Mozzarella Cheese Sandwich With Pesto

Mozzarella cheese sandwich made with fresh cheese, roasted red peppers, and homemade arugula pesto spread.  It is an easy lunch recipe that you can brown bag or as a perfect Sunday brunch recipe

This post has been updated on Jul 28th, 2019 at 2am. Check out version 1 of this mozzarella cheese sandwich recipe

Do you agree that a good sandwich should be easy to make and have ooey-gooey cheese just bubbling out of it? 

I love seeing a wonderful sandwich that will hit the right spot and also make me drool just looking at it.

This recipe has fresh mozzarella cheese that I got from the deli, moments before I put it in this sandwich.

Tips for making mozzarella cheese sandwich

• I used homemade arugula pesto for this recipe, so I can control the oils and flavors. If you don’t have arugula on hand, you can make basil pesto or my basil-scallion pesto
• You can roast the bell pepper beforehand and refrigerate it.
• Store-bought roasted bell peppers are ok to use, but they may not taste the same.
• I found that Italian bread is the best bread for this mozzarella cheese sandwich. It’s dense and crunchy when roasted
• I roasted one side stove top first because it makes the sandwich crispy
• Cooking it both stove top and in the oven will help the sandwich be crispy and prevent the cheese from melting too quickly
• The last step in the oven is crucial, so don’t skip it. It makes the cheese melt beautifully

Why I LOVE this sandwich

What’s not to love about a melted mozzarella sandwich?!

The sight of a melting mozzarella cheese tends to warm the soul. It’s my definition of a perfect comfort food.

This mozzarella sandwich is made with fresh ingredients.  I made my own roasted red bell pepper and used my homemade arugula pesto spread. If you don’t have time, it’s ok to use store-bought pesto and roasted bell peppers.

I got lucky because my local deli had freshly baked Italian bread. This slice of bread gave the mozzarella cheese sandwich a natural flavor. Ciabatta rolls, focaccia, or sourdough bread can be used.

Watch the video below and keep your sound on when I remove it from the oven. When I pulled it out of the oven, I could hear the cheese sizzling, and it took every ounce of willpower I had not to eat it right away.

If only I didn’t have to photograph it first….

Mozzarella cheese sandwich FAQs

Is Mozzarella Cheese Vegetarian-Friendly?

I used (not an affiliate link) BelGiosio’s Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, which is vegetarian-friendly. They don’t use animal rennet in their cheese, which is music to my ears.

BelGiosio also has other vegetarian-friendly cheeses, like Mascarpone, Tiramisu, and vegetarian Parmesan.

If you use another brand of mozzarella cheese, be sure to check the manufacturer’s site to confirm what they use in their cheese

Can I make this sandwich beforehand?

The best part of this mozzarella cheese sandwich is that it is perfect right out of the oven. The melted cheese tastes amazing right out of the oven.

If you have to make it beforehand, don’t make it more than an hour before. It does get soggy, so the longer you keep it, the worse it will get

What else can I add to this sandwich?

• Freshly roasted garlic
• Fresh tomato slices
• Drizzle some balsamic glaze after adding the bell pepper
• Use Fresh basil leaves
• Fresh Mushrooms
• Capers
• Roasted tomatoes

Can I freeze this sandwich

Absolutely NOT! NO WAY! Don’t even think about it. 🙂

Best appliance to make this sandwich?

I used a flat cast-iron pan for this sandwich. A grill pan, skillet, or a panini press would also be perfect for making this mozzarella sandwich.

If you have leftover red bell peppers, you can make a pesto sauce, pesto dip, Kale soup, or a lentil salad. I also added a whole roasted bell pepper to my healing tomato soup. Mozzarella Cheese is great for Caprese Tarts, Caprese sandwiches, or Watermelon Salad.

How to make mozzarella cheese sandwich

1) Preheat oven to 500 degrees

2) On a baking tray, place one red pepper (washed and dried) and put it in the heated oven.  I don’t baste it with oil or wrap it in foil.

3) Let it roast for about 25-30 minutes. Turn the tray around the 15-minute mark

4) Remove from the oven when it starts to blister. Set oven to 450 degrees.

5) Let it cool to the touch before removing the blistered skin.

6) Cut open the bell pepper and remove all the seeds before you cut it into julienne strips

7) Prepare arugula pesto spread

8) Make thin slices out of the mozzarella cheese ball. I used 2 slices per sandwich

9) Take 4 slices of Italian bread and oil one side

10) Place 2 slices on a warm cast-iron griddle. The buttered side should be down

11) On top of the two slices, spread arugula pesto. Be generous.

12) Layer with mozzarella slices, bell pepper strips, and balsamic vinegar.

13) Spread pesto on the 2 remaining slices and place it on top of the sandwich

14) Roast one side of the sandwich stove top. Roast for about 7 minutes or until it browns

15) Flip the sandwich and then place it in the oven and keep it for about 7 minutes or until you start hearing the sizzle

Remove from the oven and serve

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Version 1 of this sandwich

From time to time, I will go through old recipes to update the content. Sometimes, I update just the images and sometimes, I give the recipe a complete makeover

This time, I kept the images and recipe the same. The July 2019 changes include the addition of a video, the addition of a Tips + FAQs section, and making it easier to read overall

Version 1 of this recipe was posted on October 3, 2016 at 12:03am