Go Back

Pizza Grilled Cheese

Pizza grilled cheese with crispy golden bread and melty shredded mozzarella stuffed with pepperoni and pizza sauce. Cook on a panini press or medium heat until the cheese fully melts, then serve with warm marinara for dipping.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 740
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bread
  • 8 slices bread
Butter
  • 1 butter for grilling
Mozzarella
  • 2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Pepperoni
  • 1 cup pepperoni slices
Pizza sauce
  • 0.5 cup pizza sauce
Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Marinara sauce
  • 1 Marinara sauce for dipping

Equipment

  • 1 panini press

Method
 

Prep the sandwiches
  1. Butter one side of each bread slice.
  2. On the unbuttered side, layer mozzarella, pepperoni, a spoonful of pizza sauce, and Italian seasoning.
  3. Top with a second bread slice, buttered-side out.
Grill and melt
  1. Grill on medium heat or on a panini press for 3–4 minutes per side, until golden and the cheese melts.
Serve
  1. Serve immediately with warm marinara for dipping.

Notes

For the neatest melt, build the filling on the unbuttered sides and avoid overfilling so the bread closes evenly. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 2 days and reheat in a skillet on medium-low until hot and crisp again; freeze is not recommended for best texture. For a lighter option, use part-skim mozzarella and turkey pepperoni to reduce fat while keeping the stuffed, melty center.