Parmesan Crusted Baked Grilled Cheese for a crowd

Crispy parmesan-crusted, oven-baked grilled cheese is easy and a great way to make a dozen sandwiches at once. When feeding a crowd, you can make a variety of sandwiches to please everyone’s tastes. 

Why I love baking grilled cheese

With four kids, that means there are usually a few friends around, and when it’s time to feed them all lunch, the faster I can get lunch on the table, the better. Also, I need to consider everyone’s different likes and dislikes, which can get complicated. Fifty percent of my crew is picky, so I’m not talking about other people’s children here. I pull out all the ingredients for the grilled cheese: all the cheese, all the meats, and sauces. I have done this in several ways, depending on my patience level. I let them assemble their own, and I’ve taken orders and done the assembly myself. Kids and adults alike love the chance to personalize their sandwiches. And parmesan crust takes it up a flavor notch! I have made this for soup parties; guests bring a soup to pass, and I provide the cheesy crispy sandwiches! Parmesan-crusted sandwiches are an excellent game-day menu item because they go amazingly with chili or alone. However you slice it, this sandwich is going to change your life!

Make ahead to save time

You can make up to 10 sandwiches at a time by baking this grilled cheese in the oven!  Parmesan-crusted grilled cheesecan make this ahead of time and then reheated in the oven. They are just as good if not better reheated.  So if you have a busy night, make this earlier in the day, and then as the fam rolls in, you can reheat their parmesan crusted grilled Cheesefor them.  I know. It doesn’t get any better than this, am I right? 

Gather your ingredients

Step by Step

A few easy steps and before you know it you will be sinking your teeth into a scrumptious crispy grilled sandwich.

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees, place one baking sheet in oven so it gets hot
2. butter bread
3. press buttered bread into a plate of shredded parmesan cheese
4. place cheese side down on baking sheet
5. layer ingredients inside sandwiches
6. butter top slice of bread and press butter side down into shredded parmesan cheese place this slice parmesan side up on top of sandwiches
7. Remove hot baking sheet from oven and place it bottom side down on top of sheet pan of sandwiches and press down evenly on top of pan to, this works like a very large panini press
8. place sandwiches in preheated 450 degree oven for 10 minutes

Making the best baked grilled cheese

The key to the parmesan getting all crusty and scrumptious on the outside  is a hot oven, and preheating the top pan first.  So while you are assembling the sandwiches, place a baking sheet in the oven allowing it to get hot, then place it on top of the grilled cheeses,  give it a light press with your oven-mitted paws,  put this back in a 450 degree oven for 10 minutes and there you have it!

The photos demonstrate making pizza grilled cheese, but you can make these sandwiches as simple grilled cheese. No frills. You can even leave out the parmesan crust, and just butter the bread, keeping it super simple. There you have it, the best grilled cheese on the planet is ready and waiting!

This is a great way to make the most of your time when hosting a crowd. I hope you give these oven baked sandwiches a try, and give them all the stars below in the recipe card if you love them as much as my family does. Thanks for being here! XO, Sheila

Parmesan Crusted (baked) Grilled Cheese

Sheila

Crispy parmesan crusted grilled cheese is easy and you can make more than one at a time.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course lunch, sandwich

Cuisine American

Servings 8 sandwiches

Calories 618 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 16 slices Italian Bread or thick pre sliced bread
• 1 cup Butter you may not need it all
• 8 slices of deli Pepperoni
• 8 slices Capicola Italian ham, thinly sliced
• 4-8 slices Mozzarella depending on the size of the bread
• 4-8 slices Provolone
• 1 can Pizza Sauce
• 1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning Blend

Instructions

 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

• Place a 12×15 baking sheet in the oven while you assemble the pizza grilled cheese sandwiches on a separate baking sheet.
• Butter all 16 slices of bread on one side.
• Put shredded parmesan on a plate, press buttered bread down into the shredded parmesan. If not enough sticks to bread place some parmesan on the pan in the shape of the bread and lay the slice of bread on top of it.
• Spread a light layer of pizza sauce on top of bread slices.
• Place one piece of mozzarella cheese on each slice of bread with pizza sauce on it. If bread is smaller than slice of cheese cut cheese slice in half, add slice of pepperoni, and slice of Capicola, top with slice or 1/2 slice of provolone.
• Place second slice of buttered bread buttered side up on top of provolone cheese, sprinkle bread with remaining italian seasoning and then top with remaining parmesan cheese.
• Remove hot baking sheet from oven, while wearing oven mitts, place hot baking sheet bottom side down on top of grilled cheeses, press down lightly, return to oven and bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees.
• Remove, slice crosswise, and serve with warmed pizza sauce on the side.

Notes

This method can be replicated with any type of grilled sandwich. If you want to make 8 plain grilled cheese at one time, use all the above steps, just leave out the pizza sauce and meat and add your favorite cheeses. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1sandwichCalories: 618kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 16gFat: 51gSaturated Fat: 29gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 1178mgPotassium: 413mgFiber: 3gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 644IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 293mgIron: 2mg

Keyword cheese, grilled cheese, lunch, sandwich

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