A quick to pull-together grown-up Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich when nothing else will do. This tasty sammie features sourdough bread, a 5-minute garlicky sage pesto, and melty Gruyere cheese that’s grilled to perfection in a skillet. It’s ready for sharing in about 25 minutes, and a perfect vehicle for dipping into creamy soup.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Recipe Review: “I made this almond-sage pesto grilled sandwich for dinner last night. My husband and I absolutely loved it. Specifically, the almond-sage pesto was wonderful!” ~ Carmen
Not Your Regular Grilled Cheese
If you’re all in for the bold flavors of pesto in a grown-up grilled cheese sandwich, put this one on your list! Grilled cheese is classic and simple, however, adding pesto takes it to another level.
A perfect partner for sourdough bread, whether you’re making homemade Multigrain Sourdough Bread, Rustic Sourdough Bread, or picking up a loaf from your favorite bakery, it’s a must in this recipe for the crustiest texture.
Like all grilled cheese, this sammie is a snap to pull together with one additional task: making the pesto. The food processor does the heavy lifting, making this extra step a snap and worth the effort! It’s delicious accompanied with creamy soup for a quick weeknight dinner.
This Recipe Is
- prep ahead ready
- delicious to dunk into creamy soups
- versatile in cheese selection
If you enjoy making tasty sandwich recipes at home, you’ll enjoy the flavors and textures of this grilled cheese sandwich.
Standout Ingredients
- Gruyere Cheese – melts easily and has a buttery, nutty flavor. Look for this cheese in the deli case in blocks. If following a vegetarian diet, look for vegetarian Gruyere (made without rennet) like Boar’s Head Blanc Grue Gruyere Cheese.
- Sourdough Bread – store-bought or homemade sourdough bread is the best bread for this sandwich. It’s sturdy and flavorful. Look for sourdough with small or little to no large holes so that the ingredients don’t fall through.
- Mayonnaise or Butter – provides the fat needed to toast or “grill” the bread in the skillet. You can use either, but there are differences. Butter has a lower smoke point and burns easier than mayo. If you like the flavor of mayo, it pairs deliciously with this sandwich and you can use it straight from the fridge (it spreads easily). I’ve included how to use either in the recipe.
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How to Make Sage Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
step by step
Pro Tip: butter has a lower smoke point and burns easier than mayonnaise. Grilling your sammie with mayo instead of butter offers a bit of tangy flavor and added insurance that your bread won’t get *too* dark.
Gruyere or Blanc Grue can be pricy, but there are other cheeses that make a tasty sub: Emmental, Fontina and White Cheddar.
What to Share with Grilled Cheese
Sharing grilled cheese with a creamy soup is a perfect accompaniment for a cozy night in. Here are some ideas:
Traci’s Tips
- The Bread: Bakery fresh, store-bought, or Homemade Sourdough Bread creates the crustiest edges and most delicious flavor. Choose sourdough that doesn’t have large holes so that the ingredients don’t fall through.
- Prep Ahead? Yes please! Whip up the pesto at least three days ahead of when needed. It’s freezer friendly too!
- Butter or Mayo: If grilling with butter, watch your bread and adjust the heat as needed so the bread doesn’t get too dark.
Almond-Sage Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
For the Pesto: (yields about 2/3 cup or 160 grams)
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) Almonds
- 1 cup (24 grams) Fresh Sage Leaves loosely packed
- 3 (16 grams) Cloves of Garlic about 3 medium cloves, quartered
- Zest of 1/2 a Lemon
- Juice of 1/2 a Lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- 1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons (79 grams) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
For the Sandwich:
- Rustic Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- 2 – 3 tablespoons Mayonnaise or room temperature unsalted butter
- 1 cup (100 grams) Gruyere Cheese grated, loosely packed
Instructions
For the Pesto:
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Toast the almonds for 7-8 minutes or until toasty and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
- In a food processor, add the almonds, sage, garlic, lemon juice, zest and sea salt. Process until small bits form. With the processor running, pour in the olive oil in a steady stream. Process for another 30 seconds or until a chunky paste forms.
- Set aside until ready to use. Or, for longer storage, store in a lidded container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator or freeze for up to 3 months.
For the Sandwich:
- Preheat a 10" Cast Iron Skillet on medium low while spreading a thin layer of mayonnaise (or butter) on one side each of two slices of bread. In the skillet, place the mayonnaise (butter) sides down into the pan and spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons of pesto on each side. Divide about 1/3 cup (33 grams) of cheese total, between both slices of bread. With Mayo: Grill both slices of bread, cheese side up, on medium with lid on for 6-7 minutes (set a timer). The bread will just start to become golden. Remove from heat and let sit, lid on, for an additional 4-5 minutes (again, set a timer) or until the bread is golden and toasty. With Butter: Grill both slices of bread, cheese side up, on medium-low with lid on for four minutes (set a timer). Remove from heat and let sit, lid on, for an additional three minutes (again, set a timer) – but check after two minutes just to make sure the bread isn't getting too dark.
- Using a spatula, remove each side carefully from the pan and put the sandwich together. Cut and serve right away.
- If serving a few at the same time, place in a warmed 200F (93C) oven while grilling the other sandwiches.
Beautiful flavours!! I was very curious with the use of sage leaves, but wow, the flavours are outstanding and all quite compatible. Used asked cheddar. A thought kept creeping in, what would a bit of sweet cranberry be like the mix?
SO glad you’re enjoying it, Patty! Isn’t the sage such a nice surprise? Cheddar sounds delicious… I’m thinking an thinly sliced apple would be nice, but now I’m curious about cranberry. When you say sweet, are you referring to sweetened dried cranberries?
I was thinking more like a lite spread of cranberry relish or jelly. My sister and I catered a party this summer and one item we prepared was grilled cheese with raspberry jam.
Oh my gosh, that sounds really delicious, Patty… cranberry relish or jelly would be fantastic on this sammie!
Just something funny; I am making this for supper tonight and reading thru the recipe I thought, man! That’s a lot of garlic! So I weighed one clove from my harvest and it weighs 31g!!! Good thing I checked.😅. Will let you know how it turns out, can’t wait!
My goodness, Patty… Share your garlic-growing secrets! Amazing!
Must be the beautiful Nova Scotia soil.😉
Oh yesssss!! I’m planting garlic this weekend! Second time. I’m doing all hardneck in raised beds.. it’s so exciting!
I made this almond-sage pesto grilled sandwich for dinner last night. My husband I absolutely loved it. Specifically, the almond-sage pesto was wonderful! I do admit that I substituted Flax seed bread for the sourdough that the recipe called for (solely for convenience)–yet the recipe was nonetheless fantastic. I can’t wait to try it with sourdough bread next time. Thanks for a great recipe! :)
Hi Carmen! Thank you so much for your note! I agree, the pesto is just fabulous… I’m dreaming of late summer tomatoes so I can dunk this sandwich in some fresh tomato soup! Thank you for trying the recipe and leaving a comment! I appreciate it! So happy you two are enjoying the recipe!