I feel a little silly posting a recipe for Grilled Cheese. Okay, it’s Pizza Grilled Cheese, but still.
I mean…don’t most of us know how to make grilled cheese by this point in our lives? I’m sure that some of you have even figured out how to make pizza version of America’s favorite sandwich.
But, you don’t know how to make my version of Pizza Grilled Cheese. Which I eat once a week. Because it is delicious.
What is Pizza Grilled Cheese the book-inspired recipe for Little Miss Petty?
Main character Stella lives on a tight budget for most of Little Miss Petty. She’s supposed to be saving money to buy (back) her car from her cheating ex-partner, to cover rent in her new apartment, and to pay off other bills that have been piling up.
However, Stella’s money concerns seem to fly out the window when it comes to her love interest Malone. They enter into a “pizza-with-benefits” relationship.
But, ordering pizza every time you want to see your crush can be rough on the wallet.
Pizza Grilled Cheese is what Stella could have made instead of spending $20+ every time she wanted a lil’ quality time with Malone.
She would have saved herself some serious dough (pun intended!) if she skipped the take-out in favor of an Italian twist on the time-honored meal of poor college students and down-on-their-luck adults everywhere: the humble grilled cheese.
Why I love Pizza Grilled Cheese
Some of you may remember that I’m not a fan of pizza. And that’s mainly because I hate mozzarella. (I know, I know.)
I love the flavor of pizza, though. The robust tomato sauce, the Italian spices like oregano and basil. The crispy-bottomed crust that’s delightfully soft and squishy on the flip side, underneath all those toppings.
I’m here to tell you: you can get alllll that cheesy, pizza-y goodness with Pizza Grilled Cheese.
This sandwich completely satisfies my craving for pizza. It’s crispy, crunchy, and gooey in all the right places. The flavor tastes just as good as pizza from a local shop.
And, it’s ready to eat in about 10 minutes.
There’s no waiting an hour+ for delivery. No making yeasted dough and waiting for it to rise. And, there’s absolutely no need for a huge-ass pizza oven that burns hotter than the sun.
All you need to make Pizza Grilled Cheese is your stove and a pan.
What’s the key to making Pizza Grilled Cheese?
This is one of those book-inspired recipes where I ask myself, is this really a recipe?
Like I said, we all know how to make grilled cheese. More or less. But here is what I do to make my Pizza Grilled Cheese extra delicious:
- Bread: I use sourdough bread. It has a little extra tang that reminds me of pizza dough, and it crisps up really beautifully in the pan.
- Fresh tomatoes: While traditional pizza uses tomato sauce, I like to go a little more bougie and pile freshly sliced grape tomatoes on my Pizza Grilled Cheese.
- Cheese: I use mild cheddar, thinly sliced by hand. None of these pre-sliced nonense. Block cheese has a better melting point, and mild cheddar doesn’t get as greasy as sharp cheddars. Of course, you could use mozzarella here instead, but I hope you’ll try it once with cheddar. It just adds a fun flavor to the sandwich.
- Seasonings: I liberally sprinkle the cheese and tomatoes with dried oregano. To me, oregano = insta pizza flavor. Feel free to add other Italian spices like dried basil or dried garlic powder.
- Toppings (optional): I went “plain” with my Pizza Grilled Cheese, but you can slip some pepperoni, sausage pieces, spinach, or any other of your favorite toppings into the sandwich.
Getting that Pizza Grilled Cheese crispy and melty
For years, I had problems getting my grilled cheese crust crispy while also getting all the cheese to melt. After much more trial and error than there should be for a woman my age, I figured out the perfect sandwich layering and cooking combo.
Layering: It is super important to build your sandwich like this for maximum meltyness and gooeyness:
- bottom piece of bread
- layer of thinly sliced cheese
- layer of sliced tomatoes
- dried oregano
- another layer of thinly sliced cheese
- top piece of bread
Cooking: Keep the heat on medium to medium-high, and cover the pan tightly with a lid as you crisp the first side of the grilled cheese. This will trap heat in the pan and help the cheese to melt as your bread gets golden brown.
What do you serve with Pizza Grilled Cheese?
Pizza Grilled Cheese is delicious with a side of creamy tomato basil soup (for dunking) or a crisp green salad (not for dunking).
You could also serve this up at a Sandwich Bar Party with some other homemade handhelds like Fig, Brie, and Turkey Grilled Cheese; Fish Finger Sandwiches; Grilled Sausage Sandwiches; or Philly Cheesesteaks.
A fun and easy lunch calls for a fun and easy dessert. After you demolish your grilled cheese, treat yourself to a slice of Chocolate Frosted Chocolate Cake; a handful of Totally Different Chocolate Chip Cookies; a sheetpan full of S’mores; or whimsical Fairy Cakes.
Pizza Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 slices of bread I recommend sourdough
- 1 tbsp salted butter divided
- ¼ cup grape or cherry tomatoes thinly sliced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 4 oz mild white cheddar cheese thinly sliced
Instructions
PREP INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat a skillet over medium heat.
- Spread one side of one bread slice with half the butter. Repeat with remaining slice and remaining butter. Set aside.
- Thinly slice the tomatoes. Set aside.
- Thinly slice the cheese. Set aside.
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
- Take one slice of buttered bread and turn the buttered side down onto your work surface.
- Place about half the cheese slices in a single layer across the surface of the bread. Cover as much of the bread as possible.
- Spread the sliced tomatoes over the cheese slices. Sprinkle the dried oregano over the tomatoes and cheese.
- Place the remaining cheese slices in a single layer over the tomatoes.
- Keeping the buttered side facing up, press the remaining slice of bread on top of the cheese layer.
- Place the pizza grilled cheese sandwich, buttered-side-down, into the hot skillet. Place a lid over the skillet and let cook for 4-5 minutes, until cheese is starting to melt and bottom crust is golden brown. While it cooks, remove the lid every now and then to press down on the sandwich with a spatula. This will help the sandwich stick together when you flip it.
- Use a spatula to quickly flip the grilled cheese over so the other buttered side is now in the skillet. Let cook without the lid for 2-3 minutes, until the bottom crust is golden brown and cheese is completely melted.
- Remove skillet from heat and transfer the Pizza Grilled Cheese to a cutting board. Let sandwich cool a few minutes before slicing. Serve hot.
