51 Grilled Cheese Recipes That Are More Than Just Cheddar And Bread
Sweet dreams are made of (grilled) cheese.
What makes a great grilled cheese? Is it just two pieces of bread, filled with melty, gooey cheese? Does it count if it’s stuffed with a TON of other ingredients (you know how we do)? Does a panini count? What if there’s no bread? Can you switch up the cheese (mm, brie)? Whatever they are, we’re in LOVE. Grilled cheeses are so versatile, and we’re always making them as anytime snacks, quick dinners, or even as simple party appetizers. Don’t even get us started on the classic combination of tomato soup + grilled cheese (or Bloody Marys 😈). Check out our best grilled cheese recipes for ideas—trust us, they're SO much more than just cheese and bread.
We can’t imagine you’re unfamiliar with the concept, but just in case, we’ve made a guide for how to make the best grilled cheese. Top tips: Shred your own cheese (it melts better!) and use a good amount of butter or mayo to get your bread perfectly toasty. Once you’ve got that down, change it up. Check out our Greek grilled cheese, our antipasto grilled cheese, our bacon apple cheddar grilled cheese, or our pizza grilled cheese for ideas, but really, the sky’s the limit. We love a mashup, like our grilled cheese burgers (with grilled cheeses as the buns), our sloppy joe grilled cheese, our grilled cheese hot dogs, or our chicken Parm grilled cheese. American or cheddar are classic, but feel free to switch it up, like in our peaches & brie grilled cheese, our jalapeño popper grilled cheese (cream cheese), or our Caprese grilled cheese (mozzarella). You could even make them for breakfast with our grilled cheese pancakes or our waffle iron grilled cheese. Want all that cheesy goodness, without the carbs? Veggies to the rescue: try our cauliflower grilled cheese or our zucchini grilled cheese—they’ve got the cheese pull you desire, without the bread.
Want more sandwich inspiration? Check out our favorite easy lunch and dinner sandwiches too.
Air-Fryer Grilled Cheese
The convection provided by an air fryer displaces the heat throughout the entire sandwich, creating a crispy exterior and a perfectly gooey interior. Other than knowing the ideal grilled cheese is air fried for 8 minutes at 370°, the rest of your sandwich creation is in your hands, so get creative with your fillings if you like!
Get the Air Fryer Grilled Cheese recipe.
Best Grilled Cheese
It's all about the crust. Choose a hearty bread, butter it up, and shred your favorite cheddar for the best grilled cheese ever: crispy-crunchy on the outside, melty, cheddar middle, and the world's most impressive cheese pull.
Get the Best Grilled Cheese recipe.
Cauliflower Grilled Cheese
All you need is cauliflower rice, eggs, Parmesan and oregano to make a low-carb bread fit for even the meltiest of grilled cheeses. Is there anything cauliflower can't do?!
Get the Cauliflower Grilled Cheese recipe.
Grilled Cheese Dogs
Can't choose between a hot dog and a grilled cheese sandwich? Why not both? 😈 Now you don't have to debate over whether "Is a hot dog a sandwich?", especially when it means perfectly seared hot dogs and melty cheese.
Get the Grilled Cheese Dogs recipe.
Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese
We thought sloppy Joes were perfect as is, that is until we added cheese. You might never make them without it again. Bonus: The cheese actually helps hold them together—but don't worry, they're still gloriously messy.
Get the Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese recipe.
BLT Grilled Cheese
Be warned: This recipe might ruin you for the classic BLT.
Get the BLT Grilled Cheese recipe.
Avocado Grilled Cheese
Who knew guac and grilled cheese were meant to be together? We call for one avocado, but if yours are extra large, serve chips on the side of this sandwich and dip them in any leftover mashed avo.
Get the Avocado Grilled Cheese recipe.
Pizza Grilled Cheese
Craving pizza, but can't be bothered with all that work (or heating your oven to 500°?!)? This saucy sandwich is for you.
Get the Pizza Grilled Cheese recipe.
"Grilled Cheese" Burgers
You already know the standard cheeseburger, you might have seen cheese-stuffed patties, but have you ever added cheese to the bun? This recipe does just that by combining our two favorite comfort foods: burgers and grilled cheese.
Get the "Grilled Cheese" Burgers recipe.
Waffle Iron Grilled Cheese
If you love the crispy cheesy bits of grilled cheeses (and who doesn't?!) you gotta try this genius waffle iron hack.
Get the Waffle Iron Grilled Cheese recipe.
S'mores Grilled Cheese
When crushing your graham crackers, don’t go too crazy. Some bigger bits will provide a nice crunch to this whole deliciously melty, messy situation. (P.S. If you're really into this sandwich, you need to try our s'mores quesadilla next.)
Get the S'mores Grilled Cheese recipe.
Hawaiian Grilled Cheese
Consider this a grilled cheese straight from paradise. It might seem crazy, but the sharpness of white cheddar pairs perfectly with the bite of soy sauce and pineapple.
Get the Hawaiian Grilled Cheese recipe.
Parmesan Crusted Kale Grilled Cheese
There's an ENTIRE bunch of leafy green kale in this grilled cheese. Thanks to a quick braise in sweet and spicy apple cider vinegar, it reduces considerably, transforming into dark lacquered greens with just the right amount of tang.
Cheesesteak Grilled Cheese
This is basically a buttery, extra cheesy pressed Philly cheesesteak, and WE. ARE. HERE. FOR. IT.
Get the Cheesesteak Grilled Cheese recipe.
Grilled Cheese Pancakes
We love pancakes and we love grilled cheese, so it was only a matter of time before we put the two together for the ultimate food mash-up. We proudly present to you the grilled cheese pancake, complete with three of our most humble household cheeses: Cheddar, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
Get the Grilled Cheese Pancakes recipe.
Chicken Parm Grilled Cheese
We LOVE a mashup, and this might be one of our favorites ever—chicken Parm, which is already deliciously cheesy on its own, paired with a melty grilled cheese? This sandwich haunts our dreams in the best way possible.
Get the Chicken Parm Grilled Cheese recipe.
Mac & Cheese Grilled Cheese
This IS a little over the top, we admit, but sometimes you just need a heavy does of carbs—THIS is the recipe for those times.
Get the Mac & Cheese Grilled Cheese recipe.
Greek Grilled Cheese
Want a little more oomph in your grilled cheese? Take inspiration from all your favorite Greek flavors (like in our Greek salmon or our Greek pasta), and add in your favorites. We like kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, and feta, but you do you.
Get the Greek Grilled Cheese recipe.
Grilled Cheese Bombs
These are wonderful paired with everything from tomato soup to chili, or taken as a snack on the go. They have the perfect cheese to bread ratio.
Get the Grilled Cheese Bombs recipe.
Pickle Bacon Grilled Cheese
You only need 5 ingredients to make these super flavorful grilled cheeses—mayo (for the crispiest crust), sourdough bread (or use whatever you got!), Cheddar, bacon, and, of course, a few dill pickles. We can't believe we never thought of this before.
Get the Pickle Bacon Grilled Cheese recipe.
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