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 the 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 a 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.

Front View of 2 grilled  Sandwiches on a Skillet. One of Those Sandwiches has Been Cut into Half

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 before hand and refrigerate.
  • 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. Its sturdy and crunchy when roasted
  • I roasted one side stove top first because it really 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. Its my definition of a perfect comfort food.

I also made this sandwich with fresh ingredients.  I roasted a red bell pepper first and also made made my homemade arugula pesto spread.

I got lucky because my local deli had freshly baked Italian bread. It gave this mozzarella cheese sandwich a natural flavor.

Watch the video below and keep your sound on for 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 to not eat it right away.

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

Closeup View of 2 Sandwiches on a Skillet. One of Those Sandwiches has Been Cut into Half

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.

They also have (not an affiliate link) other cheeses that are vegetarian friendly 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 before-hand

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

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

Angle View of 2 grilled Sandwiches on a Skillet

Can I freeze this sandwich

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

What else can I add to Mozzarella Cheese Sandwich

  • Onions
  • Capers
  • Mushrooms
  • Sun-dried tomatoes
  • Spinach

If you have left over red bell peppers, you can make pasta sauce, bell pepper pesto or homemade ketchup out of it. I also added a whole roasted bell pepper to my healing tomato soup. Mozzarella Cheese is great for Caprese Tarts 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 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. 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

So, what do you think of the updated post? Would you like to see more videos of recipes? Sound off below with your ideas and suggestions

Closeup View of 2 Mozzarella Cheese Sandwiches on a Skillet. One of Those Sandwiches has Been Cut into Half

Mozzarella Cheese Sandwich With Roasted Red Pepper

Rini
Mozzarella Cheese Sandwich made with fresh cheese, roasted red peppers and homemade arugula pesto spread.
5 from 81 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Lunch
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 2 People
Calories 616 kcal

Equipment

  • Victoria 10.5 Inch Cast Iron Round Griddle Pan

Ingredients
  

  • 1 red pepper
  • 4 slices Mozzarella thinly sliced
  • 4 slices Italian bread
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp butter melted

For the Arugula Pesto Spread

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 500 degrees
  • On a baking tray, place one red pepper and put in the oven. No need to oil it or wrap it in foil.
  • Let it roast for about 25-30 minutes. Turn the tray around the 15 minute mark
  • Remove from the oven when it starts to blister. Set oven to 450 degrees.
  • Let it cool to touch before removing the blistered skin.
  • Cut open the bell pepper and remove all the seeds before you cut it into julienne strips
  • Prepare arugula pesto spread by blending all the ingredients
  • Make thin slices out of the mozzarella ball. I used 2 slices per sandwich
  • Take 4 slices of Italian bread and oil one side
  • Place 2 slices on a warm cast-iron griddle. Oiled side should be down
  • On top of the two slices, spread arugula pesto. Be generous.
  • Layer with mozzarella slices, bell pepper strips and balsamic vinegar.
  • Spread pesto on the 2 remaining slices and place it on top of the sandwich
  • Roast one side of the sandwich stove top. Roast for about 7 minutes or until it browns
  • 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 after 2 minutes

Video

Notes

Nutrition Info is approximate
– While its roasting in the oven, the air on the inside of the red pepper is being pushed out.  So, don’t be surprised if it collapses on itself.
– Cooking it both stove top and in the oven will help the sandwich be crispy and prevent the cheese from melting too quickly

Nutrition

Calories: 616kcal
Keyword grilled cheese sandwich, How to make vegetarian sandwiches, vegetarian lunch recipes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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 addition of video, adding of Tips + FAQs section and making it easier to read overall

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

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9 Comments

  1. Love this sandwich. Your tip for cooking it on the stovetop, then putting it in the oven, made such a difference. And, yes, the cheese melted beautifully. This is what I order at our local sandwich shop, but this comes out better.