Elevate your grilled cheese with this savory mozzarella, basil, and prosciutto version! Served with a quick side salad of peppery arugula, salty Parmesan and lemon dressing.

Elevate your grilled cheese with this savory mozzarella, basil, and prosciutto version! Served with a quick side salad of peppery arugula, salty Parmesan and lemon dressing.

It’s time for a really quick recipe! If you need something for dinner this week and don’t want to make a big mess in the kitchen, look no further. Grilled cheese sandwiches are so easy to make, and don’t get me wrong, the original grilled cheese is always amazing (bread, American cheese, butter). But sometimes you just want to elevate things! 

Here’s what you’ll need to make fancy grilled cheese sandwiches

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How to make fancy grilled cheese sandwiches

Choose your fillings

First, choose your cheese and meat. You could go all sorts of directions here, for this particular gourmet sammie I chose mozzarella and prosciutto. You could do provolone, swiss, Monterey Jack, or even goat cheese. For the meats, you could do roast turkey, black forest ham, roast chicken, you name it. Once you choose your fillings, you’ll add the sandwiches to a buttery skillet and cook until golden and toasted. 

Make your side salad

Arugula, lemon, and Parmesan is probably the best combination of light side salad there is. There’s something about the peppery arugula, sweet and sour lemon juice, and the salty Parmesan that just go so well together. My trick here is to whisk the dressing together in a large bowl and then add your salad fixings right to the bowl with the dressing. That way only one bowl gets dirty.

 

Elevate your grilled cheese with this savory mozzarella, basil, and prosciutto version! Served with a quick side salad of peppery arugula, salty Parmesan and lemon dressing.

That’s it! I hope you try making a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich soon! 

Here’s the recipe for Mozzarella, Basil, & Prosciutto Sandwich with Lemon Arugula Salad: 

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Mozzarella, Basil, & Prosciutto Sandwich with Lemon Arugula Salad


  • Author: Emily Weeks, RDN, LD
Scale

Ingredients

8 slices whole grain bread
12 slices prosciutto
2 small pkgs fresh basil, washed and leaves separated
1 (8 oz) block mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
2 tbsp butter, unsalted
2 lemons
¼ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp salt
2 tsp honey
1 oz Parmesan cheese
1 (5 oz) pkg baby arugula


Instructions

  1. Preheat a grill pan or nonstick skillet over medium heat.
  2. Layer the bread with slices of proscuitto, basil leaves, and sliced mozzarella.
  3. Coat the grill pan with 1 Tbsp butter or oil.
  4. Place the sandwiches in the pan and cook until the bottom is golden brown, 2-4 minutes.
  5. Remove the sandwiches to a plate and add more butter to the pan; return the sandwiches to the pan, browned-side-up, and cook until golden brown on the other side and the cheese is melted, 2-4 minutes.
  6. While the sandwiches cook, juice the lemons into a large bowl. Whisk in the vinegar, oil, salt, and honey.
  7. Use a vegetable peeler to shave the Parmesan into strips.
  8. Add the arugula and shaved Parmesan to the bowl with the dressing and toss to combine.
  9. Serve the salad alongside the sandwiches.

 

Elevate your grilled cheese with this savory mozzarella, basil, and prosciutto version! Served with a quick side salad of peppery arugula, salty Parmesan and lemon dressing.