Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe: Quick And Easy

If you love pesto you’ll love these pesto grilled cheese sandwiches. They’re quick, easy, inexpensive and delicious. Great for lunch or dinner – or just a snack.

While you are here be sure to checkout these Chicken Birria Grilled Cheese and this Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese.

There is nothing better than a traditional grilled cheese sandwich; but we had to take these to a whole new level by adding that pesto!

What is pesto?

Pesto is usually a sauce that is made by mixing up crushed basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and parmesan cheese. It originated in Italy, and is often times served with pasta.

Chicken pesto has become a super popular dish as well.

Gather the ingredients for this recipe:

This recipe has a super quick prep time, and easy to make, and only takes these few ingredients:

• Sliced bread: we used a multigrain bread for this recipe. Other great choices would be fresh Italian bread, or sourdough bread.
• Sliced cheese: a great melting cheese is highly recommended for any delicious grilled cheese sandwich! Muenster, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, and parmesan cheese are all great options.
• Pesto: you can definitely buy the premade basil pesto in a jar at your local grocery store.
• Butter: unsalted, room temperature butter is best so that you can spread it out on your bread slices

How to make pesto grilled cheese sandwich:

Start by placing your bread out on a clean dry surface, like a cutting board or plate. Then follow these instructions:

1. Spread pesto onto one slice of bread.
2. Add your sliced cheese directly on top of the pesto.
3. Place your other optional additions on top of the slice cheese. Also add your shredded cheese inside the other slice.
4. Carefully close the sandwich. Spread butter all over each side of each slice of bread. Place a little bit of the cheddar cheese directly into the skillet or griddle, and put the sandwich right on top of the cheese.

Grill the sandwich on each side for 3-5 minutes. Check periodically to make sure it is not burning. Flip it over and cook on the other side until you have gooey melty cheese!

What kind of cheese goes with pesto?

There are so many delicious cheeses that pair great with pesto. Try different variations like gruyere, white cheddar, parmesan, gouda, and provolone cheese.

Mild to medium flavored cheeses are best because the basil pesto has a very strong flavor.

Additions to your grilled cheese:

One of our absolute favorite additions to add to this pesto grilled cheese is sun dried tomatoes! They add such a delicious punch of flavor to the sandwich.

Some other great additions would be:

• Pepperoni
• Red peppers
• Fresh spinach
• Red onion
• Sautéed garlic and onions

Anything that you can imagine pairing well with cheese, would be a great variation to these sandwiches!

Continue to Content

📖 Recipe

Yield: 2 Sandwiches

Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe: Quick And Easy

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

If you love pesto you’ll love these pesto grilled cheese sandwiches. They’re quick, easy, inexpensive and delicious. Great for lunch or dinner – or just a snack.

Print

Ingredients

• 4 slices Bread, multigrain used for this particular recipe
• 2 tablespoons Basil pesto
• 4 slices Cheese, muenster, swiss, or mozzarella are delicious
• 2 cups Shredded cheese, cheddar or Colby jack (to add directly inside sandwiches)
• 1 cup Shredded cheese, (to add on outside of sandwiches)
• 3 tablespoons Butter, unsalted room temperature
• ¼ cup Sun dried tomatoes, (optional but highly recommended)!

Instructions

1. Place the four slices of bread out on a clean dry surface. Spread one tablespoon of the basil pesto onto a piece of the bread for one sandwich.
2. Place two slices of cheese directly on top of the pesto. Now add the shredded cheddar cheese to the other slice of bread.
3. Add the sun dried tomatoes directly on top of the cheese if you are using them.
4. Pick up both pieces of the bread and gently put them together so the cheeses and pesto are on the inside of the sandwich.
5. Spread the butter all over the outside piece of bread, be sure to cover the entire slice.
6. Heat a skillet over medium heat, add ¼ cup of the shredded cheese directly into the skillet, in a pile that is about the size of your bread.
7. Gently place the buttered side of the bread directly into the pile of cheese. While it is cooking, butter the side of the bread that is facing up, and sprinkle another ¼ cup of cheese directly onto the butter.
8. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until it is golden brown, then flip it over and cook another 3-5 minutes. Remove from the skillet and serve immediately.
9. Follow these steps to build and grill the other sandwich.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Orblue Serrated Bread Knife Ultra-Sharp Stainless Steel Professional Grade Bread Cutter - Cuts Thick Loaves Effortlessly - Ideal for Slicing Bread, Bagels, Cake (8-Inch Blade with 4.9-Inch Handle)
• 
  365 by Whole Foods Market, Tomatoes Sundried In Extra Virgin Olive Oil Organic, 8.5 Ounce
• 
  Gorilla Grip Nonstick Flexible Silicone Spatula, Nonporous, BPA Free, Heat Resistant, No Scratch Kitchen Cookware, Comfortable Soft Handle, Dishwasher Safe, Flip Burgers, Pancakes, 11.6 Inch, Gray
• 
  Filippo Berio Classic Pesto, 6.7 Ounce Glass Jar
• 
  Circulon 14" Helper Handle Hard Anodized Aluminum Skillet, Inch, Oyster Gray
• 
  Wood Cutting Board Set - Bamboo Cutting Board with Juice Groove - Kitchen Chopping Board for Meat (Butcher Block) Cheese and Vegetables | Heavy Duty Serving Tray w/Handles (3)

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 629Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 146mgSodium: 178mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 6gSugar: 3gProtein: 35g

This website provides approximate nutrition information as a courtesy and for convenience only.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog and tag me in your photo on Instagram or Facebook!