Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich

This Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich made on sourdough bread, with fresh chopped tomato takes your standard grilled cheese to a whole new level! Whether you cook it in a skillet or in the air fryer, you’re sure to enjoy a fantastic snack, lunch, or dinner.

Make this tasty toastie on Sourdough Rye Bread and serve it alongside a bowl of Instant Pot Split Pea Soup for a filling, plant-based meal or beef it up with some Grilled Chicken Strips for something meatier.

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• Why Make This
• Ingredients
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• FAQs & Recipe Costs
• To Use Leftover Pesto
• Tell us what you think!
• Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Need to liven up your sandwich game? Look no further. Grilled cheese just grew up.

This Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich is fantastic! Sourdough bread, fresh chopped tomatoes, provolone cheese, and a slathering of pesto. Oh me, oh my! Very, very yummy.

Why Make This

It’s easy. With just five ingredients, this sandwich comes together for a quick and simple lunch, snack, or dinner.

It’s delicious. Layers of flavor practically explode in this grilled cheese made of rich pesto, creamy provolone, and tart sweet tomatoes. Pair it with Instant Pot Tomato Soup for a fantastic meal.

It’s affordable. Pesto tends to be a pricey condiment, but you’ll get your money’s worth in this flavorful sandwich. It works out to be just $1.75 a sandwich!

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make a Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich:

sourdough bread – You can use store bought bread or homemade sourdough. Both are super tasty. You can also whole wheat, rye, or Italian sandwich bread. Whatever you like.

butter – Softened butter helps toast the bread and add an extra layer of flavor. You can also use a plant butter, margarine, olive oil, or cooking spray.

pesto – Obviously pesto is what gives this Pesto Grilled Cheese its spark. You can use store-bought or homemade pesto or this more affordable Easy 3-Ingredient Basil Sauce. See the notes below for more ways to use up the leftover spread.

cheese slices – Choose a cheese that melts well, like provolone, Monterey Jack, or mozzarella.

tomatoes – Tomatoes add a tart acid component which nicely offsets the richness of the pesto and the cheese. I have made this sandwich with both sliced and chopped tomatoes. I recommend using chopped tomatoes as it makes the sandwich easier to eat.

Variations

There are some great fillings you can add to this Pesto Grilled Cheese to make it a little more. Consider tucking in any of the following:

• use a different kind of pesto: there’s basil, of course, but you can also use tomato, artichoke, eggplant, or whatever other variety crosses your path.
• sliced grilled chicken
• turkey deli slices
• sliced ham or prosciutto
• julienned sun-dried tomatoes
• shredded carrot
• shredded spinach
• feta cheese crumbles
• goat cheese crumbles

Step-by-Step Instructions

There are at least three ways to make a Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich: in a skillet or griddle, in the air fryer, or in the panini press.

Skillet Instructions

If you use a skillet, you can likely cook 2 sandwiches at one time. To cook more at once, use an electric griddle.

1. Heat a large skillet or griddle to medium high heat. Butter one side of each slice of bread.
2. Place a slice of bread, buttered side down in the hot skillet. Layer on 2 slices of cheese and chopped tomatoes.
3. Spread pesto on another slice of bread, the opposite side of the butter.
4. Place this slice, butter-side out, atop the cheese and tomatoes. The pesto will be facing the other fillings.
5. Cook on the hot griddle until the bread is crisp and toasty and the cheese is melted, flipping once. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Air Fryer Instructions

Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may be able to make one to four sandwiches at a time. Work in batches, if needed, and have your eaters ready to eat them hot out of the fryer!

1. Preheat the air fryer to 370 degrees. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place a slice of bread, buttered side down in the basket.
2. Layer on 2 slices of cheese and chopped tomatoes.
3. Top the sandwich(es) with a top slice of bread, pesto spread on the inside, butter on the outside.
4. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes, flipping once, until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasty. Serve immediately.

Panini Press Instructions

• Assemble the sandwich as directed above and place on the surface of a panini press.
• Close the press and cook on medium high until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted. Serve immediately.

FAQs & Recipe Costs

Recipe Costs

Knowing how much it costs you to prepare a recipe can help you decide if it’s the type of recipe to make regularly or one you might want to save for special occasions. Let’s crunch some numbers and see how this recipe pencils out.

• sourdough bread – $2.50
• butter – $0.40
• pesto – $0.82
• provolone cheese – $2.66
• tomatoes – $0.60

While your costs may vary depending on where and how you shop, you can expect to pay about $6.98 for a big batch of Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, about $1.75/serving.

To Use Leftover Pesto

If you buy the big, honking jar of pesto from Costco, it may take awhile to use it up. I like to get creative with my use of it, slathering it on a goat cheese pizza, mixing it into macaroni and cheese, stirring it into pasta salad.

Sure, sometimes, I get efficient and freeze it in ½ cup portions so that I don’t have to eat it everyday for two weeks until it’s gone.

Whether you get creative or efficient or not, don’t waste a single drop of that pesto! Consider these pesto recipes for ways to use what you have and avoid food waste.

This post was originally published on March 30, 2011. It has been updated for content and clarity.