My son loves pesto so much he’s been known to eat it straight out of the jar by the spoonful. When I can get him to stop licking the spoon, pesto also makes it easy to upgrade a few kid favorites! Below are two of our favorite ways to take standard meals from everyday to gourmet. For jarred pesto, we love the dairy-free option from Meditalia.

Pesto Grilled Cheese:

Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil evenly over two slices of whole wheat or multigrain bread, spreading to the edges. Turn over and spread the other sides of the bread with 1 tablespoon pesto (homemade or jarred). Top with 1 or 2 slices of Daiya cheddar, and sandwich between the bread. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side over medium heat, until browned. Best served with a bowl of tomato soup!

Pesto Ravioli:

Instead of tomato sauce, we recently subbed in pesto over tofu-filled ravioli for a preschooler-approved dinner. For an extra gourmet touch, squeeze on a little lemon juice as well.