This Best Pesto Grilled Cheese recipe is the ultimate way to upgrade your lunch routine with fresh basil pesto, melty mozzarella, and perfectly toasted sourdough. It is a gourmet sandwich that brings comforting Italian flavors to your kitchen in less than 25 minutes.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Recipe
There is a reason this Best Pesto Grilled Cheese has become a household favorite. Here is why you will want to make it today:
- Quick meal solution: Ready in just 15-25 minutes, this sandwich is perfect for busy weeknights when you need something satisfying but do not have hours to spend in the kitchen.
- Gourmet twist: This is not your ordinary grilled cheese. The combination of fresh mozzarella, pesto, and sun-dried tomatoes brings Italian-inspired flavors to a classic comfort food.
- Simple ingredients: While it tastes fancy, you only need a handful of ingredients that are easy to find at your local grocery store.
- Customizable recipe: You can easily adapt this sandwich to your taste by using different types of bread, switching up the cheese, or adding more vegetables.
Ingredients
To make the Best Pesto Grilled Cheese, you will need the following ingredients:
- 3 balls of fresh mozzarella (125g each), sliced thin
- Butter for grilling (such as Kerrygold Cultured Butter)
- 4 tablespoons of pesto (homemade or a good quality store-bought brand like Barilla)
- 8 thick slices of sourdough bread
- 4 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped until crispy and crumbled
- 8 sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped for even distribution
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prepare the Sandwich Base: Place two slices of bread in a frying pan. If your pan is large enough, you can place four slices to prepare two sandwiches at once. Ensure that the pan is off the heat during this step. Spread butter generously on the top side of each bread slice, then flip them so they are butter side down, ready for the toppings.
- Add the Fillings: On each slice of bread in the pan, place 3 to 4 thin slices of mozzarella cheese. Follow this with a heaped tablespoon of pesto. Add sun-dried tomatoes and pieces of bacon on top of the pesto. Add another layer of mozzarella cheese over the toppings for extra gooeyness. Top each assembly with another slice of bread, creating a sandwich.
- Final Preparation Before Cooking: With the sandwiches assembled, press down gently with your hands to ensure the fillings are contained. Spread butter on the top side of the bread slices to prepare them for frying.
- Cook the Sandwiches: Turn the heat on to medium and allow the pan to slowly warm up. Fry both sides of the sandwiches until they are golden brown, flipping as needed. The cheese should be melted through the center for a deliciously gooey interior.
- Serve and Enjoy: Once the sandwiches are cooked to a golden perfection, remove them from the pan. Let them cool for a moment before serving. Enjoy your pesto, sun-dried tomato, and bacon sandwiches with melty mozzarella goodness!
Expert Tips / Pro Tips
The biggest challenge when making the Best Pesto Grilled Cheese is dealing with excess moisture. Wet mozzarella or oily pesto can make your bread soggy, so be sure to pat the mozzarella dry with paper towels and spread the pesto sparingly.
Heat management is also crucial. Cooking on too high a heat will burn the outside while leaving the cheese unmelted inside. Keep your pan on medium-low heat and be patient as the cheese slowly melts to perfection.
For the crispiest results, butter the outside of your bread slices rather than melting butter in the pan. Also, do not flip the sandwich until you see the cheese starting to melt and the bottom bread turning a beautiful golden brown.
Variations & Substitutions
This sandwich is very flexible, and you can switch things up based on what you have in your kitchen:
- Sourdough bread: While sourdough gives a nice tangy flavor, you can use any sturdy bread like country white, whole grain, or Italian bread. Just make sure it is sliced thick enough to hold all the fillings.
- Fresh mozzarella: If fresh mozzarella is not available, you can use regular low-moisture mozzarella, provolone, or even fontina cheese.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: You can swap these with roasted red peppers or fresh tomato slices (remove the seeds to avoid excess moisture).
- Bacon: Try prosciutto or ham, or leave it out for a vegetarian version. For a meat-free option that still adds crunch, try some toasted pine nuts.
- Pesto: You can also try other varieties like sun-dried tomato pesto or red pepper pesto for a different spin.
- Butter: While butter gives the best flavor, you can use olive oil or mayonnaise for grilling. Mayonnaise actually creates an incredibly even golden crust!
Serving Suggestions
A warm, melty Best Pesto Grilled Cheese is perfect alongside a bowl of classic tomato soup for the ultimate comfort food upgrade. For something lighter, try serving it with a simple arugula salad dressed with lemon juice and olive oil, which pairs beautifully with the pesto flavors. You could also go with some crispy sweet potato fries or a bowl of roasted red pepper soup for dipping. If you are making these sandwiches for lunch, some pickles or marinated vegetables on the side help cut through the richness of the cheese and bacon.
Storage, Freezing & Reheating
Keep Fresh: While this sandwich is best enjoyed right after making, you can keep assembled but uncooked sandwiches in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container.
Prep Ahead: Save time by cooking your bacon and chopping ingredients in advance. Store the cooked bacon and prepped ingredients separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Enjoy Later: If you have leftover cooked sandwiches, wrap them in foil and keep them in the fridge for up to 2 days. To reheat, unwrap the sandwich and warm it in a skillet over medium-low heat until the cheese starts to melt again. This helps the bread get nice and crispy again.
Nutrition Information
The following table provides estimated nutrition for the total recipe (approximately 4 sandwiches), excluding optional ingredients.
| Nutrient | Estimated Amount |
| Calories | 1500-1700 kcal |
| Protein | 50-60 g |
| Fat | 90-100 g |
| Carbohydrates | 130-150 g |
Best Pesto Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
Method
- Place two slices of bread in a frying pan (off heat), spread butter generously on the top side, then flip them so they are butter side down.Butter, 8 slices sourdough bread
- Layer 3-4 slices of mozzarella, a heaped tablespoon of pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and bacon on the bread, then add another layer of mozzarella and top with the second bread slice.3 balls fresh mozzarella, 4 tablespoons pesto, 4 strips bacon, 8 sun-dried tomatoes
- Press down gently on the sandwiches and spread butter on the top side of the bread slices.Butter
- Turn the heat to medium and fry both sides until golden brown and the cheese is melted through the center.
- Remove from pan, let cool for a moment, and serve.
Notes
FAQ
What is the best bread for a pesto grilled cheese?
A fresh sourdough sliced about half an inch thick is ideal. It provides a sturdy structure and a tangy flavor that complements the pesto. Avoid bread with too many large holes, as the cheese will melt through them.
How do I stop my grilled cheese from getting soggy?
The key is to pat your fresh mozzarella dry with paper towels before slicing. Additionally, spread the pesto in a thin, even layer rather than using too much, which can add excess oil to the bread.
Can I use mayonnaise instead of butter?
Yes! Many chefs prefer mayonnaise for the outside of the bread because it has a higher smoke point and creates a very even, golden-brown crust without burning as easily as butter.
Is fresh mozzarella better than shredded?
Fresh mozzarella offers a superior “cheese pull” and a creamy flavor. However, shredded low-moisture mozzarella is easier to work with if you are worried about the sandwich becoming too wet.