Cheese, please.
This is a full-on cheese celebration.
A little cheese madness, if you will—everything decadent and melty.
Okay, now that I’ve said it.
A few weeks back I led a casual grilled cheese session. Calling it a “class” felt generous—I mostly stood up front, made a slightly awkward grilled cheese while I found my rhythm, and then proceeded to slather butter (and maybe a little bacon grease) on the outside of the bread, pile way too much cheese between the slices, burn one sandwich and undercook another.
It was a blast.
I’m teaching a burger class in June—think classic burgers with elevated options, plus vegetarian and seafood choices. If you want to join, there are a few spots left. Fair warning: I will probably embarrass myself in some way, but I will definitely feed you.
This grilled cheese is one of the sandwiches I made during that session. Alongside it were a roasted tomato caprese grilled cheese (served over dressed arugula), a roasted strawberry-brie-chocolate grilled cheese (life-changing), a bacon-cheddar, and a buffalo chicken version. If you’re curious, those last two were excellent—because, well, bacon.
But this one—this is the white pizza grilled cheese.
It’s inspired by my childhood obsession with white pizza and by a favorite white pizza dip, but without tomatoes. The result is a sandwich built around creamy, herb-forward flavors and lots of melty cheese.
This sandwich is, simply put, packed with cheese. First you make a roasted garlic–and-herb mascarpone spread to smear on the inside of each slice of bread. Then you mix three cheeses: sharp provolone, mozzarella and Parmesan.
Use whatever bread you prefer. In the class I used an Italian loaf; here I used a rosemary sourdough. Both are great choices—honestly, you can’t go wrong.
If you want tomatoes, by all means add them. Roasted tomato slices inside the sandwich, charred cherry tomatoes piled on top, or a side of tomato jam or marinara for dipping all work. Just know that adding marinara changes the character away from a pure white pizza vibe.
I’ll share a favorite grilled cheese tip: grate your own cheese. Freshly grated cheese melts faster and better, and as it melts some shreds often fall out and crisp on the skillet, forming golden, crunchy cheese edges that attach to the bread. It’s an extra layer of texture that makes these sandwiches irresistible.
White Pizza Grilled Cheese
4
sandwiches
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Ingredients
- 2 bulbs garlic
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
- ¼ cup freshly chopped basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped rosemary
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped oregano
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
- 8 ounces sharp provolone, freshly grated
- 4 ounces mozzarella, freshly grated
- 2 ounces Parmesan, freshly grated
- 8 thick slices Italian or sourdough bread
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice off the top of each garlic bulb and remove any loose outer paper. Drizzle the exposed cloves with olive oil, wrap the bulb in foil, and roast for about 1 hour until the cloves are golden and caramelized. Let cool slightly.
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Squeeze the roasted cloves into a bowl, add a pinch of salt, and mash into a paste with a fork. Stir in the mascarpone until smooth, then fold in the basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano and parsley.
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Toss the provolone, mozzarella and Parmesan together. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium. Spread the outsides of the bread with softened butter and spread the mascarpone mixture on the insides. Place a buttered slice, butter-side down, in the skillet, add a generous handful of the cheese mixture, then top with the second slice of bread, butter-side up. Cook until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden, about 4–5 minutes per side. Garnish with extra chopped herbs and serve.
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You can thank me later.