This Pizza Grilled Cheese combines the best of two worlds with gooey melted cheese, pizza toppings, and crispy bread brushed with garlic parmesan butter. Made in the air fryer, this kid-friendly comfort food comes together fast for an easy weeknight dinner and delivers the ultimate cheese pull in every bite.
Pizza Grilled Cheese Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Lunch or Snack
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 10 minutes prep, 10 minutes cook time, 20 minutes total.
- 🍴 Servings: Makes 2 sandwiches.
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Crispy, cheesy, buttery, garlicky, and packed with classic pepperoni pizza flavor.
- 🍚 Best Served With: Marinara dipping sauce, salad, soup, fries, or extra pizza toppings.
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Best enjoyed fresh, but ingredients can be prepped ahead for quick assembly.
Summarize and Save This Content On
I wanted to level up a simple grilled cheese one lazy Sunday, so I used the mozzarella, sauce, and pepperoni I already had on hand and turned them into grilled cheese pizza sandwiches. They came out crispy, gooey, and incredibly satisfying, and now they're one of Ken's favorite treats whenever we want something quick and comforting.
If you're looking for more ways to use pizza toppings, try a pizza pasta salad or baked pizza chicken.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's ready in 20 minutes: It'll take just 20 minutes to prepare and air fry your pizza grilled cheese sandwiches, making it a simple option for lunch or dinner.
- It's adult and kid-friendly: Both adults and kids love this twist on classic grilled cheese like our chicken grilled cheese. The crispy bread and the gooey cheese with pepperoni are a winning combination.
- It's easy to customize: What's great about this recipe is that it's super flexible. Switch up the toppings and make it your own!
- It's the perfect dinner on a budget: It's cheap to make, too. It's a great way to feed your family a comforting and delicious meal on a tight budget.
Ingredients
Below are the ingredients needed for this easy recipe. They are simple ingredients that you might already have in your kitchen!
- Bread: You want to use thick bread as thin bread will become too soggy. I recommend Texas toast sourdough or any thick white bread.
- Pizza sauce: Go for your favorite homemade pizza sauce or your favorite store-bought. You may also use jarred marinara instead. I use a jar of pizza sauce, and it's just as good in this hot honey pepperoni pizza.
- Mozzarella cheese: Shredded mozzarella melts very well. If you want the best cheese pull, freshly shredded melts better than prepackaged.
- Butter: Ensure that your butter is softened before you spread it on the bread. I recommend leaving the butter at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Mayonnaise is a good substitute if you do not want to use butter or if you don't have any on hand.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Swap the meat: Instead of pepperoni, you can use another type of meat, like ground Italian sausage, salami, or sliced meatballs.
- Swap the sauce: Get creative and use pesto or Alfredo in place of traditional pizza sauce. This cottage cheese Alfredo sauce is a lovely addition to this recipe.
- Veggie: Create a veggie version and use your favorite sliced or chopped vegetables in place of meat. Sliced mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, or even olives are great choices.
- Hawaiian: For Hawaiian pizza lovers, ham and pineapple are always a solid twist.
How to Make Pizza Grilled Cheese
Start by preheating your air fryer to 370°F and spraying the basket with nonstick cooking spray before building your sandwiches.
Step 1: Make the garlic butter. Stir the butter, cheese, and garlic powder in a small bowl until well combined, and then set it aside.
Step 2: Spread it on the bread. Spread the butter on one side of each slice of bread for your sandwiches, and then place 1-2 slices butter side down in the air fryer. The size of your air fryer will impact how many sandwiches you can cook in each batch.
Step 3: Build your sandwiches. Top each slice of bread with half the sauce, half the mozzarella, and half the pepperoni.
Step 4: Air fry and serve. Place the second slice with the butter side up on top of your sandwich, and air fry it for 4 minutes on the first side and then 4-6 minutes on the second side. Enjoy it with protein ranch dip on the side!
Expert Tips
- Use the toothpick trick: I like to stick a toothpick into the grilled cheese sandwiches to hold them together in the air fryer. This will keep the top slice of bread from lifting in the circulating air. Just remember to remove them before serving.
- Don't skip flipping: Flip your sandwiches halfway through cooking to ensure it browns evenly on both sides. It's an important step you shouldn't skip!
- Don't use too much sauce: About 1-1.5 tablespoons of sauce is the perfect amount for each sandwich. More would make the bread soggy.
- Avoid microwaving leftovers: The microwave will soften the bread, so I recommend skipping it when reheating any leftover grilled cheese.
- Storing in the fridge: Leftovers stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
These pizza sliders are another delicious pizza sandwich recipe.
Serving Suggestions
- Soup: Grilled cheese and soup are one of my all-time favorite comfort meals. Try your sandwiches with this slow-cooked tomato soup and old-fashioned creamy broccoli soup.
- Salad: I highly recommend a Caesar salad or a caprese salad on the side for a quick lunch.
- More sides: Classic French fries or mashed potato fries are kid-friendly and enjoyed by adults, too.
Pizza Grilled Cheese Recipe FAQs
If you overcrowd the air fryer basket, then it will prevent heat from reaching the sandwich. This makes it steam instead of brown, so you won't have crispy edges on your sandwiches. Also, make sure that you spread the butter to the edges of the bread, which also helps it crisp.
Sure! Don't overload the grilled cheese, but you can add some onions or peppers to your sandwich. I recommend removing some of the pepperoni if you plan to add more than one.
Yes, I recommend a skillet over medium-low heat. I prefer the result from the air fryer because it gets crispier, but this will work in a pinch. It should take about 3-4 minutes for each side.
The best method is to reheat it in the air fryer. Pop your leftover pizza sandwiches into a 350°F air fryer for 2-3 minutes. This is plenty of time to warm the middle and re-crisp the bread. Avoid reheating in the microwave as it makes the sandwich soggy.
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More Grilled Cheese Recipes
Do you like grilled cheese recipes? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Pizza Grilled Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 pieces thick sliced white bread
- 3 tablespoons pizza sauce
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 12 slices pepperoni enough to cover your bread slices
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 370 degrees Fahrenheit and spray the basket with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, combine the butter, parmesan, and garlic powder. Set aside
- Place the 2 slices of bread on a cutting board and spread 1 side of each slice with half of the butter. Feel free to build your sandwich here instead of inside the hot air fryer. Flip bread over on cutting board or carefully place butter side down inside your air fryer.
- Top with half of the pizza sauce, then half of the mozzarella, all of the pepperoni, and then the remaining half of the mozzarella.
- Spread the bare side of the remaining slice of bread with the remaining pizza sauce and arrange the second slice of bread, butter side up, on top of the mozzarella.
- Cook the sandwich in your air fryer for about 4 minutes and then gently flip it with a flay spatula. Cook again for an additional 4-6 minutes or until both sides are golden brown.
- Once golden brown on both sides and the cheese has melted, remove from the heat and serve. Cut in half if desired. Serve.
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Notes
- Secure the grilled cheese sandwiches with toothpicks before air frying to keep the top slice of bread from lifting. Remove the toothpicks before serving.
- Flip the pizza grilled cheese halfway through cooking so both sides become evenly golden brown and crispy.
- Avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket, as this prevents proper air circulation and can cause the sandwiches to steam instead of crisp. For the best golden, crispy pizza grilled cheese, also make sure the butter is spread all the way to the edges of the bread.
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