Mediterranean Grilled Cheese

Make the most amazing grilled cheese with this Mediterranean gourmet grilled cheese sandwich! Sourdough with pesto, roasted red peppers, red onions, olives, and two cheeses (plus a garlic butter sauce) melt together for a rich, delectable sandwich.

Gather round, grilled cheese lovers!

This Mediterranean grilled cheese sandwich with basil pesto, roasted red peppers, feta, and provolone is the best grilled cheese sandwich ever!

When most people hear “grilled cheese,” they think “kids’ menu.” Not anymore! This outside-the-box, grown-up version of grilled cheese will win the hearts of kids and adults alike. Pinky promise.

Smeared with basil pesto and loaded with roasted red peppers, purple onions, spinach, olives, and feta – all swirled into a sea of gooey, melted provolone cheese and stuffed between two slices of sourdough, then brushed with a garlic-butter-olive oil blend and grilled to a beautiful golden crisp – now THAT’S an amazing grilled cheese sandwich!

MEDITERRANEAN GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

Elevate the traditional grilled cheese sandwich recipe by making it gourmet! I use real food, simple ingredients in this easy and delicious recipe.

Besides being soul-satisfyingly delicious, this perfect grilled cheese sandwich is also great because it’s:

• Frugal. Using simple, affordable ingredients, including Homemade Sourdough Sandwich Bread and Homemade Pesto, makes the cost of this sandwich much less than you’d get in a restaurant!
• Meatless. Saves some extra money AND cuts down on prep time.
• Family-friendly. Even the kids will love this ‘grown-up grilled cheese recipe!’
• Healthier. You’ll get a boost with added vegetables like onions, spinach pesto, and roasted red peppers!

Plus, these sandwiches are easy to prepare and super satisfying, which means I can add a quick salad with my homemade Greek Dressing, and dinner is done!

INGREDIENTS FOR MEDITERRANEAN CHEESE SANDWICH GRILLED

We’re using slightly more than the typical grilled cheese sandwich ingredients, but trust me when I say this is worth the extra couple of minutes of prep time!

• Sourdough Bread. Use large slices of sourdough bread, each cut in half.
• Pesto. Try Carrot Top Pesto, Spinach Pesto, or traditional basil pesto.
• Provolone Cheese. Mozzarella is a decent substitute.
• Sliced Red Onion. Just a few slices add a big punch of flavor!
• Sliced Black Olives. Kalamata olives would also be great!
• Roasted Red Peppers. These add a hint of sweetness when combined with the salty, tangy onions and olives.
• Crumbled Feta Cheese. Melted in with the provolone for more cheesy goodness!
• Baby Spinach. Chopped baby spinach adds yet another veggie, plus a mild, earthy flavor.
• Butter. We’re going to make a yummy melted butter garlic sauce to coat the sandwich before grilling.
• Olive Oil. The olive oil adds extra richness to the butter sauce.
• Garlic Powder. The easiest way to add garlic flavor to the sauce – minced garlic wouldn’t work here.

HOW TO MAKE GRILLED CHEESE MEDITERRANEAN SANDWICH

How do you make a grilled cheese with all these yummy toppings? Follow these instructions.

Step 1. Place a long sheet of wax paper on the counter, then lay all 16 half-slices of sourdough on the wax paper, with top and bottom slices lying open and facing one another as you build each sandwich.

Step 2. Spread ½ Tablespoon of pesto onto the inside of each half slice of bread.

Step 3. Place a half-slice of provolone cheese on top of the pesto on each half-slice of sourdough. You’ll continue to build the sandwich on top of the Provolone on one side of the sandwich.

Step 4. Layer the red onions, black olives, feta, roasted red peppers, and spinach onto one side of each sandwich.

Step 5. Flip the other half-slice of each sandwich with pesto and Provolone over on top of the slice holding all the toppings. You should now have 8 assembled sandwiches lined up on the wax paper.

Step 6. Melt the butter and whisk in the olive oil and garlic powder. Use a pastry brush to coat the top slice of all 8 sandwiches with the garlic-butter-oil blend.

Step 7. Use the remaining garlic-butter-oil blend to brush the griddle/pan generously. (I use either my cast iron griddle or a heavy-duty stainless skillet)

Step 8. Heat the griddle/pan over medium heat until garlic-butter-oil just begins to sizzle. Be sure the garlic-butter-oil is spread around enough to cover the bottom of each sandwich (If you’re cooking in batches, be sure to reserve enough of the garlic butter sauce for the remaining sandwiches).

