I might catch some flack for the title of this post. Can you guess why? It is all in the name: Cheesy Pizza Sandwiches… or grilled cheese 🙂
Cheesy Pizza Sandwiches are mini, slider-size gourmet cheese sandwiches with mozzarella cheese, tomato jam and pepperoni. Kid friendly and great for parties!
Recently I’ve been in the middle of a heated debate that has seriously touched a nerve for some folks and I get why, it is a very serious subject: grilled cheese. Gourmet grilled cheese, to be exact.
April is National Grilled Cheese month, which was how this conversation got started when I took a little poll on my Facebook page. The question:
Did you know that April is National Grilled Cheese month? Now… here is the real question: What defines a grilled cheese?
A. Cheese and bread, anything else is just a hot sandwich with cheese (Grilled Cheese Purist)
B. Cheese, bread and maybe some veggie
C. Cheese, bread and protein still constitutes a grilled cheese… bacon makes everything better
D. Does it really matter? It is all delicious!
The results might surprise you and some were very passionate about their answers. I encourage you to go check it out HERE.
This tasty little creation of pure comfort food is going to catch even more heat since I used a panini press… does that make it classified as a panini now?
What if I just used cheese and bread, still buttered, but used the press to get the crispy crust? Is it no longer a grilled cheese?
I opted to not name my tasty treats either panini or grilled cheese as to not further excite my readers and opted for what I believe to be a very benign name of: Cheesy Pizza Sandwiches (even though in my heart, I believe they are grilled cheese).
What makes my pizza grilled cheese sandwiches different? The main difference is that instead of using pizza sauce, I used my zesty tomato jam. It still taste like tomato, but with an edge that makes these bite-sized sandwiches the adult version.
If you love gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, here are a few more!
Tools for making your Cheesy Pizza Sandwich:
Panini Press- Having this kitchen gadget makes any gourmet grilled cheese sandwich a snap!
Wood cutting board – wood won’t dull your knives like plastic and if treated properly, has natural antimicrobial properties.
Good knife – Global is my favorite! They are worth the price, I promise. I am kind of obsessed with them and store them tucked away so no one else can use them. Including hubby. Hands off my good stuff!
Cheesy Pizza Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 10 slices small French bread loaf
- 5 slices turkey pepperoni
- 5 slices mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon butter softened
- 3 tablespoons tomato jam
Instructions
- Butter one side of eat piece of bread. Equally divide and slather the opposite side of each piece with a small amount of tomato jam.
- On half of the pieces, pile one piece of turkey pepperoni and slice of mozzarella, topping with another slice of bread, buttered sides facing out.
- Heat panini press or large skillet. Arrange in a single layer and grill. If using a skillet, slip after 1-2 minutes or until bread is a buttery, golden brown.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was!
This looks like a perfect idea for lazy day weekend noshing. Love it!
These are a great idea…Pinning to try later. Great for gatherings. xo, Catherine
Ooh these look so good, love how customisable they are too!
I don’t care what you call this recipe. I will eat a whole bunch and I am not sure I will share it with anyone! LOL
These are so cute and look fantastic!
These pizza sandwiches sound really delicious, and so quick and easy too 🙂 Great idea!