The recipe prices will vary based on fluctuating grocery costs. Please use what is posted as a guide.
If you want a recipe so easy your kids can make it for lunch or dinner, this Pizza Grilled Cheese is it. Your kids will love eating these sandwiches, and you will love that they can make it on their own!
It costs approximately $5.82 to make these sandwiches. The recipe costs around $0.97 per serving and makes six servings.
If you have leftover pizza toppings, making Pizza Grilled Cheese is a great way to repurpose those leftover ingredients.
These sandwiches make for a quick and easy weeknight meal alongside some soup and salad. Or whip them up for a simple lunch or after-school snack. It only takes five minutes to make and a handful of ingredients.
The garlic butter is what sets this recipe apart and elevates the overall taste of the sandwich. Everyone who tries these sandwiches raves about them, and you will, too!
This Pepperoni Grilled Cheese is comfort mashup
Making the same old grilled cheese can get a little boring. That’s why we decided to combine it with another classic comfort food dish, pizza!
We know from experience that a mash-up of two comfort foods is always the right choice. Check out our Grilled Cheese Sloppy Joes to see what we are talking about. Today we are combing Grilled Cheese and Pizza into one AMAZING sandwich!
Make this recipe, and you will see that Grilled Cheese and Pizza belong together just as much as bread and butter do! The melted cheese, combined with the yummy sauce and pepperoni in between two pieces of crispy bread grilled to perfection, creates the perfect marriage of flavors. Pizza Grilled Cheese is so tasty; you will wonder why you waited so long to combine these classic comfort meals!
What we ultimately love about this dish is that kids can make it themselves. Watch the video in this post of Jill’s 10-year-old daughter, making this recipe all on her own.
Why you’ll love this Pizza Sandwich Recipe
- Kid-Friendly: All kids, even the picky eaters, approve of this meal.
- Customizable: Fill these pizza grilled cheese sandwiches with everyone’s favorite items to create a sandwich each person loves.
- Easy Recipe: You can enjoy your favorite pizza flavor without making a traditional pizza.
Pizza Grilled Cheese ingredients and cost breakdown
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter – $1.12
- 1 Tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil – $0.12
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning – $0.07
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder – $0.04
- 12 slices white bread – $1.08
- 6 Tablespoons pizza sauce – $0.36
- 36 pepperoni slices – $1.08
- 1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese – $1.95
The recipe cost is calculated by the amounts needed for the recipe. To find out more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained. The pricing for this recipe was updated in December 2023.
Cook’s Tools:
- 10-inch skillet
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- mixing spoon
- small microwave-safe bowl
- spatula
How to make a Grilled Cheese Pizza
***For complete recipe instructions, see the recipe card below.
- First, make the garlic butter.
- Then, preheat a 10-inch skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
- Next, prep the sandwiches by brushing one side with garlic butter. Then, flip the pieces of bread over top with pizza sauce and evenly spread it over the bread. Add pepperoni and mozzarella cheese to each.
- Place another piece of bread on top of each sandwich.
- Cook the sandwiches, garlic butter side down, for 2-3 minutes.
- Finally, transfer the grilled cheese to a plate, cut it in half, and serve.
Pizza Melt Recipe Variations
- Try switching out pepperoni for other tasty toppings such as sausage or Canadian bacon.
- Instead of white bread, you can use Italian bread or focaccia bread.
How to store a Pizza Sandwich
- Serve: These can stay at room temperature for up to 2 hours, but they’ll be cold. You’ll want to eat them immediately after coming off the stovetop.
- Store: Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for about 24 hours. They won’t be as crisp (might be a little soggy)—re-crisp by placing them in a pan over low heat for 4-6 minutes.
- Freeze: If you’re going to freeze these, we recommend freezing them before they are cooked. Place them on a baking sheet and freeze until frozen solid, about 2 hours. Then, transfer the sandwiches to a freezer-safe bag. You can keep them in the freezer like this for 2-3 months.
Get Kids Involved
- Ages 2-3: Let them help by measuring the ingredients to make the garlic butter. They’ll also love helping you brush the butter mixture onto the first six slices of bread.
- Ages 4-5: Let them help measure 1 Tablespoon of pizza sauce for each sandwich. Show them how to gently spread the sauce onto the bread with the back of a spoon.
- Ages 6-8: Have them add the pepperoni and cheese to each sandwich.
- Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe.
- Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe unsupervised while you do the happy dance in the corner!