Step 9. Use a spatula to transfer the sandwiches, dry side down, to the hot griddle/pan. Turn the temp down to medium low heat.

Step 10. My trick for getting the cheese to melt without burning the edges of the sandwich is to allow both sides of the sandwich to reach your desired level of crispy golden brown, then turn the heat down to low (or turn the burner off entirely) and cover it loosely with a foil “tent” for a few more minutes until the cheese melts.

Step 11. If cooking in batches, place cooked grilled cheese sandwiches on a large plate covered loosely with foil to keep them warm until ready to serve.

MEDITERRANEAN GRILLED CHEESE IN AIR FRYER

To make grilled cheese in air fryers, start by assembling all of your sandwiches (steps 1-5 above).

Make the garlic butter sauce and brush one side of the sandwich. Put the sandwich into the air fryer with the butter side DOWN and brush melted butter on top of the sandwich as well.

Airfry grilled cheese sandwiches at 375F for 2-3 minutes per side, flipping once. (Air fryers vary a little bit, so start on the low side and check to see if your sandwich is done. You can always add more time, but you can’t go back if it burns!)

You’ll likely have to work in batches if you choose to make air fryer grilled cheese, so make sure to tent the finished grilled cheese sandwiches with foil so they stay warm while the remaining ones cook!

GRILLED CHEESE HOW TO RECIPE TIPS

There’s an art to making a great grilled cheese sandwich. Here are a few of my best “grilled cheese how to” tips for getting it just right every time!

• Choose a “thirsty” type of bread. Sourdough is my very favorite bread for grilled cheese. Besides all the other benefits of traditional sourdough, the light and airy texture soaks up the butter beautifully, giving your sandwich a beautiful, crispy surface. But wheat sliced bread will work in a pinch.
• Choose a good melting cheese and use plenty of it! Using the right types of cheese is a big part of getting that oozey, melted center without burning the bread. Provolone, mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Havarti, pepper jack, gouda, and Swiss cheese all work well and are fairly budget-friendly.
• Don’t skimp on the butter. For the best color, texture, and flavor, you’ve got to use a generous amount of real butter, period. There’s just no getting around it. Luckily, there are lots of reasons to eat butter!
• Manage your heat. When in doubt, low and slow is the way to go!
  • To get a perfectly golden, crispy surface with a soft and melty cheese center, you’ve also got to control the heat. I heat the butter in the pan over medium heat just long enough for the butter to begin bubbling. When the sandwich hits the sizzling butter, it’ll get nice and crisp on the surface. Once the first side is golden brown, flip it, allowing the other side to crisp over medium heat as well.
  • Once both sides are crispy and golden brown, turn the heat down to low and “tent” the sandwich loosely with foil to hold the heat in enough to melt the cheese without overcooking the bread. Flip back to the first side partway through this step to ensure even heating as needed.

SERVE WITH MEDITERRANEAN GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

I love to serve my cheese sandwich grilled with a soup or salad – it’s my own version of a sandwich shop meal (for WAY cheaper)!

• Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup
• Tomato Basil Soup
• Add a crisp side salad and dress it with my Homemade Greek Salad Dressing to continue the Greek flavor
• Greek Quinoa Salad
• Vegetable Greek Salad
• Greek Pasta Salad

MACRO FRIENDLY GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES

When you think of a traditional grilled cheese, you typically end up with a meal that is mostly carbs and fat.

And while we can’t completely change that with this Mediterranean grilled cheese, we can make sure we’re also including protein and produce for a balanced meal.

Produce: I’ve already added some produce to the sandwich with the veggies in the recipe, and I usually serve this grilled cheese with soup or salad, both of which contain plenty of produce.

What about protein? The easiest way to add protein to this meal is to serve the sandwich alongside a portion of lean protein, like a grilled chicken breast, steak, shrimp, or salmon. Season the meat with a Greek Seasoning Mix, and you’ll keep the flavors of the meal consistent!

To add protein to a meatless meal, serve protein-rich sides, like Marinated Lentil Salad or Greek Quinoa Salad.

CHEESE SANDWICH GRILLED FAQS

MORE MEDITERRANEAN-STYLE RECIPES

• Greek Couscous
• Greek Pasta Salad
• Delicata Squash Salad
• Greek Quinoa Salad
• Marinated Lentil Salad
• Homemade Pita Bread