talk to Kids About Flavors & Textures

by Jenni Ward, Food Blogger at The Gingered Whisk 

A classic grilled cheese sandwich is great, but it’s even better to level it up and add in some fun “adult” ingredients. Adding CHEF'S CRAFT® Grilled Chicken Breast Fillets and basil pesto is a simple way to make a classic sandwich more flavorful and fun for adults, without it being too much for kids, too.

To make my Pesto Chicken Grilled Cheese, layer crusty sourdough bread with basil pesto, CHEF'S CRAFT® Grilled Chicken Breast Fillets, and plenty of provolone cheese, before toasting and grilling on a skillet!

Serve this pesto chicken sandwich with your favorite soup, like tomato basil, or a side salad. Add colorful ingredients to plates when you serve this sandwich - mini bell peppers, carrots, and sugar snap peas all offer great crunchy texture in a variety of colors! Adding fruits like raspberries, blueberries or fresh cherries add a great juicy burst of flavor and color, too.

This leveled-up grilled cheese sandwich offers a great opportunity to talk about all different kinds of flavors, smells, colors, and textures with kids, too. Below are some fun conversation starters that are sure to lead to interesting and exciting family chats.

1. Talk about the texture! What is the texture of your bread? Is it soft or crunchy? How is the texture of your bread different from the texture of the melted cheese? What kind of texture do you think the chicken adds to the sandwich.
2. Talk about smells! How does your sandwich smell? Can you detect the smells of the different ingredients? What does the smell remind you of?
3. What flavors can you detect? What flavors do you think would add to this sandwich?
4. What colors do you see on your plate? Did we make the entire rainbow? How could we add more colors?

Inviting kids into the kitchen to cook is not only important for their independence and teaching them important life skills, but it also helps them to be more confident and curious in their own eating habits.

This chicken pesto grilled cheese helps kids practice their spreading technique, their sandwich building techniques, and their griddle work.

• Kids aged 1-3 can help you add the cheese slices to the sandwiches.
• Kids aged 4-6 can do everything above, plus help spread the pesto and butter on the sandwiches.
• Kids aged 7-10+ can help you do everything above, plus help cook the chicken.

Click here to get the full recipe for Pesto Grilled Cheese, and be sure to tag @ChefsCraftGourmet and @TheGingeredWhisk in photos on social media, so we can see your sandwich!

About the Author:

Jenni Ward is an Iowa mama of three and blogs at The Gingered Whisk. She is passionate about raising kids who are adventurous eaters through quick and healthy weeknight meals inspired by global cuisine!