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Spaghetti Grilled Cheese

A recipe for Spaghetti Grilled Cheese inspired by our visit to Irvine, California! Spaghetti in a homemade meat sauce is sandwiched between two slices of bread with mozzarella cheese and grilled until golden.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 45 mins
Servings: 4 Sandwiches
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: International

Ingredients

Spaghetti:
  • 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) olive oil
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 8 ounces (227 grams) ground beef
  • 28 ounces (794 grams) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1-2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 cup (118 milliliters) water as needed
  • 1/4 cup (10 grams) fresh basil leaves thinly sliced
  • 2 ounces (57 grams) freshly grated Parmesan plus more for topping
  • 8 ounces (227 grams) dried spaghetti
Butter:
  • 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter melted
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
To assemble:
  • 16 slices mozzarella thin slices
  • 8 slices sturdy sandwich bread sourdough if available

Instructions

To prepare the tomato sauce:
    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large saucepan, drizzle olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden.
  2. Add the crushed garlic and cook until just fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
  3. Stir in the ground beef, crushing it into small pieces with a spoon. Season with salt and cook, stirring often, until browned.
  4. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and the water. Season with additional salt if needed. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour to blend the flavors.
  5. Stir in the basil and remove from heat. Set aside about 1/2 cup (118 milliliters) of the sauce to use for dipping if desired.
While the tomato sauce is simmering:
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the dried spaghetti and cook, stirring occasionally, until just al dente, barely tender.
  2. Drain the spaghetti and toss in the cooked tomato sauce. Stir in the grated Parmesan.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Pour the spaghetti onto the parchment-lined baking sheet and spread into a single, 1 inch (2.5 centimeter) thick layer long and wide enough to fit into each of the sandwiches.
  4. Sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese over the top in a thin layer.
To make the garlic butter spread:
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder to blend.
To assemble the sandwiches:
  1. Cut the slab of spaghetti into four pieces.
  2. Brush one slice of bread with the seasoned butter and place butter-side down on work surface.
  3. Top the bread with two thin slices of mozzarella. Carefully cover with one slab of the spaghetti.
  4. Cover with another two slices of mozzarella and top with bread. Brush the top with more seasoned butter. Repeat with remaining spaghetti and bread to make four sandwiches in all.
  5. Place a skillet over medium-low heat. Place the assembled sandwich on the hot skillet. Cover and cook, adjusting the heat between medium-low and low as needed, until golden.
  6. Carefully flip, cover again, and cook the sandwich on the other side until the bread is golden and cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining sandwiches.
  7. Serve warm.