Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Updated Jun 24, 2024
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Pesto grilled cheese sandwiches are a super fun and delicious way to simply dress up the classic handheld lunch staple with tried-and-true flavors that taste heavenly together.
My son made this sandwich for us the other day, and we fell in love! Such a smart idea on his part (and I have to admit, a proud mama moment for me). He asked me if his sandwich was good enough to make it on the blog, and I told him one-hundred-percent YES. So, here it is! Introducing: Henry’s grilled cheese and pesto sandwich recipe, made complete with a fresh garden tomato.
The tomato is optional, and I like it both ways because pesto plus cheese is a pretty darn delicious combination on its own. But the fresh garden tomato *does* add something magical, so I recommend trying it! You can also add a bit of shredded chicken or deli turkey for a little protein, and pair it with your favorite tomato soup for a meal that warms you all the way through.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Gourmet Twist: One of your favorite comfort foods with a super easy gourmet addition.
- Impressive Yet Simple: Despite being easy to make, this sandwich looks and tastes impressive.
- Quick and Easy: This recipe is straightforward and can be made quickly, making it perfect for a busy weeknight dinner or a quick lunch.
Ingredients
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
Popular Substitutions and Variations
- You could substitute Monterey Jack or Provolone cheese.
- Instead of fresh tomato, sun-dried tomato would be a classic pairing with the pesto.
- Bacon or ham on a grilled cheese is always a win.
How to Make Pesto Grilled Cheese
Step #1. Preheat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Spread pesto on the opposite side of two of the slices.
Step #3. Cook until the side touching the pan is golden and toasted, then flip the sandwich over.
Step #2. Place the two slices with pesto butter side down in the skillet. Add the tomato, if using. Sprinkle half of the cheese on each, then place the remaining slice of bread, butter side up, on top.
Step #4. Continue cooking until the other side is golden and toasted and the cheese is all melted. Remove from pan and serve hot.
Recipe FAQs
You can use ANY cheese you love on grilled cheese — that’s the beauty of this sandwich! Cheddar, Colby jack, and provolone are all super contenders. But because pesto is pretty strong in flavor, I’d say use a milder cheese for this sandwich, like mozzarella.
The reason pesto pairs so nicely in grilled cheese is because, between bread, butter, and melted cheese, it can be a fairly heavy and rich sandwich. The bright, fresh flavors of pesto lighten up the sandwich and complement it nicely. Tomato soup also pairs well because it brings some acidic tang to an otherwise heavy sandwich. Anything light, bright, or tomato-y will go nicely with grilled cheese!
I make an easy pesto using basil, salt, pepper, garlic, pecans, olive oil, a little avocado oil, and grated parmesan (optional). Traditional recipes call for pine nuts, but you can really use any nuts you like and have around!
Absolutely! It has nuts, garlic, and fresh basil, plus healthy fat from the olive oil. It’s packed full of fresh goodness and goes well with so many meals (especially sandwiches, pastas, and marinades for chicken and fish).
Expert Tips
- Don’t overdo the pesto! It might be tempting to really slather it on there but it’s so flavorful that you don’t need a lot.
- If your grilled cheese tend to burn, turn the heat down and cook them more slowly. You might have to wait longer, but it will be worth it.
- If your outside is perfectly toasted but the cheese isn’t melted in the middle, put a lid on the pan for a minute or two. You can even do this on a grill pan or griddle. And if you’re cooking a lot of sandwiches at once, use a cookie sheet as a giant lid on top of them – just use a hot pad when removing it because it WILL get hot.
More Sandwich Recipes to Consider
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Lemon Garlic Hummus Recipe Without Tahini
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Easy Make-Ahead Lunch Ideas for Kids
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Hawaiian Roll Sliders
Sandwich Recipes
Bagel Sandwich
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Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat.
- Butter one side of all 4 pieces of bread.
- Add pesto to the other side of 2 pieces of the bread.
- Place the two pieces of bread with pesto on them in the hot pan, butter side down (against the pan).
- Add the sliced tomato on top of the pesto if using, top with 1/4 cup of shredded cheese on each piece of bread.
- Top with the last piece of buttered bread, butter side up.
- Cook until the bottom piece of bread is toasted and golden-brown.
- Flip it over, and cook on the other side until it is toasted golden-brown and the cheese is melted.
- Remove from the pan, and serve hot.
Notes
- No homemade pesto? We love the Kirkland Signature pesto from the refrigerated section at Costco.
- You can make these with or without the tomato, we like it both ways. A fresh garden tomato with pesto and warm cheese is pretty magical.
- You can customize this sandwich in lots of ways by varying the cheese, bread, or additions.
- Low and slow is the way to cook a grilled cheese that it comes out perfectly golden and toasted.
Such an amazing recipe! We also added slices of turkey. I had all 4 kids loving it (even the 3 that are devout tomato haters enjoyed the sandwiches with tomatoes included!)
Ohhh that sounds wonderful, thank you for sharing!