Tomato Basil Grilled Cheese (Printable view)

A savory sandwich featuring fresh tomato, basil, melted mozzarella, and toasted sourdough bread.

# What You Need:

→ Bread & Dairy

01 - 4 slices sourdough or country-style bread
02 - 4 oz mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded
03 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

→ Vegetables & Herbs

04 - 1 large ripe tomato, thinly sliced
05 - 8 to 10 fresh basil leaves

→ Seasonings

06 - Salt, to taste
07 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How To Make:

01 - Spread softened butter evenly over one side of each bread slice.
02 - Place two bread slices, buttered side down, on a cutting board. Layer each with half the mozzarella, tomato slices, basil leaves, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
03 - Cover with the remaining bread slices, buttered side up.
04 - Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat.
05 - Place sandwiches in the skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, pressing gently, until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted.
06 - Remove sandwiches from skillet, let rest for one minute, then slice and serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cheese melts into the tomato warmth while the basil keeps everything from feeling heavy, like a garden decided to visit your sandwich.
  • Ready in twenty minutes, which means you can make it on a whim without the fussy setup of actual cooking.
  • Tastes restaurant-worthy but requires nothing more than a skillet and patience—two things that might actually exist in your kitchen right now.
02 -
  • Medium heat is your friend here—turn it up and the bread burns before the cheese remembers how to melt, a mistake I've made twice and learned from both times.
  • Sliced tomatoes release water, which is fine and actually good, but if your tomato is weeping dramatically, pat it with paper towels so your sandwich doesn't turn into a soggy situation.
03 -
  • Press the sandwich gently while it cooks—just enough to encourage the cheese toward the bread, not so hard that you're aggressively bullying it into submission.
  • If the bread is browning too fast and the cheese hasn't caught up, lower the heat slightly and cover the skillet with a lid for a minute to trap the warmth inside and speed along the melting.
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