Pesto Egg Grilled Cheese (Printable)

A savory blend of pesto-fried eggs and melted cheese between buttery toasted bread.

# What you need:

→ Eggs & Pesto

01 - 2 large eggs
02 - 2 tablespoons basil pesto (store-bought or homemade)
03 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Bread & Cheese

04 - 4 slices sourdough or country bread
05 - 4 slices mozzarella cheese
06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

→ Seasonings

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

# How to make it:

01 - Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Stir in pesto until well combined with the oil. Crack eggs into the skillet and cook until whites are set but yolks remain slightly runny, about 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove eggs from the skillet and set aside.
02 - Butter one side of each bread slice. Place two slices butter side down on a clean surface. Layer each with a slice of mozzarella, a pesto egg, another slice of cheese, then top with remaining bread slices, butter side up.
03 - Wipe out the skillet and heat over medium-low. Place sandwiches in the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula until bread is golden brown and cheese has melted.
04 - Remove sandwiches from heat and allow to rest for one minute. Slice and serve immediately.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • The pesto eggs are cooked in minutes but taste like you fussed over breakfast for an hour.
  • It fills you up in a way that plain grilled cheese never could, thanks to the runny yolks mixing into the melted cheese.
  • You can make this with whatever cheese or bread you have on hand and it still turns out delicious.
02 -
  • The yolks need to stay runny—they're what makes this sandwich actually interesting, so don't overcook the eggs chasing set whites.
  • Medium-low heat for grilling is non-negotiable; too hot and your bread burns while the cheese laughs at you from the cold center.
  • Pressing gently with the spatula helps the cheese melt faster, but aggressive pressing just squeezes everything out onto the pan.
03 -
  • Soften your butter for thirty seconds in the microwave so it spreads without dragging the bread into sad crumbles.
  • Make sure your skillet is truly nonstick for the egg stage, or you'll spend ten minutes scraping herb-egg bits from the pan and questioning your life choices.
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