Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
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What do you get when you combine a classic American grilled cheese with Italian sun-dried tomato pesto? A deliciously crispy and gooey sandwich that delivers bold and tangy “pizza” flavor.
Grilled cheese is my favorite guilty pleasure, and I’ll happily eat light all day so I can indulge in seconds to my heart’s content at dinner. That’s especially true with these Italian-style grilled cheese sandwiches jazzed up with sun-dried tomato pesto. My kids call them “pizza paninis” since they taste like hot, crispy pizza sandwiches. I like to serve them with an arugula salad or vegetable soup for a quick weeknight meal.
“Thank you for the best grilled cheese sandwich we have ever eaten! Fontina cheese melts so easily and the sun-dried tomato pesto adds incredible flavor!”
What You’ll Need To Make Grilled Cheese with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
Step-by-Step Instructions
To make the pesto, combine the sun-dried tomatoes with their oil, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, sugar, basil, pine nuts, Parmesan and 2 tablespoons of water in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.
Pulse, scraping down the sides as necessary, until the mixture is finely puréed. Note that you’ll have way more than you’ll need; leftover pesto can be frozen or tossed with pasta.
To make the sandwiches, spread one side of each slice of bread with butter.
Then flip over and spread the pesto evenly over the other side of each slice.
Heat a large nonstick or cast iron pan over medium heat. Place the bread, butter-side-down, in the pan. Divide the cheese evenly over the bread, then top the sandwich with the remaining bread.
Cook until the first side is golden brown, a few minutes. Then, carefully flip the sandwich and cook, covered, until the cheese is fully melted and the bread is golden brown, a few minutes more.
Let cool slightly, then slice the sandwiches in half and serve. Enjoy!
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Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
What do you get when you combine a classic American grilled cheese with Italian sun-dried tomato pesto? A deliciously crispy and gooey sandwich that delivers bold and tangy “pizza” flavor.
Ingredients
For the Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto (makes 1-1/2 cups)
- 1 (8.5-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 2 tablespoons water
For the Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
- 8 slices Italian bread
- 4 tablespoons softened butter
- 8 oz Fontina or Gruyere (or any good melting cheese), sliced or grated
- ½ cup sun-dried tomato pesto
Instructions
For the Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the sun-dried tomatoes with their oil, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, sugar, basil, pine nuts, Parmigiano-Reggiano and 2 tablespoons of water. Pulse, scraping down the sides as necessary, until the mixture is finely puréed.
For the Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
- Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter, then flip over and spread the pesto evenly over the other side of each slice. Heat a large nonstick or cast iron pan over medium heat. Place 4 slices of bread, butter-side-down, in the pan. Divide the cheese evenly over the bread, then top the sandwiches with the remaining bread. Cook until the first side is golden brown, a few minutes. Carefully flip the sandwiches and cook until the cheese is fully melted and the bread is golden brown, a few minutes more. Let cool slightly, then slice the sandwiches in half and serve.
- Note: You'll have plenty of leftover sun-dried tomato pesto. It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and can be frozen for up to 2 months. You can also try tossing the pesto with pasta; just keep in mind that the pesto is thick so you'll need to thin it with some of the pasta cooking water and a little olive oil when tossing it with the pasta.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 sandwich
- Calories: 646
- Fat: 54 g
- Saturated fat: 22 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Sugar: 2 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Sodium: 733 mg
- Cholesterol: 98 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Can I use sundried tomatoes that are dry (not packed in oil)?
Hi Cam, That should work — you’ll need to add oil to the mix too. I’d add the oil directly to the food processor little by little until the pesto looks like the right consistency. I’d estimate you’ll need about 1/2 cup. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
I would like to try to make this for a crowd. Do you think several sandwiches could be toasted in the oven instead of cooked individually on the stovetop?
Thank you!
Hi Nooshin, I think these are probably best when pan-fried, but would be doable in the oven. (I’d stick them under the broiler for a minute or two at the end to crisp up the outside of the bread. I’d love to hear how they turn out!
Delicious. I love the added flavor the pesto gives to the grilled cheese, and it does taste like pizza.
I have sun dried tomatoes but they are not packed in oil. Can I just put them in oil? If so, what would be the ratio of tomato to oil? Thanks
Hi Myra, That should work; I’d just add the oil directly to the food processor. You’ll have to add it little by little until the pesto looks like the right consistency. I’m guessing you’ll need about 1/2 cup.
I love the use of sundried tomatoes in the recipe. I think I will try this also with basil pesto as an alternative. And because I have some on hand.Yum!
Have been looking for a fresh spin on a cold weather favorite! Can not wait to try!
This takes grilled cheese to a whole new level! We used fresh mozzarella and dipped in tomato soup! Loved, loved, loved it!
I made this grilled cheese sandwich and it was an instant hit. I would try the same with other spreads such as basil pesto and tahini sauce.
Made these tonight for my husband and 2 year old. I have been looking for super fast recipes on nights when I am pressed for time and this fit the bill. Could not have been easier to zip out to my garden and pick basil and throw this together in about 5 minutes. I used canola oil instead of butter and cooked on med-low. They turned out great, crispy and delicious with a perfect tang from the pesto. I served it with a green salad and Jenn’s buttermik ranch dressing. I will be using the rest of the pesto for pasta with chicken sausage later in the week.
This was literally the best grilled cheese I’ve ever had! I bought Gruyere cheese to cook with, even though it was a bit expensive. I also added two pickles inside the grilled cheese, and cooked tomato soup to dip the grilled cheese in! Will definitely be making again!
Pronounced the BEST grilled cheese EVA…according to my 15 and 13 year olds! I wasn’t sure if they would like this version but WOW…both kids asked for it two nights in a row. Super easy to make and tasty. My 56 year old enjoyed it just as much and he is a picky foodie! This will be our fast food on nights where we are pressed for time. Thanks so much Jen!