Here’s my go-to pesto grilled cheese recipe, with fresh basil pesto, melty mozzarella, and perfectly toasted sourdough bread that gets golden brown and crispy on the outside.
This sandwich has become my lunchtime favorite, and I often make extra pesto to keep in the fridge for quick meals during the week. There’s something so comforting about melted cheese and warm pesto coming together between two slices of toasted bread, don’t you think?
Why You’ll Love This Pesto Grilled Cheese
- Quick meal solution – Ready in just 15-25 minutes, this sandwich is perfect for those busy weeknights when you need something satisfying but don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen.
- Gourmet twist – This isn’t 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.
What Kind of Sourdough Should I Use?
For a grilled cheese sandwich, you’ll want to look for a fresh sourdough that’s sliced nice and thick – about half an inch works great. The standard white sourdough from your local bakery is perfect, though whole wheat sourdough can work too if that’s more your style. Fresh bread will always give you better results than pre-packaged stuff, since it grills up with that perfect golden crust while staying soft inside. Just make sure to avoid bread that’s too sour or too airy with lots of holes, as the cheese might melt right through. If your local bakery offers it, ask for an “sandwich loaf” style sourdough – it’s denser and perfect for grilled cheese.
Options for Substitutions
This sandwich is pretty 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’s sliced thick enough to hold all the fillings.
- Fresh mozzarella: If fresh mozzarella isn’t available, you can use regular low-moisture mozzarella, provolone, or even fontina cheese. Just remember to pat fresh mozzarella dry to prevent a soggy sandwich.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: You can swap these with roasted red peppers or fresh tomato slices (though you’ll want to remove some seeds to avoid excess moisture). In a pinch, you could even use a few thin slices of regular tomatoes, just pat them dry first.
- Bacon: Not into bacon? Try prosciutto, ham, or leave it out for a vegetarian version. For a meat-free option that still adds crunch, try some toasted pine nuts.
- Pesto: Store-bought or homemade pesto both work great here. 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 – mayo actually creates a nice golden crust!
Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking
The biggest challenge when making 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 pesto sparingly.
Heat management is crucial – cooking on too high heat will burn the outside while leaving the cheese unmelted inside, so keep your pan on medium-low heat and be patient as the cheese slowly melts to perfection.
A common mistake is overcrowding the sandwich with fillings, which can lead to everything sliding out – stick to a single layer of each ingredient and press down gently with your spatula while cooking to help everything stick together.
For the crispiest results, butter the outside of your bread slices rather than melting butter in the pan, and don’t flip the sandwich until you see the cheese starting to melt and the bottom bread turning golden brown.
What to Serve With Pesto Grilled Cheese?
A warm, melty pesto grilled cheese is perfect alongside a bowl of classic tomato soup – it’s 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 really nicely 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’re making these sandwiches for lunch, some pickles or marinated vegetables on the side help cut through the richness of the cheese and bacon.
Storage Instructions
Keep Fresh: While pesto grilled cheese is best enjoyed right after making (hello, melty cheese!), you can keep any assembled but uncooked sandwiches in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Just wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container, keeping the butter separate until cooking time.
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. This way, you can quickly assemble your sandwiches whenever you’re ready to cook them.
Enjoy Later: If you end up with leftover cooked sandwiches, wrap them in foil and pop them in the fridge for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to eat, unwrap the sandwich and warm it in a skillet over medium-low heat until the cheese starts to melt again. The bread will get nice and crispy too!
| Preparation Time | 5-10 minutes |
| Cooking Time | 10-15 minutes |
| Total Time | 15-25 minutes |
| Level of Difficulty | Easy |
Estimated Nutrition
Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):
- Calories: 1500-1700
- Protein: 50-60 g
- Fat: 90-100 g
- Carbohydrates: 130-150 g
Ingredients
- 8 thick slices of sourdough bread
- 3 balls fresh mozzarella (each 125g), sliced thin and dried
- 8 sun-dried tomatoes, dried and chopped
- 4 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
- 4 generous tablespoons pesto
- Butter, as required
Step 1: 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.
Step 2: Add the Fillings
On each slice of bread in the pan, place 3-4 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.
Step 3: 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.
Step 4: 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.
Step 5: 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!