Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwiches! Italian sub meet your friend grilled cheese! This is a gooey combo made in heaven: three types of Italian deli meats, provolone, and buttered toast.
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
The classic Italian sub is one of my favorite sandwiches, but it’s a good one gigantic and could probably use a little restraint when converting it into grilled cheese form! It’s a rare day that I get to present a grilled cheese sandwich as a gift lighter variantbut that’s definitely the case with these Italian grilled cheeses.
For serving kids, I cut the sandwiches into wedges to make eating even easier.
What kind of meat and cheese goes with an Italian?
A classic Italian sub contains at least three types of cured meats. I like a mix of pepperoni, salami, and prosciutto—but there’s no hard and fast rule here. If you like it spicy, add some soppressata. If you like it a little creamier, add a thin slice of mortadella!
When it comes to cheese, I’m a purist. Please only provolone! It melts really well, has a nice mild flavor and is just the perfect cheese to complement those cured meats.
Bread options for grilled cheese sandwiches
When I cook for my family, I use pretty much any bread for this sandwich. On the specific day I served these, I made them with plain white sandwich bread, and you know what? It was delicious!
My favorite way to make grilled cheese
As far as I know there are three classic ways to make grilled cheese. I’ve used them all and they all work.
- Mayo all the way! Some people are mayo people where they smear mayo on the outside of the sandwiches before toasting, and I like this method for a simple grilled cheese.
- No, give me butter! Some other people like to spread butter. That works fine too.
- Butter, but melt in the pan! I actually find it easier to melt a little butter in the pan over medium-low heat and then quickly flip the sandwich in the butter to coat all sides. This is not only easier, but also in addition helps you gauge how hot your pan is. If your pan is too hot, it will only burn the bread before your grilled cheese is cooked through.
Once your sandwiches are buttered on both sides, simply bake them for three to four minutes per side, until golden and the cheese is melted!
The father adds: Giardiniera
You can usually find a salty pickled vegetable mix called Giardiniera on a regular Italian submarine. I don’t really like adding this to grilled cheese because it makes it too watery, but I LOVE serving it on the side. Its acidic nature really cuts through the richness of the grilled cheese.
The olives I use for this recipe, Castelvetrano, are one of my favorite olives for recipes like this, but also just for snacking. They are buttery and creamy and have less bite than, for example, kalamatas. If you can’t find them, you can substitute regular green allspice olives for them without too much worry.
The children’s certificate
These grilled cheeses were a complete switcheroo at my house. Usually, my four-year-old is the big eater and I struggle to get my two-year-old on calories. But in this case the younger one loved this sandwich and ate many large bites by myself. Good for you!
Meanwhile, her older brother resented the idea of having all of those things in one sandwich. He insisted that I deconstruct it on his plate so he could eat each piece individually. Then he wanted buttered bread. Basically he ate all the elements, just in a troublesome four year old method.
Except for the provolone. He didn’t touch the cheese because he insists he doesn’t like cheese, which puts our entire relationship in jeopardy!
5 more grilled cheese recipes to try!
- Sandwich with smoked salmon and grilled Gruyère cheese
- Grilled cheese sandwich with vegetables, eggs and ham
- Grilled cheese sandwich with bacon and pear
- Turkey grilled cheese sandwich with pickled onions
- Croque Monsieur ham and cheese sandwich
Italian grilled cheese sandwiches
ingredients
For the sandwiches:
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8th slices sandwich bread
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8th slices Provolone cheese
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4 ounces GEnoa salami
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4 ounces prosciutto
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2 ounces pepperoni
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1/2 Cup fresh basil leavespacked loosly
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2 tablespoon butter
For the FATHER ADD: Olive and Cauliflower Giardiniera
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1 Cup hot pickled cauliflowerchopped
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1/2 Cup green olives(Castelvetrano), chopped
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1/4 Cup banana peppers
method
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Let the father add (optional):
Cut the ingredients into roughly equal pieces and mix in a bowl. Did!
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Prepare sandwiches:
Add a slice of provolone to a piece of bread. Top with a layer of salami, prosciutto and pepperoni. Divide the meat evenly among the four sandwiches.
Top the meat with a handful of fresh basil leaves and a second piece of provolone cheese. Add the second piece of bread and press down slightly to hold the sandwich together.
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Grill cheese:
Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Once warm, add about 1/2 tablespoon butter per sandwich you are making. I usually cook two at a time. When the butter has melted, add the sandwich and brush the bread with the melted butter, then turn and brush the other side as well.
Let the sandwiches cook over medium-low heat, about 3 to 4 minutes per side, being careful not to over-brown. After a total of about 6 to 8 minutes, the cheese in the sandwich should be well melted and the bread should be toasty. Did!
Repeat the process for the last two sandwiches. I like to serve the first two to kids while I make the last two for adults, but you can also keep the first two warm in a 200F oven while you prepare the last two.
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Surcharge:
Serve sandwiches with fries, salad, steamed vegetables and/or giardiniera.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 659 | calories |
| 42g | Fat |
| 33g | carbohydrates |
| 37g | protein |
