Description
A delicious and easy-to-make Pesto Grilled Cheese sandwich featuring crunchy bread, melted mozzarella, and a flavorful layer of pesto, cooked to golden perfection on a skillet or electric griddle.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Sandwiches
- 8 slices of crunchy bread (Sourdough, French, or Italian loaves work best)
- 4-5 tablespoons butter, softened
- 8-10 teaspoons pesto
- 8 ounces low moisture mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Heat the Pan or Griddle: Heat a large pan or skillet over medium-low heat. Alternatively, use a large electric griddle preheated to medium-low to cook multiple sandwiches simultaneously.
- Butter the Bread: Butter one side of each slice of bread with a light, even coat. These buttered sides will be the outside of the sandwiches, helping them crisp up beautifully.
- Spread the Pesto: On the non-buttered sides of the bread, spread about 1 teaspoon of pesto evenly. Use a thin, even layer to avoid oversaturating the bread, which ensures the perfect balance of flavor and texture.
- Prepare the Cheese: Slice the mozzarella into even pieces, aiming for about 2 slices per sandwich (total 8 slices). Adjust slice size to cover most of the bread slice, allowing room for the cheese to melt and spread slightly.
- Assemble the Sandwiches: Place the mozzarella slices onto the pesto-coated sides of 4 bread slices. Then top with the remaining 4 slices of bread, ensuring the buttered sides face outward.
- Cook the First Side: Place one sandwich onto the heated skillet or griddle and cook for 3-4 minutes until the bread reaches your desired level of crispiness.
- Flip and Cook the Other Side: Flip the sandwich carefully and cook for an additional 2-4 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and the bread is crisp and golden.
- Repeat Cooking: Repeat the cooking process for the remaining sandwiches, using the same timing for consistent results.
- Serve Immediately: Serve the pesto grilled cheese sandwiches hot to enjoy the gooey, cheesy filling and crispy bread at their best.
Notes
- Use crunchy, sturdy bread such as sourdough, French, or Italian to best support the filling and hold up to cooking.
- Adjust pesto quantity based on bread size and personal preference; too much can make the bread soggy.
- Low moisture mozzarella melts well and helps avoid excess moisture in the sandwich.
- For cooking multiple sandwiches at once, an electric griddle is an efficient tool.
- Butter should be softened for easy spreading and even coverage.
- Keep heat at medium-low to avoid burning the bread before the cheese melts completely.
