Quick Shrimp Grilled Cheese (Print Version)

Garlic butter shrimp with melted cheese stacked between golden toasted sourdough for a deliciously layered sandwich.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Shrimp

01 - 7 oz raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
02 - 1 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
05 - Pinch of salt and black pepper

→ Sandwich

06 - 4 slices sourdough bread
07 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
08 - 3.5 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
09 - 3.5 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
10 - 1 tbsp mayonnaise (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until pink and fully cooked. Stir in chopped parsley and remove from heat.
02 - Spread softened butter on one side of each bread slice. Place two slices buttered side down, then layer half the mozzarella and cheddar cheese on top. Evenly distribute cooked shrimp over the cheese, add remaining cheese, and cover with the other bread slices, buttered side up.
03 - Heat a large non-stick skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Optionally, spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the outside of the bread for extra crispiness. Cook sandwiches 3 to 4 minutes per side, pressing gently, until golden brown and cheese is melted.
04 - Remove sandwiches from the skillet, let rest for 1 minute, then slice in half and serve immediately.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It takes 25 minutes from nothing to a meal that tastes like you spent an hour planning it.
  • The garlic butter shrimp brings restaurant-quality flavor without any fussiness or strange techniques.
  • Melted cheese and tender shrimp together is a combination that just works, every single time.
02 -
  • Don't skip letting the shrimp cool slightly before assembling—if they're still steaming hot, they'll make your bread soggy and uneven cooking will happen.
  • Medium-low heat is your friend; I learned this the hard way when I cranked my burner to medium and ended up with burnt bread and barely warm cheese inside.
  • Pressing gently while grilling helps the cheese melt evenly, but pressing too hard will squeeze out all that beautiful melted goodness onto the pan.
03 -
  • If your shrimp are large, consider halving them so they distribute more evenly throughout the sandwich and cook at the same rate as smaller pieces.
  • Shred your own cheese from a block if you can—pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that make it melt less smoothly than freshly shredded.
  • A cast-iron skillet browns bread more evenly than non-stick, and the heat retention means you'll get better color on both sides without having to crank the temperature up.
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