Pesto Grilled Cheese Panini is the easiest and tastiest grilled cheese sandwich pressed with two pans to make it a panini! You only need a few ingredients for this delicious sandwich full of flavor!
Guess what today is? National Grilled Cheese Day!!
I have to admit that one of my very favorite sandwiches (besides a classic PB&J) is a grilled cheese. My mom used to make soup and grilled cheese sandwiches on some Sundays after church so they’re a bit nostalgic to me. My boys LOVE them.
What’s not to love though? Crispy, golden, buttery exterior with ooey, gooey cheese melted inside? YUM. But why don’t we kick it up a notch and add pesto? (My homemade pesto version is the bomb!) I think this makes the classic a little more adult, don’t you think? Also, pesto is green so that means it’s healthy right?? 😉
I could eat one (or three) of these everyday for lunch and/or dinner! The best way to eat this is to make this pesto grilled cheese into more of a panini. Why? Because then the flavors of the pesto get soaked into the bread more and the cheese and the pesto get married together in a beautiful union. It’s magical!
The pesto grilled cheese is then more crispy and compact, making it even more delicious in my opinion! You can also skip the panini part and enjoy it as more of a regular grilled cheese.
We don’t have a fancy panini maker so I just placed my sandwich on my hot pan and then pressed it down with another pan to smash it. I love the way the bread gets evenly golden brown and crispy. Perfect! If you have a panini maker, this would work great with that too. Happy National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day!
Ingredients
- french bread cut into slices
- spreadable butter for the bread
- pesto homemade or your favorite store-bought
- shredded colby jack cheese or cheese of your preference
Instructions
- Spread one french bread slice with pesto. Set aside.
- Butter the other slice of french bread. Place butter side down onto a heated skillet.
- Add cheese onto bread. Place other slice of bread with pesto on top (pesto side down).
- Press down the top of the sandwich with a heavy skillet until sandwich flattens like a panini. When bread is browned, pull off the skillet on top of the sandwich and carefully butter the slice of bread on the top and then flip sandwich over.
- Can use skillet again on this side if desired. When brown, pull off heat and enjoy!
To celebrate National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day, I’ve teamed up with some amazing bloggers to bring you 13+ AMAZING Grilled Cheese Sandwiches!
13 Amazing Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipes:
- Avocado, Egg and Pepper Jack Grilled Cheese Sandwich on Whole Wheat Bread
- Grilled Chicken Melts
- The Ultimate Spicy Grilled Cheese
- Bacon Grilled Cheese
- Chicken Mediterranean Grilled Cheese
- Bananas Foster Melt
- Mushroom Lovers Grilled Cheese
- Ham and Egg Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Pesto Grilled Cheese Panini (you’re here!)
- Croque Monsieur
- Grilled Cheese Pizza Roll Ups
- Sloppy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
- Strawberry and Basil Grilled Cheese
Check out some more yummy sandwich recipes:
Southwestern Grilled Turkey & Cheese
I used to order a similar sandwich at a local restaurant until they closed. Can’t wait to try this at home!!
ohhhhhh NICE! this sounds amazing
I am a sucker for pesto! This sounds amazing.