The Ultimate Pesto Grilled Cheese | Something About Sandwiches (2024)

Gooey mozzarella, fresh basil pesto, crispy bacon and sun dried tomatoes – this truly is the ULTIMATE Pesto Grilled Cheese!

Pesto and cheese really is such an underrated combo and today we’re celebrating it in all it’s glory. Follow me…

Pesto Grilled Cheese

The great thing about a pesto grilled cheese is how quick and easy it is to make. It’s also a good excuse to use up some ingredients you’re needing to use up that are knocking about at the back of your cupboard/fridge!

What Pesto to use?

Basil pesto is the classic option and definitely works best here. I recommend a homemade pesto, but failing that just make sure it’s a reputable brand. The difference between a quality brand and cheap brand of pesto is staggering.

The other thing to note with the pesto is just ensure it’s not too oily. If your pesto is quite oil heavy it’ll make the grilled cheese go greasy. I recommend gently passing it through a sieve to get rid of some of the oil beforehand if the consistency is thin.

How to make a Pesto Grilled Cheese

Usual method for a grilled cheese, only the layering is slightly more important here. Make sure you spread the pesto in between the cheese, just so it’s not go direct contact with the bread, which in turn could lead it to go greasy/soggy.

What Cheese to use?

Mozzarella is your best choice here – it’s a classic pairing with pesto and its subtle flavour allows the pesto to shine. I highly recommend fresh mozzarella, but for all intents and purposes shredded mozzarella will work. Just ensure you pat the mozzarella dry if it’s fresh, just so it doesn’t leak unnecessary moisture into the grilled cheese.

Extra goodies!

Now you could just leave it at, but I love chucking in some sun dried tomato and crispy bacon. Both compliment the cheese and pesto beautiful and add another layer of texture to the sandwich.

Process shots: butter bread and flip (photo 1), add mozzarella (photo 2), add pesto (photo 3), top with bacon and sun dried tomato (photo 4), followed by mozzarella (photo 5), finish with buttered bread and fry both sides (photo 6).

Serving a Pesto Grilled Cheese

Crisp/Chip Recommendation: Roast Chicken flavour works beautifully with the grilled cheese, really compliments the bacon and pesto.

Side Recommendation: Sweet Potato Wedges are great as the sweetness balances out the saltiness of the sandwich. Tomato Soup is great because tomato and pesto is a match made in heaven.

Love a pesto sandwich? Check out my Crispy Chicken Pesto Sandwich!

Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this pesto grilled cheese shall we?!

How to make a Pesto Grilled Cheese (Full Recipe & Video)

If you loved this Pesto Grilled Cheese Recipe be sure to Pin it for later! Already made it or got a burning question? Give me a shout in the comments below!