Pulled pork grilled cheese is ridiculously easy to make, kid-friendly, crazily delicious, and a marvelous way to use up extra pulled pork leftover from that barbecue. Though if we’re being honest, we’d happily smoke a batch of pulled pork just to make this sandwich. Feel free to gussy it up with a cheese that doesn’t come in shrink-wrapped slices. Consider it a sandwich adventure.–Angie Zoobkoff

CAN I MAKE THIS AHEAD OF TIME?

These sandwiches are perfect for tailgating but if you don’t want to set up your smoker the night before, you’re free to start with your pork already smoked. Smoke it yourself a few days ahead or pick one up from your favorite joint. From there, just plop down your skillet on the grill and get to work.

Three pulled pork grilled cheese sandwiches stacked on top of each other and secured with a wooden skewer.

Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese

5 / 2 votes
Don’t stop short with just a pork sandwich. Instead, load a pile of smoked pork on a bun, sandwiched between a few slices of American cheese. Over cast-iron, with a lovely dose of butter, the whole thing melds together into the most perfect food imaginable.
David Leite
CourseMains
CuisineAmerican
Servings1 sandwich
Calories586 kcal
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • In a cast-iron pan or griddle set over medium heat, melt the butter. Place the bun halves, cut side up, in the skillet. Place 1 cheese slice on each bun half. Top the bottom bun half with the pulled pork. Using a spatula, place the top bun half, cheese side down, on the other side that’s topped with pulled pork. Cook, turning occasionally and gently pressing the sandwich with the spatula, until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
  • Serve immediately. Don’t forget the napkins.
The South's Best Butts Cookbook

Adapted From

The South’s Best Butts

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 sandwichCalories: 586 kcalCarbohydrates: 43 gProtein: 26 gFat: 35 gSaturated Fat: 18 gMonounsaturated Fat: 7 gTrans Fat: 1 gCholesterol: 121 mgSodium: 1594 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 20 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @leitesculinaria or tag #leitesculinaria!
Recipe © 2017 Matt Moore. Photo © 2017 Time Inc. Books. All rights reserved.

Recipe Testers’ Reviews

This pulled pork grilled cheese was a hit with my family. It was easy to take special orders for this meal—one of my guys wanted straight-up grilled cheese, one wanted all meat, and the rest of us thoroughly enjoyed the cheese and pulled pork combo. This is a fantastic way to serve a fancy grilled cheese as the hamburger bun keeps hearty ingredients, such as pulled pork, well contained.

I used a stovetop grill press to get nice grill marks on all sides. This was fantastic served with the slaw from the pulled pork tacos recipe as well as dipped in the vinegar barbecue sauce for extra zing.

Having grown up in Memphis, pulled pork is a staple in my freezer. Thus this pulled pork grilled cheese recipe made an easy worknight dinner. The cooking was quick, the recipe was easy to follow, and the result was a satisfying sandwich. Since the recipe was developed for children, the use of American cheese was suitable; for myself, I would prefer cheese with a little more bite. Perhaps my next attempt would be with a white Cheddar. Since the pork I had in my freezer was relatively bland, I added some vinegar barbeque sauce.

Simple yet decadent. I used salt-and-pepper smoked pulled pork, plastic-wrapped American cheese, and homemade, pillowy hamburger buns. No need to sauce it, the balance is brilliant.




About David Leite

I count myself lucky to have received three James Beard Awards for my writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. My work has also appeared in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and more.


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