I’m always looking for quick and easy lunches, but it’s hard to get the three year old to diversify from a ham sandwich or ham wrap. He know what he likes and sticks with it.
The boys are big pesto fans, their absolute favourite dinner is “pasta pesto”, and I encourage it as it’s so handy. Surprisingly, they prefer green pesto to red, and even the non vegetable eating one yums it up. But try to add it to a sandwich and there are confused looks and protestations.
That’s why this recipe was slightly risky, but it was well received so I’m sharing.
I had partbaked ciabatta left over after my big Christmas shop (I bought enough food for the town but ran out of milk) and I wanted to use it.
As a child I remember zany TV ads for frozen “French bread pizza” with bright graphics and loud pop music, these are, if you like, a classier version of those bright red, cardboard looking delicacies that I so craved in the 80’s.
So Pesto Pizza Slices were born. These work well as a quick lunch, or as a starter for a bigger meal. Fancy them up with goats cheese and sundried tomato, add ham, add spring onion. Let the kids assemble their one. Anything works.
Pesto Pizza Slices
Ingredients
Part baked ciabatta (as many as you need)
Jar of Pesto – about 1 teaspoon per half ciabatta, or more if you LOVE it
Grated Cheese (we used cheddar, but any melting cheese would work well) as much as you like
Preheat oven according to ciabatta pack instructions.
Slice each ciabatta in half, spread pesto on top, sprinkle with cheese.
Cook in oven for slightly less than the pack instructions, the bread should cook nicely and the cheese melt.
Um, all done. Enjoy.
Bumbles of Rice 
I love these and have been making them for years. I always have part baked rolls on stand by for this quick and easy meal. They are great dunked into tomato soup too or topped like a real pizza with tomatoes, olives, peppers.
My 3yo loves them too inspite of claiming that she doesn’t like cheese.
We love tomato soup here too, I tend to use the partbaked rolls to make paninis, but these are definitely on the menu from now on. Thanks for commenting.
Yum – my kids love pesto too so I will be investing in some ciabatta now for a bit of variety. I can never find a jar of pesto that I love though – any recommendations? My favourite pesto was Love Olive but it’s gone from Superquinn in the last few weeks. I bought a Marks and Spencer fresh pesto last weekend and it was fab, but would love to find a jar brand that’s at least almost as good…
The kids love the quite bland Aldi own brand jar so that’s what I buy.. The Aldi specially selected one isn’t bad especially in the red version, but there’s nothing like the fresh stuff really.
Lovely idea, pesto is a favourite in our house too! We use the fresh one from Lidl, when I can find it – if I have left overs, I top it up with olive oil and it lasts a good few days in the fridge, it’s really handy.
It’s so handy isn’t it to add flavour to everything. I was convinced my 2nd boy wouldn’t like it but thankfully he does 🙂