Italian Grilled Cheese

Who doesn’t love a good grilled cheese?

And, I know it’s totally Ameeeerican to make the classic: American cheese, mayonnaise and bread. But, why not change it a bit and use REALLY fresh and natural ingredients?!?!?

Love it! 🙂

There’s nothing more delicious than fresh and homemade ingredients. Yum!!!

Soooo, go to your farmers market and get the freshest tomatoes and basil you can find, grab some mozzarella balls, and assemble this amazing meal. You won’t regret it! 🙂

 

 

Basil & Oregano Pesto

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves (or just more basil leaves)
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/4 cup of walnuts
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil

How-To

  1. Put all of the ingredients in a food processor, blend and set aside.

 

Italian Grilled Cheese

Ingredients

  • Basil & oregano pesto
  • Mozzarella cheese, sliced
  • Tomato, slice.

How-To

  1. Put your griddle (or panini press) on medium heat.
  2. Spray with cooking spray.
  3. Assemble your sandwiches.
  4. Cook until lightly browned and the cheese has melted.
  5. Cut in half and serve right away.

Servings: 3 sandwiches

114 comments

  1. Hello caroline, you may want to add pine nuts to the pesto and a little bit of parmesan cheese if you want it to follow the Genoa genuine recipe.
    Also the best way to make it is to use mortar and pestle because the grinder burns a lot of the flavour when the olive oil is grinded along the rest, you will absolutely love the result.
    Best wishes from Genoa 😉

  2. It’s also a great sandwich if you’re poor and can’t afford a panini press. A cast-iron frying pan or griddle work very well, too!

    We use Italian bread for these. Not to toot my own horn, but I DO make a mean Italian loaf! 🙂

    Robyn

  3. …looks like a Caprese sandwich! mmm-mmmm ;-} Just add some balsamic as Pearlisha suggested…

  4. Oh my, I just stumbled upon your blog, and it looks ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! The clean design, the colors, the food you present, the pictures, it’s all perfect! You just got yourself (another) stalker! 🙂

  5. This looks absolutely incredible. I really want to try this gilled cheese sandwhich. my mouth started watering just by looking at the pictures! thanks for sharing!

  6. I made a similar grilled cheese the other day with slices of my favorite whole wheat levain and homemade pesto. I used shredded, reduced fat mozzarella cheese, though, and your sliced mozzarella balls look like a much tastier choice. 🙂

  7. What about substituting Jarlsburg cheese instead of mozzarella? What would you do with the tomato…omit or add something else instead? I love grilled cheese cooked this way! Yum!

  8. I made these yesterday night for my in-laws, and it worked out great! What a lovely (and slightly fancy) spin on a grilled cheese sandwich. Thanks for the post!

    –Dayna

  9. I love sandwiches that are more than ordinary. This looks fantastic. The crispy bread, gooey cheese, mmm, fresh tomatoes and pesto. I’ve had this version of sandwich in germany but not grilled. Damn, this makes me want to make one right now. Wish we had mozzarella!

  10. Wow! I just Stumbled upon your blog and am going to have to make a run for the grocery store! This sandwich looks heavenly. Beautiful blog.

    1. I sure it would! Mmm…so tasty! I love when the cheese melts and you crunch in through the bread to get to the soft melted cheese.

  11. Sandwich looks delicious, but I don’t know anybody who uses mayonnaise on a classic grilled cheese :/

    1. It must be a Southern thing. That’s how my grilled cheeses were always prepared growing up. :-/ Tasty! 🙂

      1. Haha, that’s just how we do it in the South, I guess. You should try it! It makes it very creamy and delicious! 🙂

        1. That’s too funny I was looking through comments as well because I was intrigued by the mayo added to the classic, I had never heard of that!.. I know i’m going to try it and love it unfortunately lol

          1. It’s awesome! I was just so surprised that no one else seemed to put mayo on their grilled cheeses. That’s just how I grew up eating them here in South Carolina. Mmm, it gets all melty and delicious. Then, dip the sandwich in tomato soup. Mmm! 😀 Enjoy!

  12. Just made this on a whim and my taste buds are CRYING from pure deliciousness. Such an amazing, yet simple, recipe. Thanks!

  13. This is so yummy! When i found the recipe i ran down to my local grocer and made them right away.
    You can also use bottled pesto for this, but i think the recipe works better if you make it yourself.

    I just used my toaster for it and it works just fine. It needs a few minutes, but just lift the bread to check on the cheese. It shouldn’t be completely melted, but very very soft. I think whole-grain bread works fine with this for a healthy satisfying lunch.

  14. Try this with a smoked mozzarella, and sundried tomatoes or portabello mushrooms. Quite delish !

  15. Sounds wonderful – how about nice soft fontina – my favorite white pizza is made with fontina and it’s to die for

  16. This looks absolutely amazing. I am going to the market tomorrow to pick up some fresh ingredients anyway. These ingredients have just been added to the list.

  17. I’ve had sandwiches very similar to this before and love them. In fact, I have one on my blog right now that’s essentially the same but with grilled zucchini added for a twist. If you’re ever looking for a variation, try it out – it’s so good.

  18. Oh man oh man oh man. I love pesto and cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches. You might have just given me my favorite future meal of all time.

  19. i would eat dirty socks, with tomatoes and pesto.

    but i can’t shake the feeling straight mozzarella is the wrong cheese for this sandwich. good visual appeal, but faint flavor, and pesto can be pretty overpowering even in small doses.

    a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato is kind of flirting with calzone-ity anyway, so maybe you play to that and put in some provolone and parmesan reggiano, and some marinara sauce on the side for dipping 🙂

  20. I’ve made this over and over! YUM!!! I skipped on the fresh tomato but instead used some yummy tomato basil bread from panera. Makes the most wonderful sandwich. Heaven!

  21. I agree, there’s nothing like fresh and homemade – my kids would love this. Every year when the farmer’s market opens, the first sandwich I make is this very sandwich “ungrilled.” Like the oregano in your pesto!

  22. This recipe looks so delicious! My mouth is just watering over here…I will try the recipe as you have stated above but I am also anxious to try some of the other ideas that your users have as well!
    Thanks,
    Matti

  23. NICE LOOKING grilled cheese. i wonder does cheese not go well with anything?
    ur pics made me real hungry btw :*( its midnight here . help!!

  24. this looks great and reasonably simple. when I do it I will probably make the pesto at night and then make the sandwich in the morning before I go to work. It should still taste good after 3ish hours right?

  25. Oh my goodness, these were so divine! I made them today at lunch and the house smelled amazing. I couldn’t stop eating the pesto, it was so good! I actually didn’t have fresh basil or oregano leaves so I used dried but it tasted sooo good anyway! I used twelve grain bread and it turned out so crispy and looked like something that a professional cook had made! Such a shocker for me! Success!! Thanks for sharing the recipe!! It’s a keeper!

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