Description
A delicious twist on the classic grilled cheese sandwich, featuring crunchy sourdough bread layered with fragrant basil pesto and gooey low moisture mozzarella cheese, perfectly toasted to golden crispness on a skillet or griddle.
Ingredients
Scale
Bread
- 8 slices of crunchy bread (Sourdough, French, or Italian loaves work best)
Butter
- 4-5 tablespoons butter, softened
Spread
- 8-10 teaspoons pesto
Cheese
- 8 ounces low moisture mozzarella
Instructions
- Heat the pan or griddle
Preheat a large pan or skillet over medium-low heat. Alternatively, you can use a large electric griddle set to medium-low if cooking multiple sandwiches at once. - Butter the bread slices
Lightly butter one side of each bread slice with softened butter. These buttered sides will face outward during cooking, creating a crispy golden crust. - Spread pesto
On the unbuttered side of each bread slice, spread about 1 teaspoon of pesto evenly. Apply a thin, even coat to avoid oversaturating the bread. - Slice the mozzarella
Cut the mozzarella into even slices, about 2 slices per sandwich (8 total). Adjust slice size to fit your bread. The cheese should cover most of the bread but need not be fully covered since it will melt and spread. - Assemble sandwiches
Place the cheese slices on four of the pesto-coated bread slices. Top each with the remaining slices, butter side facing out. - Cook the sandwiches
Place one sandwich in the hot skillet or multiple sandwiches on the electric griddle. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the bread reaches your preferred crispiness. - Flip and cook
Flip the sandwiches and cook an additional 2-4 minutes until the cheese is melted and the bread is evenly toasted. - Repeat and serve
Cook the remaining sandwiches as needed. Serve immediately for best texture and flavor.
Notes
- Use crunchy bread like sourdough or French for best texture.
- Adjust pesto amount to avoid soggy bread; a thin, even layer is ideal.
- Low moisture mozzarella melts well and provides a nice stretchiness.
- Butter sides must face the skillet or griddle to form a crispy outer crust.
- Cooking time may vary depending on stove and bread thickness; monitor closely.
