Avocado Beet Pesto Sandwich

1. Turn oven on to broil setting and lay slices of rustic bread on a baking sheet. Broil in the oven for 1 minute, then remove bread from oven and add slices of cheese. Put bread and cheese back in the oven and broil until cheese is melted and begins to brown, about 1-2 minutes.
2. Remove from oven and add desired about of beet pesto sauce (see recipe below), red onion, and thick slices of avocado.

For the Roasted Beet Pesto:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Wash and scrub one medium-sized beet and pat dry. Chop into 1/2″ cubes and transfer to a sheet of foil. Wrap chopped beet in foil, making a foil packet.
3. Put packet on a baking sheet.
4. Roast in the oven for 50 minutes, or until beets are softened and the juices are seeping out.
5. Allow beets to cool completely.
6. Add all ingredients except for the oil to a food processor or blender and pulse several times.
7. Leaving the food processor (or blender) running, slowly add the olive oil until all ingredients are well combined. If the pesto is too thick for your blender to process, add small amounts of water until desired consistency is reached.

Julia Mueller writes the food blog, The Roasted Root, where she shares nutritious, easy-to-prepare recipes, that cater to vegetarians as well as meat eaters. When Julia is not developing recipes and snapping photos, she’s typically trail running or mountain biking.