Pizza Grilled Cheese

This pepperoni pizza grilled cheese is a household favorite, thanks to Hatti—she’s the one who made it famous in our kitchen! It’s like my Air Fryer Grilled Cheese, but even crispier, with melty cheese, pepperoni, and a boost of flavor from Italian seasoning. Now, it’s a regular go-to for lunch and dinner.

Dipping is optional, but when we break out the tomato sauce, it’s a full-on pizza experience. Not feeling marinara? Tomato bisque or Pizza Soup make perfect sidekicks too. So, dip or don’t dip… either way, just dig in!

Why You’ll Love Pizza Grilled Cheese

• Super easy to make. All you need to do is butter the bread, season it, set the sandwich on the griddle, and flip. That’s it!
• Versatile. Make it Hawaiian, fill it with baby spinach, or add spicy spreads so it tastes just like your favorite pizza.
• Quick. Dinner will be ready in less than 15 minutes, so it’s perfect even for the busiest weeknights.

What You’ll Need

You probably already have everything you need to get started. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for a printable list of ingredients.

• Sandwich bread – Bakery bread with roasted garlic and/or onion is especially good. Sourdough is great too.
• Salted butter – Feel free to use unsalted butter or margarine.
• Italian herb seasoning – Don’t use powdered seasoning. Make your own by mixing 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley, 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
• Mozzarella – Melty cheeses like cheddar, Muenster, and Gouda are fine as well.
• Pepperoni – You can use salami instead.
• Pizza sauce – Add your favorite marinara or tomato pasta sauce if that’s what you have at home.

Variation Ideas

There are as many variations of this pizza grilled cheese sandwich as pizza types! These are some of my favorites:

• Add veggies. Add 1-2 tablespoons sliced mushrooms, thinly sliced bell peppers, 6-7 baby spinach leaves, or 1-2 teaspoons sliced black olives for a “topping-loaded” pizza sandwich.
• Make it spicy. Sprinkle red pepper flakes to taste (1/8 teaspoon should be more than enough) over the mozzarella before melting for a kick of heat.
• More cold-cuts. Add a combination of pepperoni, prosciutto, and mortadella to give it more savoriness.
• Add spreads. Use a knife to add Sun-Dried Tomato Spread, pesto, chipotle mayo, Sriracha, or your favorite savory spread on the interior of both bread slices.
• Go Hawaiian. Swap the pepperoni for ham and add 1-3 tablespoons diced pineapple to the sandwich for a Hawaiian-style bite.

Tips for Success

It’s super easy to get the bread to toasty, golden perfection, and the cheese to ultimate melty-ness with the right cheats. Here are mine so you don’t have to experiment and can nail the recipe from the get-go:

• Soften it. Cold butter is hard to spread on soft bread. It’s way easier to spread when it’s softened and prevents you from tearing the bread with the knife.
• Use compound butter. Reduce the ingredient list by using herby compound butter instead. This way you don’t have to add Italian herb seasoning.
• Melt it faster. Once you set the bread with mozzarella and pepperoni in the heat, cover the griddle with the lid for 1-2 minutes to speed up the melting process. Remove the lid, wait until the bread is crispy, press the other bread slice on top, and flip.
• Use the panini press. If you don’t want to use the stove, preheat the panini press to medium heat. Place the sandwich inside and hold the top of the press down for 2-3 minutes or until golden. Flip and repeat.
• Go for leftovers. This recipe works with regular sandwich bread, baguettes, focaccia, brioche, rye bread, etc. The only bread that isn’t ideal is ciabatta because the exterior is completely crusty so it wouldn’t get crispy.

Can I Save Extras for Later?

This irresistible twist on grilled cheese is best the day it’s made, but you can save leftovers for later and crisp them up again.

• Fridge: Place it in an airtight container or bag for up to 4 days. Discard immediately if the sandwich tastes sour or bitter.
• To reheat it: Microwave it in 15-second increments until warm. You can also melt 2 teaspoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat and heat the sandwich for 3-4 minutes per side or until crispy again. The air fryer at 350F for 2-3 minutes works too.

More Recipes With Pizza Flavors

• Pizza Bites
• Mexican Pizza
• Pickle Pizza