Grilled Cheese Pesto Sandwich

This Grilled Cheese Pesto Sandwich has some of my favorite items in it: cheese, tomatoes, and pesto. So good! Together, they are fantastic in this savory sandwich served on sour dough bread.

It was probably one of the first meals my mom taught me to cook by myself…grilled cheese sandwiches.

They’re delicious alone, but so yummy dipped into a hot cup of tomato bisque soup. Scrumptious!

I’m sad to say that I’m all grown up now, but I still love a classic grilled cheese.

But hold up…what about adding some pesto sauce in there, and maybe use two different cheeses? YES!

Making a Grilled Cheese Pesto Sandwich

Depending on the size bread you have will determine how much, or how many, ingredients you’ll need.

For example, if you have a normal square-sized piece of bread, you’ll probably need two slices of provolone cheese and two slices of American cheese.

If, however, you have bread like the San Luis Sourdough I used in these photos, you’ll need three pieces of each cheese, because the bread is wider.

Just eye-ball it, but if you’re not sure about how many slices to put on, err on the side of caution and throw it on.

Can you have too much cheese on a grilled cheese sandwich? I didn’t think so.

Ok, let’s assemble this bad boy.

Have your two pieces of bread out and open, ready to receive ingredients.

Spread the pesto on each piece of bread. I have an amazing recipe for Classic Basil Pesto that would be perfect here, or you can use store bought.

Now, let’s layer everything on just one side to keep things easy.

After the pesto, lay down the provolone cheese slices, then the tomatoes, and then lastly, the American cheese.

Place the other bread slice on top, pesto down. In other words, the pesto is now directly on the American cheese.

Spread butter on that top slice of bread, then grab the sandwich with both hands, flip it over, and place it butter-side down into the pan.

Now, butter that top piece of bread, too.

The butter is what makes that beautiful golden brown color…not to mention how good butter tastes.

Cook the sandwich on medium heat, watching the bottom turn that golden brown.

Lift up a corner with the spatula to check the color. A dark brown is totally ok, don’t worry about it. Black, well…maybe it cooked just a wee bit longer than necessary.

Once it’s browned to the perfect color, carefully flip it over to brown the other side, then you’re done.

If it does get a bit charred, lightly run a serrated knife over the surface until you get down to the less-burnt bread. I know this trick, because I’ve don’t it once or twice.

Grilled Cheese tips and additions

I like the cheese really melted, so I cook my sandwich in a saute pan, then place a lid on it while it’s browning.

The lid holds the heat in to thoroughly melt the cheese throughout the sandwich.

Also, when the cheese is all gooey and melted, it makes flipping it over easier, because everything is stuck together.

Additions for this sandwich could be sliced turkey or ham, fresh spinach, sliced avocado, or bacon. Yes, bacon.

Everything’s better with bacon on it, right? Well, just about everything.

What can I serve this with?

Nothing, it’s that good. Maybe a glass of water. LOL

No, ok, this Grilled Cheese Pesto Sandwich would pair perfectly with a traditional tomato bisque soup, or any soup really.

Try some fresh Homemade Chicken Soup with this sandwich on a cold day — so good.

How about a handful of potato chips, or a side of fresh fruit. A side salad.

What would you serve it with? Let me know in the comments below and you can rate the recipe there, too. Thanks.

Grilled Cheese Pesto Sandwich

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