A lot of my family’s favorite recipes are born out of necessity, when I’m simply forced to pull something together from whatever I can scavenge in the fridge and pantry when groceries are running low. And many of the very best recipes are most simple ones! I made homemade pizzas for my kids last week so I had half a jar of sauce left and some turkey pepperoni in my fridge. I wasn’t in the mood to do pizza all over again, but I did have a good loaf of bread in the pantry so I came up with these Cheesy Grilled Pizza Sandwiches. It’s like a little pizza, smashed between two pieces of buttery garlic bread. Paired along side a simple green salad, this is a great (and quick) weeknight meal that both kiddos and grown ups will love. I think these would even be great on baguette slices as a party appetizer too!
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Rustic style sandwich bread – Start with a good loaf of rustic style bread. The bakery section of the grocery store should have plenty of options, but it’s important for a sandwich like this, you don’t whip out something like Wonder Bread. Get something with a little more oomph that will hold up to the fillings and grilling.
- Butter – Or olive oil.
- Pizza sauce – Store bought or make your own Pizza Sauce.
- Garlic bread seasoning – Store bought, or make your own Garlic Bread Seasoning.
- Pepperoni – Turkey pepperoni works well here, too.
- Mozzarella cheese – I like using a good quality whole-milk mozzarella, grated fresh at home, for maximum melty cheese goodness.
How to Make Cheesy Grilled Pizza Sandwiches
- You’ll start by buttering or oiling one side of your bread slices. Then sprinkle on some garlic bread seasoning.
- Then flip those over and spread on some pizza sauce. I’m pretty generous with the sauce because it starts to soak into the bread. I also like my pizza practically oozing with sauce, so just put on as much as you like.
- Add some freshly grated or sliced mozzarella and pepperoni slices, and top with another slice of saucy bread.
- Cook in a skillet or panini press until the outside is golden and crispy and the cheese is gooey and melted. Enjoy immediately!
Storing and Other Tips
- These sandwiches are best eaten freshly made!
- If you need to make a bunch of these at once, you can cook them on an electric griddle or under the broiler in the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure! I would just recommend sautéing any veggies first before adding them to the sandwich. Mushrooms, peppers, Canadian bacon, pineapple, sausage, etc. would all be great.
These are best made fresh! To ease the prep, you can definitely make garlic bread seasoning ahead of time and grate or slice your cheese so it’s all ready to go.
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Cheesy Grilled Pizza Sandwich
Ingredients
- Rustic style sandwich bread
- Butter or olive oil
- Pizza sauce
- Garlic bread seasoning
- Pepperoni or turkey pepperoni
- Mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Lightly butter one side of each slice of bread, or brush lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle garlic bread seasoning on each slice and gently pat on with clean hands.
- Turn slices of bread over. Spread pizza sauce on each slice and sprinkle with cheese. Place pepperoni slices on one of the sandwich halves and then place the two pieces of bread together.
- Grill on a panini press or hot skillet, or place under a broiler in the oven, flipping once, until both sides of bread are toasted and golden brown and cheese is melted.
- Cool for 3-5 minutes before slicing in half and serve.
Notes
- These sandwiches are best eaten freshly made!
- If you need to make a bunch of these at once, you can cook them on an electric griddle or under the broiler in the oven.
Questions & Reviews
i recently made these on a night that i wasnt feeling well. since i was sick, and hubs cannot find a grocery store to save his life, i used what was on hand the few things that were changed really were i used plain ole garlic powder, slices of mozzarella and provolone cheeses (because i didnt have enough moz) and regular white sandwich bread. i like to call it poor mans (or sick moms) quick home made hot pockets. i did use my presto griddle for this as well ( since we have 3 kiddos). i basically made it like the article says. i buttered the bread shook some garlic powder on top of the buttered bread then laid one side down on a preheated griddle and then added the sauce, a piece of cheese the peperoni another piece of cheese and then the other piece of bread. about 2 mins on the griddle and it was flipped. that night i served it with chicken noodle soup, mainly for my dinner but everyone had a bowl with it. hubs and oldest kiddo said it could go well with tomato soup if you minus the sauce in the middle. either way it worked well for its purpose. the oldest recently started making them theirselfs and usually asks for them when friends are over. weve made them with or without the peperoni. the 2 different cheeses is what makes this sandwich pop, especially if theres no meat in it.
Tried these tonight- major WIN at my house with 6 picky kids. Like pizza, only way, way easier, and maybe even more flavorful! Thanks!!