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Mediterranean Grilled Cheese

Delicious Mediterranean grilled cheese to switch up sandwich night. My whole family loved this Greek grilled cheese, plus it's frugal and an easy recipe to make! Perfect for a cheap dinner at home - just add soup or salad! :: DontWastetheCrumbs.com
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Delicious Mediterranean grilled cheese made with homemade sourdough to switch up the sandwich night. Frugal recipe the whole family loves, and a fun way to enjoy grilled cheese Greek style! Enjoy with a bowl of Tomato Soup or vegetable Greek salad.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 large slices sourdough, each cut in half
  • 1/2 cup pesto
  • 8 slices Provolone cheese, each cut in half (Mozzarella could also be used)
  • 1/4 cup very thinly sliced red onion
  • 1 small can (2.25 oz) sliced black olives, drained (Kalamata would also be great!)
  • 6 oz roasted red peppers in olive oil, drained, and sliced into smaller pieces if too large (Mine were mini red peppers and I sliced them into 2–3 pieces each)
  • 3 Tbsp crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 large handful of baby spinach, chopped
  • 4 Tbsp butter, melted
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

  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.
  2. Spread 1/2 Tbsp pesto onto each half-slice.
  3. Place a half-slice of Provolone 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.
  4. Layer the red onions, black olives, feta, roasted red peppers, and spinach onto one side of each sandwich.
  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.
  6. Now 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.
  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 pan)
  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-oil for the remaining sandwiches).
  9. Use a spatula to transfer the sandwiches, dry side down, to the hot griddle/pan. Turn the heat down to low-medium.
  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.
  11. If cooking in batches, place cooked sandwiches on a large plate covered loosely with foil to keep them warm until ready to serve.

Notes

  • Choose a “thirsty” type of bread. Sourdough is my very favorite bread for grilled cheese – in addition to the health benefits of traditional sourdough, its light and airy texture soaks up the butter beautifully, giving your sandwich a beautiful, crispy surface. But wheat bread will work in a pinch.
  • Choose a good melting cheese, and use plenty of it! Using the right cheese is a big part of getting that oozey melted center without burning the bread. Provolone, Mozzarella, Monterrey Jack, and Swiss 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. The good news is, that real butter is healthy!

Nutrition

Find it online: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/mediterranean-grilled-cheese/