31 Mouthwatering Recipes to Take Your Grilled Cheese to the Next Level
Updated: Apr. 13, 2017As delicious as a regular grilled cheese sandwich is, these cooking hacks give your taste buds a serious upgrade. Your sandwich will never be the same.
Cinnamon-Apple Grilled Cheese
These sandwiches are great for breakfast or lunch, or even as a snack. To intensify the cinnamon flavor, use cinnamon raisin bread instead of raisin bread. —Deborah Puette, Lilburn, Georgia
Get the recipe on TasteofHome.com.
Best-Ever Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
For a classic grilled sandwich, this recipe is the best. You can also use your imagination for other fillings, such as a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, chives or even a tiny spoonful of salsa. —Edie DeSpain, Logan, Utah
Get the recipe on TasteofHome.com.
Grilled Beef & Blue Cheese Sandwiches
Roast beef, red onion, and blue cheese really amp up this deluxe grilled sandwich. If you like a little heat, mix some horseradish into the spread. —Bonnie Hawkins, Elkhorn, Wisconsin
Get the recipe on TasteofHome.com.
Chicken & Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese
My grilled cheese sandwich combines chicken with sweet caramelized onions, red peppers, Swiss cheese, and sourdough bread. It’s oh-my goodness. —Kadija Bridgewater, Deerfield Beach, Florida
Get the recipe on TasteofHome.com.
Grilled Cheese & Prosciutto
Using a bread other than the expected white loaf is key to these crowd-pleasers. Thankfully, my local market in mid-Missouri carries kalamata olive bread. If you are unable to locate it, herbed Italian bread will work. —Amy Dodson, Columbia, Missouri
Get the recipe on TasteofHome.com.
Grilled Goat Cheese & Arugula Sandwiches
To create a more “grown-up” grilled cheese sandwich, I threw in tangy goat cheese and peppery arugula. I enjoy a similar combination on pizza, and it worked here, too! —Jess Apfe, Berkeley, California
Get the recipe on TasteofHome.com.
Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Why settle for ordinary grilled cheese when this is so easy to fix? Pair the sandwiches with your favorite soup for a fast, satisfying meal. —Arlene Reagan, Limerick, Pennsylvania
Get the recipe on TasteofHome.com.
Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwich
This is a mouthwatering new twist on grilled cheese that’s a cheese-lover’s dream come true. You’ll be hooked! Feel free to skip the olives or swap breads to suit your taste. —Beth Dunahay, Lima, Ohio
Get the recipe on TasteofHome.com.
Tomato-Basil Grilled Cheese
My teenager and I were in a lovely coffee shop and she was hungry for a sandwich. She never eats vegetables but loved this, so of course I had to duplicate it at home. —Kathryn Hudson, Bethel Park, Pennsylvania
Get the recipe on TasteofHome.com.
Grilled Cheese Loaf
I often serve buttery grilled bread with steak and a salad. It’s so quick to make, and it’s also easy to add to whatever else you have on the grill. —Debbi Baker, Green Springs, Ohio
Get the recipe on TasteofHome.com.
Super Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Heat up your indoor grill to make these ooey-gooey grilled cheese sandwich recipes. They’re delicious served with soup! —Debbie Murray, Ft. Worth, Texas
Get the recipe on TasteofHome.com.
Ham & Apple Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
This recipe comes from a restaurant dish I loved and tried to duplicate at home. The combination of flavors is perfectly balanced. It always earns rave reviews! —Erin Renouf Mylroie, Santa Clara, Utah
Get the recipe on TasteofHome.com.
Mexican Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
A little salsa goes a long way in these quick, no-fuss sandwiches. Perked up with sweet peppers, they’re flavorful, fun, and ideal on busy weeknights. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Get the recipe on TasteofHome.com.
Grilled Cheese & Pepper Sandwiches
This is a tasty and wholesome sandwich to make for one or two. It’s a nice twist on a grilled cheese, very tasty and filling and especially good with rye bread. —Arline Hofland, Deer Lodge, Montana
Get the recipe on TasteofHome.com.
Makeover Deluxe Grilled Cheese
With a few simple tricks, we actually boosted the fantastic toasty taste of these mouthwatering sandwiches, but slashed fat, calories, and cholesterol to less than half! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Get the recipe on TasteofHome.com.
Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
I made up this recipe for the students in the foods and nutrition class I teach. The kids like it so much, they often go home and fix it for their families. —Beth Hiott, York, South Carolina
Get the recipe on TasteofHome.com
The Pepperoni Pizza
Pizza and grilled cheese: Two of nature’s most beautiful creations. Now you can combine them into one flavor-bomb of a meal. You’re welcome.
Get the recipe on Kirbie’s Cravings.
The Avoca-mato
If a salad and a grilled cheese had a baby, this would be it. Adding avocado and heirloom tomatoes automatically makes it healthier, so you don’t need to feel as guilty about eating a sandwich smothered in butter and cheese.
Get the recipe on Fifteen Spatulas.
The Animal Style
Blogger House of Yumm recreated In-N-Out Burger’s Animal Style burger and turned it into a grilled cheese sandwich. The food blog claims the secret sauce in its recipe is nearly identical to the burger chain’s original (which says a lot, since it’s one of the tourist restaurants locals swear by). Even if it isn’t, it looks delicious all the same. If you like that grilled cheese, you’ll also love this recipe that has a delicious combination of mouthwatering toppings.
Get the recipe on House of Yumm.
The White Pizza
Thanks to this recipe from Cupcakes and Kale Chips, you can now take all of the gooey cheese on white pizza (parmesan, ricotta, and mozzarella, to be specific) and make it into a classic sandwich. What a time to be alive. (Disclaimer: This dish includes neither cupcakes nor kale chips.)
Get the recipe on Cupcakes and Kale Chips.
The Fajita
Behold a Mexican cuisine favorite transformed into a irresistible grilled cheese sandwich. Spicy food lovers will love the kick from the pepper jack cheese and chili powder in this Food Fanatic recipe. Did you know eating spicy food could make you live longer?
Get the recipe on Food Fanatic.
The Spicy Apple
This may not be the healthiest way to eat apples, but it’s definitely one of the tastiest. Pairing apples with Sriracha butter? You know you’re curious about what that tastes like. (Want to add a little meat to this sandwich? Try this recipe.)
Get the recipe on The Endless Meal.
The Peachy Keen
Putting fruit on grilled cheese sandwiches appears to be a trend that isn’t going away anytime soon, so we may as well hop on the bandwagon. Plus, peaches are one of the healthiest fruits out there.
Get the recipe on Macheesmo.
The Sloppy Joe
Combine two classic comfort foods into one comfort sandwich, and you’ll be feeling like a little kid again in no time. Try this food hack to cook your sloppy joe meat faster.
Get the recipe on Grilled Cheese Social.
The Egg-in-a-Hole
Putting eggs in a grilled cheese is a great idea on its own. Making it an egg-in-a-hole grilled cheese? Genius. Enjoy this creation by A Cozy Kitchen for any meal. Check out these other recipes with eggs that aren’t for breakfast.
Get the recipe on A Cozy Kitchen.
The Loaded Pretzel
Why don’t we replace bread with pretzels for every sandwich? We really should start doing that immediately. In the meantime, here are more food substitutes you should try.
Get the recipe at Noble Pig.
The Frito Pie
Inspired by the American Southwest, this spicy creation reinvents one of the most craved regional foods into a grilled cheese anyone can enjoy, no matter where you live.
Get the recipe on From Away.
The Lunch Box
This sandwich has basically everything you’d find in a school kid’s lunch box: apple slices, carrots, cheese. But the real game-changer here is using almond butter instead of real butter. Check out these other butter hacks you didn’t know you needed.
Get the recipe on Bev Cooks.
The Mac and (Grilled) Cheese
First, there was mac and cheese pizza. Someone was bound to think up mac and cheese grilled cheese eventually. For tips on making the best mac and cheese, check out our interview with Guy Fieri.
Get the recipe on The Gunny Sack.
The Vineyard
Wine and cheese is one of the classiest pairings, so that makes this the classiest grilled cheese sandwich by default. This sandwich combines Cabernet Sauvignon and Gruyere cheese, but you can change it up with your preferred wine and cheese pairing.
Get the recipe on BS’ in the Kitchen.
The Bianca Dessert
A grilled cheese dessert? Count us in! Theoretically, you could eat a grilled cheese for every meal, plus dessert. Eating dessert is good for you, after all.
Get the recipe on Nutmeg Nanny.