Parmesan Crusted Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Updated March 26, 2019
April is National Grilled Cheese Month which makes it pretty much the best month ever. Well, tomorrow is even more special because it is National Grilled Cheese Day. I love a good traditional grilled cheese sandwich, but I also like fancying them up a bit. My all time favorite is my Guacamole Grilled Cheese, but my latest obsession is this Parmesan Crusted Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich. If you are looking for a special sandwich to celebrate this fine day or month, you can count on this grilled cheese. It does not disappoint.
I made this sandwich yesterday for lunch because I was in the mood for comfort food. Caleb came down with a nasty cold on Sunday and we had to take him to the doctor on Monday. Luckily, he is fine and it’s just a bad cold, but I hate that he is sick. He’s fighting a fever, cough, and hoarse voice. The only good part is that he loves snuggling again. I love my Caleb snuggles.
Since I can’t feed Caleb comfort food while he is sick I figured it was ok for mama to indulge. This Parmesan Crusted Pesto Grilled Cheese is just what the doctor ordered. The outside of the sandwich has a salty Parmesan cheese crust, while the inside is filled with mozzarella cheese and basil pesto. I used this pesto recipe, I had some in the freezer, but store-bought pesto is fine too.
A grilled cheese sandwich with cheese in the middle and on the outside is all kinds of awesome! And the basil pesto gives the sandwich loads of flavor. Make this Parmesan Crusted Pesto Grilled Cheese to celebrate National Grilled Cheese Day or National Grilled Cheese Month. I might have to have this sandwich every day until May.
Parmesan Crusted Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 slices ciabatta or French bread
- 1 tablespoon soft butter for brushing the bread
- 2 slices mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons basil pesto
- 1/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese I use my Microplane
Instructions
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat.
- Butter the outside of each slice of bread. Spread basil pesto on the inside of each slice of bread. Place the mozzarella cheese slices on top of one piece of bread. Top with the other slice of bread. Sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese on the outside of one side of the sandwich.
- Place the sandwich, cheese side down, on the hot pan. Grill for 2 minutes or until Parmesan cheese is crusted and golden brown. Sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan cheese on the outside of the other side of the sandwich. Cook until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 2 more minutes. Serve immediately.
Have you tried this recipe?
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I LOVE this idea, as I adore pesto!
So sorry to hear that poor Caleb is sick, I hope he’s filling a bit better today. This sandwich looks like the ultimate comfort food, love the double cheese!
Um, as usual you’re a genius 🙂
It is so hard to see the peanuts get sick 🙁 Hope Caleb gets better FAST! Pesto with grilled cheese? What a great idea
Now this is a pretty grilled cheese. Love it!
I had no idea this was grilled cheese month… must start celebrating with your creations stat!
Looks fantastic.. loving pesto!
I love this grilled cheese. One of my favorite ways to make it is this way. Seeing this has me in the mood for it today. This looks sooo good! 🙂
Oh my gosh, this is seriously drool worthy this morning! I’m sorry to hear that Caleb is sick. I hope he feels better soon!
Great modification to an American classic.
Sounds wonderful!
Yum! Peso is one of the most perfect foods. I can eat it by the spoonful. Great sandwich!
I want this sandwich in a bad way!
Oooo, love your grilled cheese!! I could eat this right now for breakfast 🙂 xoxo
This sandwich just kept getting better and better. Parmesan crusted? I’m in. Pesto? Get me one now. Grilled Cheese? Why oh why do I not have a panini press at work?? I see many of these in my future.
Feel better soon, sweet Caleb!
And, this sandwich looks awesome, Maria!
This looks real yummy, another great recipe added to the list to try, thanks for sharing:)
this looks so mouth-watering delicious!! I loooove pesto! great combination 🙂
I am so drooling over this sandwich. It’s wonderful! Yum!!!
This looks yummy! I have recently been enjoying outside-the-box grilled cheese sandwiches with much success! I’ll have to add this one to my list to try! Congratulations on the book as well! It’s exciting to see all the bloggers I have been following for a while have successes like publishing books!!
Glad you posted about Grilled Cheese Month. I’ll have to whip up one of these sandwiches to celebrate. Hope Caleb is better soon.
OK, I just arrive at the office. Mornings are a little bit crazy, you will notice that when Caleb starts going to school, anyway, my breakfast was very fast today. Now, looking at my computer, looking at your picture, my mouth start melting and my stomach is making that terrible sound. I have to try this sandwich at home
Wow that looks beyond good.
I saw the first picture and literally said out loud “whoa”.
I’m salivating! Looks so delicious 🙂
Looks delicious Maria! Hope Caleb feels better!
