Shrimp Grilled Cheese is an easy and unique way to upgrade your grilled cheese sandwich! You only need to spend 20 minutes in the kitchen to make this great weeknight dinner that your family will love.
Stuffed with yummy shrimp, gooey cheese, and nutritious spinach, this shrimp melt sandwich is also a great way to get more veggies into your kids. Use hearty multi-grain bread grilled to a crisp for a tasty, filling, and fiber-rich meal!
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👩🏻🍳 Why You'll Love This Recipe
Perfect for picky eaters, this shrimp grilled cheese takes the classic grilled cheese sandwich and gives it a seafood twist! This simple but tasty shrimp melt sandwich combines zesty seasoned shrimp with creamy grilled cheese.
With spinach for some added nutrition, this grilled cheese and shrimp is like a whole meal in your hands!
Like this Air Fryer Avocado Grilled Cheese, this is a reliably easy recipe that's great for weeknight dinners and is designed to satisfy even the most picky eaters, kids and adults alike!
And it's even more flavorful than my Grilled Avocado Sauerkraut Sandwich, which is a crispy, yummy, healthy favorite!
🥘 Ingredients Needed
- olive oil - you'll use this to cook the shrimp a bit before assembling the sandwiches.
- shrimp - small shrimp works best for this recipe.
- Old Bay and paprika - a warm and flavorful spice combo that will bring out the incredible seafood flavors.
- bread - I like to use some kind of multi-grain bread for an even healthier sandwich.
- butter - helps your bread get nice and browned.
- spinach - for added color and a nutrition boost.
- shredded cheese - a monterey jack/colby jack blend works great with this shrimp sandwich recipe, but you can use whatever cheese you like!
🔪 Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet and add shrimp, Old Bay and paprika.
- Cook until the shrimp is pink and heated through.
- Butter one side of each slice of bread and place 6 face down on a baking sheet. Distribute spinach and cooked shrimp across the bread.
- Add the shredded cheese.
- Top with the other slices of bread, buttered side up.
- Bake at 450 degrees F for 6-8 minutes, then turn the sandwiches over and give them another 6 minutes or so until golden brown and crispy.
👪 FAQs
I love using a monterey and colby jack blend, but cheddar and mozzarella are also reliable options to pair with seafood.
Between 425 and 450 degrees F is ideal for toasting sandwiches in the oven; they'll get nice and crispy without having to spend too much time cooking.
Most storebought mayonnaise has a higher smoke point than butter, which means it's much harder to burn your grilled cheese. Cooking your grilled cheese in the oven is another way to ensure a perfect cook, so if you like the taste of buttered bread but don't want to risk burning, the oven method is a safe bet!
💭 Expert Tips and Tricks
- Larger shrimp can be used, just be sure to monitor the cooking times and ensure that they cook all the way through.
- Adding some garlic or lemon juice to the cooking shrimp is a great way to add more flavor.
Great as a quick and filling weeknight dinner or even a hearty lunch, this shrimp grilled cheese is a great way to work more seafood into your diet!
📖 Substitutions and Variations
- Feel free to use other cheeses like mozzarella, cheddar, gruyere, or pepper jack for other flavor combinations.
- Add some green onions or parsley for even more flavor.
- To maximize on the seafood flavor, cook some crab (real or imitation crab meat would both work!) along with the shrimp.
- Bacon is a delicious addition to this grilled cheese and shrimp sandwich.
🥫 Storage and Reheating
If you have leftover sandwiches, wrap them in some plastic wrap or foil and store them in the fridge. To reheat, I recommend popping them in a toaster oven for a couple of minutes--microwaving will often cause your grilled cheese to get soggy.
You can also freeze these grilled cheese sandwiches for up to 3 months. Place them in plastic bags and use some parchment paper between them if you need to stack in layers. Cook them right from the freezer, adding a couple of minutes to account for the temperature difference.
⏲️ Make Ahead Instructions
The shrimp for this grilled cheese can easily be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge until it's time to assemble the sandwiches!
💡 What To Serve With This Dish
Serve this shrimp grilled cheese with an Apple Walnut Salad or this delicious and healthy Quinoa Chickpea Salad. For a warm and comforting combination, try it with some Instant Pot Minestrone Soup!
🍤 More Seafood Recipes You'll Love
- Shrimp Curry with Broccoli and Rice - A simple and easy meal that's full of nutrition and flavor.
- Brazilian Fish Stew - Tilapia and lots of veggies make up this quick and easy fish stew.
- Lemon Dill Tuna with Noodles - A refreshing twist on the classic tuna casserole.
- Creamy Lobster Bisque Soup - This gourmet homemade soup from Stay Snatched is a creamy and comforting seafood meal!
Shrimp Melt Sandwich Recipe
Love this recipe? Awesome! Please give it a 5 star ⭐ rating below! And if you make this, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram. You can find me at DizzyBusyandHungry or #dizzybusyandhungry!
📋 Recipe Card
Zingy Shrimp Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound small shrimp
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay spice (add more or less to taste)
- 12 slices of bread (I used a multi-grain variety)
- Buttery spread or butter
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1 ½ cups shredded monterey jack/colby blend
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a skillet.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add the shrimp, paprika, and Old Bay and cook until the shrimp is pink and cooked. Set aside.1 pound small shrimp, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon Old Bay spice
- Butter one side of each of the 12 slices of bread with the buttery spread.12 slices of bread, Buttery spread or butter
- Place 6 of the slices butter side down on a baking sheet.
- Distribute the spinach across the 6 slices, then distribute the cooked shrimp, then then the shredded cheese.3 cups fresh baby spinach, 1 ½ cups shredded monterey jack/colby blend
- Place the remaining 6 slices of bread on top, buttered side up.
- Bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes, then flip the sandwiches and bake about 6 minutes more, until the sandwiches are golden brown and crispy. (Alternatively, you can grill them on the stove top on a griddle or in a skillet).
Notes
- Feel free to use different cheese combinations like mozzarella, cheddar, or gruyere.
- If you use larger shrimp, be sure to adjust the cooking time to ensure proper cooking.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
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Happy cooking!
Patty at Spoonabilities
This recipe seriously takes a grilled cheese to the top-notch level! I love love love the spinach in here as well! Great recipe!
Anjali
I had literally never thought to add shrimp to my grilled cheese before I came across your recipe but I'm so glad I did! This turned out to be so tasty and was the perfect lunch!
Kate
You were right, the whole family loved them! Thanks so much for another great recipe.
Gina
I can't believe I never thought of adding shrimp to a grilled cheese before! This was so delicious and a nice little spin on a traditional grilled cheese!
Julia
Hello! I am featuring your Zingy Shrimp Grilled Cheese on my Tasty Tuesday hop tomorrow! Make sure you come back over and grab a featured button and link up some more great recipes!
Julia @ Mini Van Dreams
Sarah Fuller
I sure love shrimp, so I am definitely intrigued by this recipe. Pinning.
Jess
This looks amazing!!
Thanks for joining the Link Up this week!
Angel
WoW! I want one now. This sandwich looks awesome. I've got to make this! Thanks for sharing your recipe at Wake Up Wednesday Linky Party.
Angel