Caprese Pesto Grilled Cheese (Print-Friendly)

Gourmet grilled cheese featuring fresh mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, and basil pesto on toasted sourdough.

# What You'll Need:

→ Bread & Cheese

01 - 4 slices sourdough bread
02 - 7 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 large ripe tomato, sliced

→ Condiments

04 - 4 tablespoons basil pesto
05 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Spread 1 tablespoon of basil pesto on one side of each slice of sourdough bread.
02 - Distribute half the mozzarella slices and half the tomato slices evenly on two bread slices with pesto side up.
03 - Top with remaining bread slices, pesto side down, to form two complete sandwiches.
04 - Lightly butter the outside of each sandwich on both top and bottom surfaces.
05 - Preheat a nonstick skillet or grill pan over medium heat.
06 - Place sandwiches in skillet and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted.
07 - Remove from pan, let rest 1 minute, then slice and serve warm.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It takes the comfort of grilled cheese and makes it taste like you ordered it at a cafe, without any complicated steps or fancy equipment.
  • Every bite has that perfect balance of crispy bread, creamy cheese, and the bright herby punch of pesto that keeps it from feeling heavy.
  • You can pull this together in under 20 minutes, even on nights when cooking feels like too much effort.
02 -
  • Pat the tomato slices dry with a paper towel before layering them in, otherwise the extra moisture can make the bread soggy and harder to crisp up.
  • Medium heat is your friend here, I learned the hard way that high heat gives you burnt toast with cold cheese in the middle, and nobody wants that.
03 -
  • If your pesto is very oily, dab off the excess with a paper towel before spreading it on the bread so it doesn't make everything greasy.
  • Press the sandwich firmly but not aggressively with the spatula, you want contact with the pan for even browning, but you don't want to squish out all the fillings.
  • Let the butter come to room temperature before spreading, it goes on smoother and won't tear the bread.
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