The first time I dreamed up a Pizza Grilled Cheese, I was standing in my kitchen, staring into the fridge with that “I want pizza but also a grilled cheese” kind of craving. The scent of buttery, toasting bread was already a comfort in my mind, but I imagined it mingling with the spicy-sweet aroma of pepperoni crisping in the pan and the stretchy, gooey promise of melted mozzarella. When I finally took that first, crunch-then-pull bite, it was a full-on experience—all the cozy, nostalgic joy of a perfect grilled cheese, but with the fun, savory punch of my favorite Friday night pizza. My kitchen smelled like a happy fusion of my two greatest comfort food loves, and I knew this messy, glorious sandwich was going to become a regular in my rotation.
Ingredients
- 4 slices of hearty white or sourdough bread
- 2 tablespoons softened butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup shredded whole-milk, low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup of your favorite pizza or marinara sauce
- 20-30 slices of pepperoni
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- A pinch of red pepper flakes (optional, but highly recommended)
After bullets: The ingredients here are simple, but trust me, the choices matter. For the mozzarella, pre-shredded bags often contain anti-caking agents that prevent that perfect, silky melt—taking two minutes to shred a block yourself makes a huge difference. For the sauce, use one you genuinely love on pizza; a bland sauce makes a bland sandwich. And don’t skip the olive oil for frying the pepperoni—it renders their fat and makes them wonderfully crispy, which adds a crucial texture layer.(See the next page below to continue…)