What to serve with a Pizza Sandwich
Grab a bag of salad and some carrot sticks, and you’ve got yourself a meal. Some French fries would also be yummy alongside this dish.
Pizza Sandwich Recipe FAQs
We use shredded cheese for our sandwiches because it melts more evenly and quicker than slices of cheese. It leaves you with the perfect ratio of cheese to bread.
Next to ice cream, cheese is one of our favorite things to eat! We love all kinds of cheese and will put almost any type on our grilled cheese sandwich, depending on the taste that we’re looking to get from the sandwich.
Colby is an excellent choice for a classic sandwich. Provolone gives a more Italian taste to your sandwich. For this pizza grilled cheese, it was clear that the best selection of cheese to use was mozzarella to provide the full pizza feel.
More $5 Recipes:
- Best Homemade White Bread
- Buttermilk Sheet Pan Pancakes
- Chocolate Wacky Cake
- Corn Muffins
- Crock Pot Greek Yogurt
- Dry Roasted Chickpeas
- Eggs Benedict Breakfast Braid
- French Toast with Blueberry Syrup
- Instant Pot Refried Beans
- Mango Banana Smoothie
Grilled Cheese Pizza
Recipe Cost 5.82 Serving Cost 0.97Equipment
- 10-inch skillet
- measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- mixing spoon
- small microwave-safe bowl
- spatula
Ingredients
GARLIC BUTTER:
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
GRILLED CHEESE:
- 12 slices white bread
- 6 Tablespoons pizza sauce
- 36 pepperoni slices
- 1 ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
MAKE GARLIC BUTTER:
- In a small microwave-safe bowl add butter and melt in the microwave.
- Stir in olive oil, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.
PREP SKILLET:
- Place a 10-inch skillet or pan on the stovetop and preheat it over medium-low heat while you prep the sandwiches.
PREP GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES:
- Place 6 pieces of white bread on a cutting board. Brush one side with the garlic butter.
- Flip the pieces of bread over and top each with 1 Tablespoon of pizza sauce. Use the back of a spoon to spread the sauce.
- Add 6 slices of pepperoni to each piece of bread followed by ¼ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese to each.
- Place another piece of bread on top of each of the sandwiches.
COOK GRILLED CHEESE:
- Place a sandwich, garlic butter side down, and cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
- Carefully flip the sandwich over and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
- Transfer the grilled cheese to a plate and cut in half.
- Repeat with the remaining sandwiches and then serve.
Sophie Heath says
Loved this recipe! It was a hit with my kids !!
Jess Jankowski says
So glad it was a hit!
Pam Greer says
Combining my two favorite things in one recipe!!! I’ll be making this with my grandchildren when they come for a visit!
Jess Jankowski says
Pam they will love it and you for making it with them!
laurie damrose says
My son would love this.
Jess Jankowski says
You should definitely make it for him!
Tony Platz says
Two family favorites in one we will surely make these .
Jess Jankowski says
The best of both worlds!
Heather Babcock says
Definitely putting this in our summer lunch rotation. My kids will love it!!
Jess Jankowski says
Definitely a great one for when the kiddos are home.
Katie Bellamy says
I love this idea! My kids would love them!
Jess Jankowski says
It’s a favorite for our kids for sure!
Ron Weinberg says
I AM STILL A KID AT HEART!
Jess Jankowski says
I love it!
Kakhaber Khmelidze says
Oh, first time see this kind of thing. It looks so crazy yummy. Love it. Actually, this is a mega recipe. Thanks.
Jess Jankowski says
Thanks so much!
Elizabeth Tarlow says
What a perfect combination! Pizza + Grilled Cheese, what could be better! Thanks for sharing, will be fixing this ASAP!
Jess Jankowski says
You are going to love it!!
Judy says
This was so good thanks for the recipe
Jess Jankowski says
Judy, thank you for letting us know you enjoyed it!
Heidi says
Would you be able to make this in the air fryer? If so, what temperature should I do it on? This looks delicious…
Jess Jankowski says
Hi Heidi, we have not tested this recipe in an Air Fryer yet but you should be able to do it with no problem! We’d recommend trying it at 350 degrees F and cooking it for 6-8 minutes and see how that goes. Let us know if you try it!
Donna says
I bet you can save time (if cooking for a crowd) by doing these on a sheet pan in the oven with another weighted sheet pan on top. Great recipe for a kids birthday party (or adult party too!)
Jess Jankowski says
Let us know if you try it!