Smoked Bacon and Watercress Pesto Sandwich
Jazz up lunch and picnics with this grilled smokey bacon and spring watercress pesto sandwich (partnered post).
You ever get tired of the same old, same old lunch? If you are anything like me then that is a big fat yes.
I tend to travel away from home quite regularly. And when I do, I rely on easy things like soups and salads for lunch. Don’t get me wrong I do get the good stuff, but even the really, really, really good stuff gets samey after a while. Spicy butternut squash soup, I am looking at you.
So I have been thinking of how to jazz up my lunch box in a tasty, easy and and eaten on the go way. Enter my grilled smokey bacon and spring watercress pesto sandwich, chock-a-block full of vegetables and spring watercress. It is the sort of sandwich that travels well and tastes good eaten cold. Not only that, but it can be eaten as a salad subbing in couscous, quinoa or more vegetables instead of the bread.
I kept the pesto garlic free in view of the fact this this is a lunch on the go or picnic type recipe. But feel free to add in a clove or two if you prefer.
And I cannot help but impress upon you how much of a difference good quality tasty bacon makes to this bacon and watercress pesto sandwich. Personally the kiddoes and I have been digging the delicious British spoiltpig bacon made from freedom farmed ‘spoilt’ pigs. Although I prefer to make this with their smoked streaky bacon, the smoked back bacon works too. Try it both ways and see what you prefer.
Fancy trying some spoiltpig bacon youself? Well I am pleased to tell you that you can win yourself a hamper which includes the South West’s best tasting and award winning produce. There’s thirst quenching apple juice courtesy of Four Elms Fruit Farm, Natural Vitality’s delicious organic smoked hummous and a delightful coconut & lime cake from Farleigh Road Farm Shop and, of course, spoiltpig’s deliciously tasting bacon and gammon.
Between 16th – 22nd May, either tell spoiltpig what your favourite picnic moment is / was / might be, or send them a picture and, with my help, they will pick 7 lucky winners. You can submit your comment at www.spoiltpig.co.uk, or their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages, but only one entry per person please! Remember to include #spoiltpig with your entry. Then relax, sit back (with a bacon sarnie : )) and keep your eyes peeled. They will be announcing the winners on Wednesday 25th May and send out hampers on Thursday 26th May so that the lucky winners have them in time for the long weekend.
This post is in collaboration with spoiltpig. Thank you for supporting the brands that make it possible for me to continue cooking up great recipes for you. All opinions are my own.
Don't forget to tag #recipesfromapantry on Instagram or Twitter if you try Bacon and Watercress Pesto Sandwich! It is really, really awesome for me when you make one of my recipes and I'd love to see it. You can also share it on my Facebook page. Please pin this recipe to Pinterest too! Thank you for reading Recipes from a Pantry.
Bacon and Watercress Pesto Sandwich
Ingredients
For the watercress pesto:
- 100 g (3.5oz) watercress
- 50 g (1.7oz) Parmesan
- 50 g cashews dry roasted
- Olive oil to taste
- Smoked Salt
- Olive oil to taste
For the sandwich:
- Butter
- 12 slices smoked streaky bacon I used spoiltpig’s
- 4 sandwich rolls
- A handful of grilled peppers
- A hand full of sundried tomatoes sliced
- A handful of radishes sliced
- A handful of rocket arugula
Instructions
- Heat 1/2 tsp butter in a pan and fry the bacon until done, turning half way through. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.
- To make the pesto put the watercress, parmesan, cashew nuts and salt into a food processor and whiz into a paste. Transfer to a container and mix as much olive oil as you want.
- Assemble your sandwiches starting with the sandwich base, then pesto, bacon, peppers, sundried tomatoes, radishes, rocket and and sandwich top.
Quick easy delicious
Wow, this is a gorgeous sandwich! So colorful!
That photo – I just want to dive right in! Love all the flavors – can’t wait to try it!
😀
Oh, that looks delicious!
Wish I could readily get watercress here – I rarely see it, and when I do, it’s ridiculously expensive – considered a luxury. I’ll just have to figure out something else.
Anne, you could use rocket (arugula) for the pesto.
This looks like quite a sandwich, and I can tell you that I’d looooove to wrap my hands around it! Love the radishes and the greens and pesto! Yum!
Thank you.
Bacon is something I dislike, but am overuled in my house, my hubby would just love this.
Hahahaha – In this case I am glad you are overuled.
That’s a lot of sandwich – I might need to share one of those. Great picture!
Thanks Sarah.
Wow, this sandwich looks incredible! Love all the flavors! And I have to say, having lived in England for 7 years I dearly miss the bacon there, I’ll bet Spoiltpig is amazing!
Oh you have noooooo idea how good spoiltpig bacon is.
Wow! What a wonderful looking recipe!! Thank you for sharing.
😀
That sandwich looks amazing, B! I’m really loving the watercress pesto, I seriously want to try it. Yum!
Watercress is all around at the moment so perfect for pesto.
What a great looking sandwich. I’m so loving the watercress pesto you’ve created.
Thanks Molly.
Omg Bintu this sandwich is gorgeous! Looking at the picture is making me really hungry! I like Spoilt Pig, bacon makes everything taste better 🙂
You got it Diana – spoiltpig bacon makes this awesome.
Oh wow. That watercress… that bacon… OH MY GOODNESS! I could really go for that sandwich right about now!!
So do I Betsy. I need to make it again.
Such a beautiful sandwich! Love it!
Hahahaha. Too pretty to eat right?
Oh my. I could have this three times a day! Which is why I don’t make sandwiches for myself. But if I did, it would be this one! Beautiful bacon!
I did have it three times when testing. Lucky lucky me.
What a beautiful sandwich! So many lovely colours and flavours. The watercress pesto sounds divine.
It is – and canbe made with other greens as well.
That’s a great looking sandwich. Everything is better when you add bacon!!
That is the spirit.
Oh what a stunning sandwich (or butty as they are known around here). Wonderful colours that would brighten up any lunchtime. Good plan to omit the garlic for afternoon freshness!
Thanks Helen. Although the garlic might come in handy if meeting vampires….
I do like spoilt pig and the idea behind it – really reassures me about quality. So I guess I’ll be trying to win that hamper!
Good luck
Now this looks really lovely and isn’t a combination I would have ever thought of putting together!
It really does work a treat Stephen.