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Pizza Grilled Cheese

Pizza grilled cheese made with crispy, golden bread and melty mozzarella stuffed with pepperoni, pizza sauce, and Italian seasoning. Grilled on the pan (or press) until the cheese fully melts, then served with warm marinara for dipping.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 820
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

bread
  • 8 slices bread
butter
  • 0.25 cup butter for grilling
mozzarella cheese
  • 2 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
pepperoni slices
  • 1 cup pepperoni slices
pizza sauce
  • 0.5 cup pizza sauce
Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
marinara sauce
  • 1 cup marinara sauce for dipping

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Assemble
  1. Butter one side of each bread slice so the outside browns and crisps. Use a thin, even coat and set slices aside butter-side down.
  2. On the unbuttered side of 4 slices, layer mozzarella, pepperoni slices, a spoonful of pizza sauce, and Italian seasoning. Leave a small border so the filling stays inside the sandwich.
  3. Top each with a second bread slice, buttered-side out, to seal the filling. Press gently so the layers hold together for grilling.
Grill
  1. Grill on medium heat (or use a panini press) for 3–4 minutes per side, until golden-brown. Flip when you see crisp edges and dark golden spots.
  2. Continue cooking 3–4 minutes on the second side until the cheese melts fully. Look for a visibly gooey melt at the edge and a crisp, evenly browned exterior.
Serve
  1. Serve the grilled cheese with warm marinara sauce for dipping. Cut as you plate so you can see the melted cheese and pepperoni inside.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the heat at medium so the bread turns crisp before the cheese fully melts. Store leftover sandwiches in the refrigerator up to 2 days and reheat in a skillet over medium-low until hot and crisp again; freezing is not recommended for best texture. For a dietary swap, use lactose-free mozzarella or a plant-based cheese blend that melts well.