Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Make lunchtime much more fun with my Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwich recipe, a mashup of the classic pizza and everyone’s favorite grilled cheese. You’ll love the combo of gooey mozzarella, zesty pepperoni, and toasty bread in this irresistible pizza sandwich.
Seriously, who doesn’t love a great grilled cheese sandwich? All that warm, melty, gooey cheese and crispy, buttery bread. Yum. Always a winner, right? But what if you took that familiar sandwich and made a mashup with a pepperoni pizza? Oh yeah.
This is more than just a grilled cheese sandwich. It also has everything we love about our favorite pizza–tons of pepperoni with lots of mozzarella and black olives. And, for a little something extra, I used a compound butter with Parmesan and oregano on the outside of the bread.
Ingredient Notes
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- Whole Wheat Bread – My choice for a base with a slight nuttiness and extra fiber. But, honestly, this sandwich is great with any bread you choose.
- Prepared Pizza Sauce – If you have homemade pizza sauce or even some marinara sauce, feel free to use that.
- Mozzarella Cheese – Use the firmer style of mozzarella (or purchase shredded mozzarella). Don’t use the fresh style that’s packed in water – it’s too moist for this.
- Black Olives – They give that little hit of briny, salty flavor that contrasts with the cheese and pepperoni. I often use sliced kalamata olives, too.
- Thinly Sliced Pepperoni – The thinner the slices of pepperoni, the better for this sandwich. Use as little or as much as you like (I’ve been known to really pile it on).
- Compound Butter (Butter, Parmesan Cheese, Oregano, Salt) – Use your choice of salted or unsalted butter at room temperature. The oregano may be substituted with mixed Italian herbs if you like.
You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Cheese Recipe
I always start my grilled cheese sandwiches on the stovetop and finish them in the oven. I tend to get the bread too brown before the cheese really melts, so by using this method, I can grill the bread first and then pop the skillet into the oven to finish melting the cheese.
- Make the compound butter: Combine the softened butter, Parmesan cheese, and oregano in a small bowl. Stir together until thoroughly combined. Set the butter aside for now.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and heat an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat while you prep the sandwiches.
- Assemble the sandwiches – Spoon two tablespoons pizza sauce each on two pieces of bread.
- Top with slices of mozzarella, black olives, and as many pepperoni slices as you want!
- Add the top slice of bread
- Generously slather the top of the sandwich with the compound butter.
PRO TIP: Make sure the compound butter is at room temperature. A small offset spatula, a pastry brush, or the back of a spoon can make spreading the compound butter easier.
- Place the sandwiches buttered side down in the hot skillet. Cook until the bread is lightly toasted.
- While the first side is cooking, butter the second side. Flip the sandwiches and cook the second side.
- When the second side is nicely golden brown, transfer the skillet to the oven to finish cooking–about 5 to 6 minutes. Watch carefully and remove when the cheese begins to melt.
Recipe Tips
- If the bread is toasting too quickly, lower the stove heat and remove the skillet from the burner until it cools.
- Fresh mozzarella can make the sandwich soggy; use a firm mozzarella for best results.
- Add a dash of red pepper flakes for extra spice.
How I Serve Pizza Sandwiches
I like to pair this sandwich with a fresh side salad or crispy sweet potato fries for a complete meal. It’s also great with a bowl of tomato soup!
How I Store the Leftovers
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within three days. Reheat in a skillet or oven for best results.
Questions About Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Cheese
Of course, you can use your favorite bread. This sandwich is especially good on sourdough bread, and homemade white bread also works well.
Yes, simply substitute the cheese and butter with your favorite alternatives.
Consider using whole grain or sprouted bread, low-fat mozzarella cheese, and turkey pepperoni. You can also add some spinach or arugula between the layers of ingredients.
Questions? I’m happy to help!
If you have more questions about the recipe, or if you’ve made it and would like to leave a comment, scroll down to leave your thoughts, questions, and/or rating!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Recipe
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Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
For the compound butter:
- 4 tablespoons softened butter
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- dash of salt
For the sandwiches:
- 4 slices whole wheat bread
- 4 tablespoons prepared pizza sauce
- 4 ounces sliced or grated mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons sliced black olives
- 4 ounces thinly sliced pepperoni
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients for the compound butter in a small bowl. Stir until thoroughly combined.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. While you prep the sandwiches, heat an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.
Assemble the sandwiches:
- For each sandwich, spread a small amount of pizza sauce on the surface of two slices of bread.
- Add the mozzarella cheese, black olives, and pepperoni.
- Top with a second slice of bread.
- Spread the top of the assembled sandwiches with a generous amount of compound butter.
- Place the sandwiches, buttered side down in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until bread is nicely grilled.
- While the first side is grilling, butter the second side of the sandwich. Turn sandwiches over and cook until the second side is toasted.
- Place the skillet with the sandwiches in the preheated oven for 5-6 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Notes
- If the bread is toasting too quickly, lower the stove heat and remove the skillet from the burner until it cools.
- Fresh mozzarella can make the sandwich soggy; use a firm mozzarella for best results.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within three days. Reheat in a skillet or oven for best results.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
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— This post was originally published on April 20, 2012. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
This is fantastic! I will make this tonight with a salad.
Great! I hope you really enjoy it.
I, too, used this recipe as the basis for the sandwich I made for the May Crazy Cooking Challenge- -http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/. I really love your idea for finishing these up in the oven. You have some wonderful sounding recipes here, and I am now following by email. Thanks for sharing.
I just made this grilled cheese the other day and the family loved it! Thanks for sharing! I used this great recipe for the crazy cooking challenge for May at Moms Crazy Cooking @ http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/
I am printing out this recipe for my boys to make while I am gone – they love grilled cheese and will absolutely adore this sandwich!! Fabulous idea Lana!!
Hope they like it, Nancy! We really loved it. Tastes just like pepperoni pizza so what’s not to like, right :-)
Hubba Hubba!
What a fantastic way to enjoy grilled cheese! This is so creative, Lana. Thanks for sharing!
I really like the idea of the compound butter-I’ve made zillions of grilled cheese, but that never occurred to me. Great idea! Oh, and pepperoni and mozz are two of my favorite food groups.
Mmm, I love grilled cheese! I’ve never thought about putting pepperoni on it, but this sounds amazing! Pizza grilled cheese…I can get behind that.
Hi Lana, I just came from Triber and saw your post. I’ve been looking for a twist on grilled cheese and I think this is just what I’m looking for. Thanks so much for sharing this.
Joanne
You’re welcome! Enjoy!
Want it!!!
Miss P
These were really very, very good. You should try them!
I can always eat a grilled cheese like this. Yum!