I love comfort foods like this… It fills my belly and my heart. Hope Caleb feels better soon!
This is pure indulgence and perfect for when a little guy is sick. It’s ready in minutes so you can tend to him. I feel so bad for Caleb…I hope he gets better soon! I’m thinking one of these sandwiches is in order today!
This looks divine! I want it. Now!
love the crust!
This looks delicious, anything with pesto is excellent in my books!
One of my favorite sides is essentially this sandwich served as cheesy bread. There is nothing better than fresh pesto.
This sandwich is like the boss of all the other Grilled Cheeses. I LOVE it!!
So sorry to hear about little Caleb…sick babies are truly the worst. Jon David would never let me out of his sight!! Poor Jess would have to sleep on the couch so Jon david could sleep with me. It doesn’t get much better as they get older.
I agree this has got to be one of the best months. I’m all about joining the celebration! This looks perfect for lunch or dinner
Sounds and looks wonderfully delicious!
You always make the best and gooiest sandwiches! Love them all!
LOVE pesto + cheese. Dreamy combo 🙂
This looks amazing! I love adding pesto and making a grilled cheese. Yummy…now I’m hungry!
Nothing like a gourmet grilled cheese! This looks fantastic! 😀
This makes me so happy. 🙂
oh em gee. I don’t know what to say, just that my mouth is literally watering right now.
I have to try this method of toasting Parmesan: I never thought of putting it on the outside of a grilled cheese sandwich. Have you tried grilled cheddar with chutney yet?
I love your grilled cheese posts. They are a favorite of mine and I love the unique combinations all over the place. Pesto is brilliant too. I hope Caleb feels better soon!
I think I just got teary-eyed over how delicious this looks. YUM.
That’s a seriously beautiful sandwich!
Whoa. That looks A-mazing, Maria! And I love that you are eating comfort food *for* Caleb. 😉 Good mom.
So sorry that he’s sick…that is the worst! I swear, I had kiddo’s pediatrician on speed dial. And, it never fails that the are worse on weekends and holidays. Always.
Hopes he’s feeling better soon! Enjoy those snuggles! 🙂
wow, this just sounds SO delicious. i don`t know if i should keep looking at it, or go make one.
This looks awesome! When we were in Florida Joe had a burger that came on Parmesan-crusted bread. Insanely good!
OMG. IN LOVE.
Hope Caleb is feeling better soon! This looks like the perfect comfort food for you 🙂
I have a massive craving for this sandwich! I want it RIGHT NOW!
What a clever way to dress up a grilled cheese sandwich. I still remember the ones my mom used to make us as a kid… she always used a spatula to cut it into fours. Yummm.
I hate it when kids are sick! Hopefully he gets better quickly. This is a great grilled cheese with pesto, I love pesto with just about anything!
awesome grilled cheese! genius idea to add pesto!
I pinned this to Pinterest this morning while I was waiting at my doctor’s office. Within 15 minutes I got an email saying 11 had repinned it and one liked it. 🙂
I can’t wait to try this!
I love the idea of cheese on the outside AND on the inside! Brilliant! The pesto must add such a nice flavor as well – certainly comforting!
Caleb got sick on Easter? That’s awful! I hope he is feeling better. This sandwich looks delicious!!!
That looks delicious! I will make it soon.
wish I could have featured this in my book! Love it!
I love grilled cheese month. The perfect excuse to eat all the comfort food desired!
I love this sandwich. Pesto and tomatoes are always a great additional to grilled cheese. I never knew about Grilled Cheese Day! And your guacamole grilled cheese has me drooling.
YUM! this looks delicious!!!!
Happy Grilled Cheese Month!!! This oen looks absolutely heavenly!
That Parmesan crust sound heavenly! Hope little Caleb feels better.
Looks scrumptious Maria~
LOVE a good grilled cheese!
Just subscribed!
Where have I been? 😉
Enjoying getting to know you and your adorable Caleb through Instagram.
xo
This looks amazingly delicious!!
http://munchtalk.blogspot.com
I really think this will be our dinner tonight! I have been dreaming of it since yesterday!
Yum! Love all the flavors in these!
Sick babies are the very worst. I feel so sad for them, and there is no sleep for a mama. I hope he feels better soon. I bet this sandwich helped do the trick for you 🙂 looks so good with that melty cheese!
This looks delicious!!! I love the Parmesan crust! I always pick the cheese crunchies put of the pan! I’ll be making this soon!
Maria, this is just heavenly! There’s just nothing better than hot melted cheese. 🙂
I’m SO glad grilled cheese has it’s own month – I love it! 🙂
This looks so tasty…
What an amazing combination! Sounds absolutely delicious.
