Name: Sheet Pan Grilled Cheese with BBQ Pulled Pork
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 8 Garlic Bread Texas Toast Slices (homemade or store purchased); 8 oz Pepper Jack Cheese (shredded, fresh if possilbe); 8 oz Cheddar Cheese (shredded, fresh if possible ); 1 lb Pulled Pork; 2 C BBQ Sauce

Three sandwiches with melted cheese and shredded meat filling, served on thick slices of toasted bread, are arranged on a blue plate atop a wooden surface.

This sheet pan grilled cheese with BBQ pulled pork might be one of the easiest comfort meals I’ve ever made. It’s got that perfect mix of crispy, cheesy, and smoky - and it all comes together on one pan. No skillet flipping, no mess, no stress.

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A glass bowl filled with shredded yellow and white cheese sits on a wooden surface with a geometric pattern.

For the sheet pan grilled cheese start with garlic bread Texas toast, load it up with pulled pork and a mix of cheddar and pepper jack, then bake it until everything melts together in one golden, gooey bite. It’s simple, fast, and absolutely hits the spot.

A white bowl filled with shredded pulled pork sits on a wooden surface, with a rustic, textured background behind it.

I love making this sheet pan grilled cheese when I’ve got leftover pulled pork sitting in the fridge. A little BBQ sauce, a little cheese, and suddenly leftovers turn into something people think you spent all day on.

Why This Sheet Pan Grilled Cheese Recipe Works

Sheet pan grilled cheese is a total game changer. You can make enough for everyone at once instead of standing over the stove flipping sandwiches one by one. The oven does all the work - and the results are perfect every time.

A white bowl filled with shredded pulled pork topped with a generous layer of barbecue sauce, placed on a brown patterned wooden surface.

The sheet pan grilled cheese gives the outside that buttery crunch you want in a grilled cheese, and the inside stays soft and cheesy. The pulled pork brings that smoky BBQ flavor, and the sauce ties it all together. It’s like your favorite BBQ sandwich and your favorite grilled cheese had a baby.

And the best part? It’s done in about 30 minutes.

A close-up of two slices of garlic bread on a light gray baking sheet, resting on a wooden surface. The bread appears golden and seasoned with herbs.

Ingredients

8 Garlic Bread Texas Toast Slices (store-bought or homemade)
8 oz Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded
8 oz Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 lb Pulled Pork
2 C BBQ Sauce

That’s really all you need. A handful of simple ingredients, but together they create something that feels way more special than it should for how little effort it takes.

Sheet pan grilled cheese slices of toasted bread each topped with a generous serving of shredded pulled pork, placed on a gray surface with a wooden background.

How To Make It

Step 1: Preheat the Oven
Set your oven to 425°F and let it get hot while you prep everything else.

Step 2: Toast the Bread
Lay the garlic bread slices on a sheet pan and bake them for 3-4 minutes. You don’t want them fully toasted yet - just enough to give them a little structure.

Three pieces of toasted bread topped with shredded meat and a generous amount of mixed shredded yellow and white cheese, arranged on a metal tray.

Step 3: Mix the Pork and Sauce
While that’s happening, toss your pulled pork with BBQ sauce. I like mine saucy, so I usually go a little heavy. You can adjust it depending on how messy you want these sandwiches to be.

Step 4: Build the Sandwiches
Take the bread out and start layering. A little pulled pork on each piece, a handful of both cheeses, then top with another slice of garlic bread. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect - melted cheese covers everything.

Step 5: Bake
Pop the sheet pan back in the oven for about 8-10 minutes. Keep an eye on it. You can tell when it’s ready when the cheese starts bubbling out and the bread darkens slightly around the edges.

Step 6: Serve Hot
Like the pulled pork when it was done via bbq, you'll want to let them rest, and cool for a few minutes so the cheese settles. I like to drizzle a little extra BBQ sauce over the top right before serving for that sticky, shiny finish.

Tips for the Best Sheet Pan Grilled Cheese

Toast the bread first. It keeps everything from getting soggy.
Shred your own cheese. It melts smoother than pre-shredded.
Don’t skimp on the BBQ sauce - it keeps the pork juicy while it bakes.
Add a little spice if you like heat. Jalapeños or hot sauce work great.
Let them rest a minute before cutting so the cheese stays in place.

Why I Love the Sheet Pan Method

I’ve made plenty of grilled cheeses the old-school way, and yeah, they’re good. But the sheet pan version just makes life easier. You can cook eight at a time, they all come out evenly toasted, and cleanup takes about two minutes.

Three sandwiches with thick toasted bread, shredded cheese, and pulled meat are arranged on a baking tray inside an oven, ready to be baked or melted.

It’s also the perfect base for experimenting. Try brisket instead of pork, or mix up the cheeses. You could even turn it into a breakfast version with bacon and eggs. Once you’ve made one, you’ll start thinking of all kinds of ways to spin it.

What to Serve With Sheet Pan Grilled Cheese

This sandwich is rich and filling, so I usually keep the sides simple. A little coleslaw, a handful of pickles, or even just a pile of kettle chips. If you’re feeding a crowd, it pairs perfectly with mac and cheese or baked beans for a full BBQ-style meal.

And don’t skip the dipping sauce. More BBQ sauce is the obvious move, but ranch or spicy aioli hits too.

Leftovers and Reheating

If you’ve got any left, wrap them in foil and toss them in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes. They’ll crisp right back up. The air fryer works great too - a few minutes at 375°F and they’re as good as new.

Microwave only if you’re desperate. It works, but you’ll lose the crunch.

Variations You Can Try

Buffalo Chicken Melt: Use shredded chicken tossed in buffalo sauce instead of pork.
Brisket BBQ Melt: Swap pulled pork for chopped brisket.
Breakfast Style: Add scrambled eggs and bacon.
Veggie Twist: Use sautéed mushrooms, peppers, and onions for a cheesy vegetarian version.

Once you’ve got the sheet pan method down, you can do just about anything with it.

A gloved hand holds a sandwich on sliced white bread, filled with shredded meat and melted cheese, cut in half on a wooden cutting board.

Final Thoughts

This sheet pan grilled cheese with BBQ pulled pork is comfort food done right. It’s crunchy, cheesy, smoky, and just messy enough to feel like a proper BBQ sandwich.

It’s one of those recipes that’s impossible to mess up and always makes people happy. Perfect for weeknights, game days, or anytime you just want something hot and hearty without a ton of work.

Fire up the oven, grab your favorite BBQ sauce, and let that cheese do its thing. Once you make grilled cheese this way, you’ll never go back to the skillet again.

A cheesy, golden-brown slider sandwich with crispy edges sits on a wooden surface, with two more similar sandwiches on a blue plate in the background.

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Note - Pulled Pork and BBQ Sauce from this recipe is from my Root Beer Pulled Pork