This pizza grilled cheese with pepperoni will satisfy both your grilled cheese and pizza craving. It's filled with all the flavors of a pepperoni pizza but much easier to make!
One of my earliest cooking memories is making grilled cheese sandwiches. I stayed at my grandparents’ house a good part of the summer when I was a kid. My grandmother and I would make “toasted cheese sandwiches” on a regular basis as well as other goodies.
Nana, as I called her, had a grilled cheese maker that she used all the time. This appliance was a 1970s version of the panini maker. I distinctly remember pressing the metal cover down so the sandwiches would get nice and toasty. In the summer, we would slice juicy ripe Jersey tomatoes and put them in the middle of the sandwiches. Cheese is great paired with tomatoes and I make a summer tomato pie with these flavors too.
Pizza Plus Grilled Cheese!
Now that I have children of my own, grilled cheese sandwiches are still a favorite in my household. My teenagers will not refuse a grilled cheese sandwich. They are easy and quick to make and perfect for nights where there are meetings, soccer practices and part time jobs to attend to. I don’t mind eating one for dinner myself. And they are even better when they are grilled cheese sandwiches with pepperoni.
April is National Grilled Cheese month so it's the perfect opportunity to test out some grilled cheese sandwiches. Everyone loves this easy comfort food!
The sandwich is filled with gooey stretchy cheese and savory pepperoni to give the sandwich extra pizzazz. A light cornmeal Parmesan dusting on the bread gives some extra crunch. Homemade marinara sauce is served on the side because I didn’t want the sandwich to get soggy if it was spread on the bread. It is the perfect accompaniment to dip in.
Our refrigerator has a large cheese drawer which is always filled to the top. I have caught my kids red-handed many times with cheese in their hands right out of that drawer. Luckily there was enough cheese left to make this Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwich.
Best Bread for this Grilled Cheese
Most importantly, I used Texas toast bread for this sandwich. Thick pieces of bread make this sandwich hearty and big flavors deserve a sturdy piece of bread. If you're not a fan of Texas Toast or white bread, sourdough is another great option for grilled cheese since it's so sturdy and would hold up great with all the gooey cheese and slices of pepperoni. Sturdy bread is also great to dip into the marinara sauce.
How to Make a Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Cover one side of each piece of bread with some butter, then lay half of them butter side down.
- On each of these, layer 2 pieces of Italian blend cheese, 2 slices of American cheese, 3 slices of pepperoni, and then top with the remaining slices of bread, butter side up.
- Combine corn meal and Parmesan cheese, then sprinkle over the sandwiches and press the mixture to make sure it sticks.
- In a large greased skillet, cook the sandwiches over medium heat for about 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
- Sprinkle with some Italian seasoning and serve with marinara sauce on the side for dipping.
More Cheesy Recipes
- Tomato Pie with Three Cheeses and Basil
- Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- Cheese Tortellini with Sausage and Mushrooms
- Pappardelle Pasta with Bacon, Egg, and Cheese
- Cheese Wontons with Honey Mustard from Show Me the Yummy
- Garlic Cheese Bombs from Spend with Pennies
If you like this Pizza Grilled Cheese recipe, please give it a 5-star rating below.
Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 slices Texas toast extra thick white bread
- 3 tablespoons butter softened
- 8 ½-ounce slices mozzarella cheese
- 8 ½-ounce slices cheddar or American cheese
- 12 slices thin pepperoni
- 1 ½ TBS corn meal
- 1 ½ TBS Parmesan cheese
- Oil for greasing
- 1 TBS dried Italian seasoning
- 1 cup marinara or pizza sauce
Instructions
- Spread butter on 1 side of each slice of bread with butter. Layer 4 slices bread, buttered-side down, with 2 slices of Italian Blend cheese and 2 slices of Deli American Cheese. Top with 3 slices of pepperoni and remaining bread, buttered-side up.
- In a small bowl, mix together corn meal and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the mixture on the buttered bread and press down so the corn meal mixture sticks to the bread.
- Grease a large skillet or griddle and bring to medium heat. Place sandwiches (as many that can fit) onto skillet. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until sandwiches are golden brown and cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining sandwiches.
- Sprinkle sandwiches with Italian seasoning. Serve with sauce.
Nutrition
First published April 2019; Updated January 2021
Danielle @ Growing Foodie
OMG
Danielle @ Growing Foodie
OMG that sounds amazing. It would be a family favorite in our house for sure (and way faster than making pizza 😉 )!
Ramona
This is a cute idea. I love grilled cheese. Sometimes, that's all it takes to make me very happy.
Carrie @ poet in the pantry
My goodness, that looks delicious! Love the marrying of Texas toast with pizza flavors! YUM!
Sues
I love pepperoni pizza and I love grilled cheese so why not combine the two for a marriage made in heaven?!?! 🙂
Chef Dennis
I was just thinking what a great combo that would be! What a delicious sandwich that must have been, I'm going to have to give it a try soon!
Kristin
Wonderful idea! I am loving National Grilled Cheese month...there are so many amazing ideas for grilling cheese sandwiches!
JG
I remember grilled cheese makers! Still one of my fave sandwiches. The pizza flavoring of your sandwich sounds great.
~Judy
Karen Harris
The mark of any great grilled cheese is in the Texas Toast. My hat is off to you and this remarkable sandwich.
teresa
i think i just found what my son and i will have for lunch tomorrow, YUM!
Ciaochowlinda
April is grilled cheese month? Who knew? I never venture from the standard grilled cheese sandwich so thanks for opening my eyes.mI'd love this combination of flavors.
Blond Duck
I love this twist on a classic!
Kate
Your family sounds like my husband's, they called it toasted cheese if it wasn't made in a pan. My family called it grilled cheese even if was just baked/toasted!
Tess
I love this idea! It looks way easy too!
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl
Pizza + Grilled Cheese = LOVE OF MY LIFE.
Thanks for sharing!
Kate | Food Babbles
Now that's what I call a grilled cheese sandwich!! Wow! Two of my favorite goods melded into one mouthwatering creation. Lovely!
Amy L
I made this today and it was absolutely delicious!!! I couldn't get enough of it! I didn't have corn meal on hand so I used panko instead. This is my new go to grilled cheese, thank you! 🙂