A simple grilled cheese sandwich with thinly sliced turkey meat, cheddar and Pepper Jack cheese, and fresh basil pesto. This is a small batch recipe that makes two turkey pesto grilled cheese sandwiches, and comes together in about 15 minutes.
If you’re new here, we love comfort food. Pastas, soups, sliders … as long as it’s packed with flavor and fun to make, it will most likely make an appearance on this small batch blog. 🙂
This turkey pesto grilled cheese recipe is as easy as it gets, but also way more flavorful than your typical grilled cheese. Pair it with this small batch creamy roasted tomato soup, and you’ve got yourself a solid night on the couch.
Ingredients
- 4 slices Sourdough Bread
- 4 tbsp. (1/4 cup) Mayonnaise or Unsalted Butter
- 1/4 cup Basil Pesto (either store-bought or homemade – but I highly recommend homemade!)
- 1/3 lb. Sliced Turkey (such as cracked pepper, oven-roasted, or smoked turkey from the deli – see notes)
- 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese or Pepper Jack Cheese
Yes, there’s only six ingredients in this recipe. SIX. You need to pin this so you can come back to it again and again.
Ingredient Notes and FAQs
Sourdough Bread
Sourdough bread is really great for grilled cheese sandwiches! It has a tangy flavor, and browns really well in butter. If you’re not into sourdough, please use whatever bread you love. A slice of Italian bread, rustic herbed bread from the bakery, or good ole white bread will all work here. Slice the bread about 1/2″ thick if you’re slicing from a loaf.
Basil Pesto
Jarred pesto is super convenient, but in my opinion, the flavor just doesn’t compare to fresh pesto. Fresh pesto is really easy to make, and I have a small batch recipe that makes about 1/4 cup. I also have a recipe for Small Batch Purple Basil Pesto if you want to get wild. 😉
Sliced Turkey
I love thinly sliced turkey for this sandwich, but please get whatever thickness you prefer. As I mentioned above, cracked pepper turkey, oven roasted turkey, or smoked turkey are all great options! Use your favorite!
Directions
How to Make a Turkey Pesto Grilled Cheese
Step One: Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Spread one tablespoon of mayonnaise or softened butter onto one slice of bread. Place the bread, butter side down, into the hot skillet.
Step Two: Add Pesto and Jack Cheese. Spread one tablespoon of the basil pesto over the top of the bread, then sprinkle 1/4 cup of of the shredded Jack cheese over the pesto.
Step Three: Add Turkey and Cheddar Cheese. Lay half of the sliced turkey in an even layer on top of the pesto and Jack cheese. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the sliced turkey.
Step Four: Top with more Pesto + Bread. Spread one tablespoon of pesto across a new slice of bread, then one tablespoon of mayonnaise or softened butter across the other side. Place the bread slice, pesto side down, onto the cheddar. Using a spatula, lightly press down on the sandwich.
Step Five: Cook, then Flip. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until browned on the bottom. Carefully flip the sandwich, and cook another 2-3 minutes until browned, and cheese is melted.
Step Six: Repeat. Repeat these steps to make your second sandwich. 🙂
Customize this Recipe:
Use a Different Pesto: If you’re making this from scratch, get creative with the pesot. Add arugula, walnuts, pistachios, whatever you love! Or use this Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto recipe from Simply Recipes.
Swap the Cheese: Use whatever cheese you have on hand – the Caramelized Onion cheese from Trader Joe’s is SO good on this, but you could also use Gouda, Havarti, or whatever melty cheese you love.
Add More Flavor: Jarred roasted red peppers, marinated artichokes, and bacon are all incredible flavor add-ins here. I also love to pull the sandwich apart just after cooking it, stuff some fresh arugula in the middle, then put it back together. SO good if you’re an arugula fan!
What to Serve with Turkey Pesto Grilled Cheese
Probably a second turkey pesto grilled cheese. But if you’re looking for variety, I would highly recommend any of the following:
- Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup (small batch)
- Simple, Spicy Tomato Soup (small batch)
- Spicy, Creamy Chopped Brussels Sprouts (small batch)
- Homemade Steakhouse Caesar Salad (small batch)
- Lightened up Greek Yogurt Caesar & chopped romaine
- Sun Chips (because, delicious.)
- Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato. Soup from Trader Joe’s
Other Fun Grilled Cheese Recipes:
- Caramelized Onion and Havarti Grilled Cheese
- Breakfast Grilled Cheese (Bacon, Egg & Avocado)
- Apple, Cheddar, & Arugula Grilled Cheese
- Classic Gourmet Grilled Cheese
Want to make more than two sandwiches? Use the slider bar in the recipe card! On desktop, it’s near the “servings” section, and on mobile, tap the number of servings (in dark red) to adjust it easily.
🙂
If you get a chance to make this grilled cheese, please tag me on Instagram so I can see it! I LOVE seeing what you are making! If you LOVE this grilled cheese, a rating and/or a comment below would also mean the world to me! And as always, feel free to reach out to me via email if you have any questions, too!
xx Sara
Turkey & Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Mayonnaise or Unsalted Butter softened
- 4 slices Sourdough Bread or your favorite bread, sliced 1/2" thick
- 1/4 cup Basil Pesto
- 6 ounces Sliced Turkey oven-roasted, peppered, or smoked
- 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese or PepperjackCcheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
Instructions
- Brown the Bottom Bread. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Spread one tablespoon of mayonnaise or softened butter onto one slice of bread. Place the bread, butter side down, into the hot skillet.
- Add Pesto and Jack Cheese. Spread one tablespoon of the basil pesto over the top of the bread, then sprinkle 1/4 cup of of the shredded Jack cheese over the pesto.
- Add Turkey and Cheddar Cheese. Lay half of the sliced turkey in an even layer on top of the pesto and Jack cheese. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the sliced turkey.
- Top with more Pesto + Bread. Spread one tablespoon of pesto across a new slice of bread, then one tablespoon of mayonnaise or softened butter across the other side. Place the bread slice, pesto side down, onto the cheddar. Using a spatula, lightly press down on the sandwich.
- Cook, then Flip. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until browned on the bottom. Carefully flip the sandwich, and cook another 2-3 minutes until browned, and cheese is melted.
- Repeat. Repeat these steps to make your second sandwich.
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
It looks really good! I will have to make it today!
Thanks! I hope you do!
This seriously looks so good!!
Thank you, Jess!
I am a big fan of pesto but have never thought to put it into a sandwich ! This recipe looks delicious!
Thank you, Caressa! It kind of just came to me when I wanted to make a fun grilled cheese – and there’s no looking back now! I hope you enjoy it!
Oh yum, what a tasty dish! I will have to make this for lunch. I love grilled cheese!
Thank you, Amber! I LOVE grilled cheese, too! I hope you love this one as much as I do!
Such a yummy recipe, I need to make it since I love pesto
You absolutely should! Let me know what you think when you do!
Those turkey pesto sandwiches look absolutely divine! I can’t wait to try them.
Thank you, Marta! I can’t wait to hear what you think!
Time to upgrade my grilled cheese!!! This looks so incredible
thank you, Tisha! I hope you love it!
My wife and I love grilled cheese sandwiches and my wife’s favorite thing to eat is pesto so I made this for dinner and it was delicious and so easy and quick to make.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Keith!
Excellent recipe, thank you! Easy to follow directions and photos are appreciated. I also added thinly sliced red peppers on top of the turkey.
I LOVE THIS RECIPE. Thank you for sharing!
Thank YOU for making it, Elijah!!