Now that’s my kind of grilled cheese! Love the addition of pesto – very creative!
I was hoping you shared another one of your delicious grilled cheese recipes! This look incredible!!
Adding pesto to my grilled cheese has been a favorite for years but that parm crust is definitely the icing on the cake! Hope Caleb is feeling better!
This looks out-of-this-world…omigoooosh! So ooey & gooey! Loving this, Maria! 🙂
Outta this world!! Not a huge fan of parmesan (gasp!) but love the idea of pesto grilled cheese 😉
Who ever invented Grilled Cheese month..must be named President! This looks amazing Maria!
Pesto and melted cheese? 2 things i just may live to eat. 🙂 Sounds great! I don’t know why I never thought to put 2 of my favorite things together?! Thanks for Sharing!!!!
This sandwich is Grilled Cheese Royalty! The parm crust is like the crown or the tiara.
Great idea to double the cheese by adding it to the crust, Maria!
This looks amazing. I am always coming up with new grilled cheese combinations at home. My fiancee is obsessed with them! I love using crusting Italian bread to make them. This looks delicious! I will absolutely be trying this one out! 🙂
Cute sandwich – looks awesome!
Mouth watering
This looks amazingly yummy! Hubby loves grilled cheese and I can’t wait to try this for him.:)
This was amazing!!! Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Love this combi, works every time and tastes delicious!
This looks amazing! Whenever we make pesto we end up with extra. . .this will definitely be on my list for next time that happens!
April was “National Grilled Cheese” month??? I can’t believe I missed the boat. This sandwich touches my soul. I mean…would you trust anyone who wouldn’t love this sandwich? Great recipe – and great site!
Made this tonight!! Love it! I will be posting it as part of a challenge and will be linking to your site :):) (On May 7th)
HEAVEN between two slices of bread! Gotta make this soon; it reminds me so much of the grilled cheese sandwiches I used to buy from a non-profit student organization at my college! Now i can relive the good days. 🙂
Thank you Thank You thank you!!! I just made this for dinner and it was amazingly good. So full of flavor. It lookedo good my roommate saw mine and made one for herself. I will definitely be making this again.
made this last night with wonderful pesto, fresh mozz, and a huge fresh, crusty boule bread. burned 3 fingers on my right hand transferring the sandwich to the plate for my boyfriend but MAN was it worth it.
I made this for dinner the other day along with a tomato & balsamic vinegar soup, and it was a big hit in my house 😀
Glad you liked the sandwich!
I am always on the lookout for new recipes and foodie blogs. Well I know your recipe and blog are not new, but I saw this on Pinterest. It sounds fabulous and can’t wait to try it!
Do you use fresh mozzarella or the kind you put on pizza?
I am salivating with this recipe. Looks so incredibly yummy. I can hardly wait to try this one out!
This looks amazing! I’ve been trying to think of some panini ideas with french bread and this looks like something I’ll be trying VERY SOON! Love pesto, and cheese of any kind. Looks Greattttt!
by far the BEST grilled cheese i’ve tried. i made the pesto using fresh basil from my garden and oh my god was it delicious. seriously, an awesome sandwich. thanks for sharing!
This was a huge hit with all 10 of the people I had over for dinner last night. Thanks for such a great recipe!
I really want to try this. I put pesto lots of stuff. This looks super good!
Wow, sounds great, combines 2 of my favorite things!
Ermahgerd, I just found out that National Grilled Cheese Day is on MAH BIRTHDAY!!!! I will most definitely be celebrating!
Made this tonight & it was awesome! Loved the addition of Parmesan on the toast. Mmm dipped so perfectly into homemade tomato soup. Will be making again.
Looks like the best grilled cheese I’ve ever seen!
I adore anything with pesto, and these were perfect! To give it a little something else, I added some grilled chicken into the sandwich before cooking it, and it turned out fabulous! Thank you for this, will be making them again very soon!
My family won’t even try this type of thing. I found myself with an empty house for three glorious days. Last nights dinner was this sandwich! I did add tomatoes to half (wanted to try with and without). It was wonderful both ways!
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This looks so good- I think Swiss inside with tomato or avocado sounds amazing!
Pesto and cheese, just the perfect combination! Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe. My friends are paying me a visit and this will be a perfect snack to serve them! Aside from being very appetizing, this sandwich is also easy to prepare. Thank you again for sharing this post!
I have to try. I love pesto! Thx for all the wonderful recipes!
Love the recipe
I have a lot of basil growing in my garage picture window. Pesto sounds like a very good idea.
Thanks
Todd
So yummy!!