6 Ways to Make Your Grilled Cheese Sandwich Even Better

It's one of the most beloved comfort foods, and for good reason. The grilled cheese is popular with kids and adults alike. Who doesn't love gooey melted cheese sandwiched between two slices of crisp, buttery bread? While a classic grilled cheese sandwich is hard to beat, there’s plenty of room to have fun. You can play around with different kinds of bread and cheese. Then, try adding other ingredients to your sandwiches, from cured meats and fresh produce to sweet and spicy spreads and condiments. There are so many delicious ways to upgrade a grilled cheese sandwich, adding new flavors and textures—ahead, we're sharing our favorites.

Use the Right Bread

If you grew up eating grilled cheese, chances are you started out with buttered soft sandwich bread. Sandwich bread is great—it gets crisp on the outside while maintaining its soft center, but other types of bread deserve some attention as well. There are two things to consider when choosing bread: texture and thickness. 

• Texture: The main thing is you don’t want to reach for anything too hard and crusty. This includes things like baguette and ciabatta. These breads are undoubtedly delicious, but they aren’t meant for grilled cheese. Bite into a sandwich made with these loaves and the cheese and fillings will automatically spill out. Crusty bread isn’t off the table, though—sourdough, miche, and semi-soft hero rolls are great options. They maintain some texture, but the cooking process softens them a bit. Softer breads like brioche, challah, Pullman loaves, and other sandwich breads are classic picks. These are best for more simple sandwiches. In other words, if you’re going to load up your grilled cheese sandwich with more than three toppings, opt for something more sturdy. 
• Thickness: How thick you slice your bread will depend on the type of bread you use. In short, the harder and crustier the bread, the thinner you’ll want to slice it. Aim somewhere between ¼ and ½ inch for hearty bread and between ½ to ¾ inch for soft bread.

Take the Cheese Beyond American

Nothing says grilled cheese quite like pre-packaged American cheese slices. But the sky’s the limit when it comes to choosing your cheeses for a grilled cheese sandwich. There’s really only one rule—the cheese needs to melt nicely. Hard cheeses like Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, and Grana Padano; or dry cheeses like feta, ricotta, and queso fresco tend to retain their texture no matter how much heat you add so we don't recommend them if you’re looking for that iconic cheese pull. But you can choose between pretty much anything else. 

• Soft cheeses: Things like Camembert, mozzarella, some blue cheese varieties, and cream cheese (or mascarpone) are practically melting already. 
• Semi-soft cheeses: American cheese and cheddar are two of the most popular cheeses for grilled cheese. Other flavorful options include taleggio, muenster, fontina, raclette, and Monterey or pepper Jack. 
• Semi-hard cheeses: Cheddar can also sometimes be considered a semi-hard cheese, along with the likes of Gouda, Gruyère, Swiss, Manchego, and havarti.

Add Meat

Bulk up your sandwich with cured meat, deli slices, or even leftovers from the night before. 

• Cured meat: It’s not just for charcuterie boards! Any and all cured meats are delicious on grilled cheese sandwiches. Choose your favorite from prosciutto, salami, mortadella, soppressata, chorizo, and speck. 
• Deli meat: Any deli meat, like smoked ham, roast beef, or turkey is a great way to add more protein to grilled cheese sandwiches. 
• Leftovers: Have some leftover rotisserie chicken from dinner? Turkey on Thanksgiving? Pulled pork from the cookout? Cooked bacon from this morning’s breakfast? You can throw any of those between two slices of bread, add some cheese, and toast it. We'd call it a grilled cheese sandwich.

Pop in Some Produce

Whether fresh or cooked, fruits and vegetables help add a fresh, colorful element to grilled cheese. 

• Baby greens: Delicate baby greens, such as spinach, arugula, and kale, are a great way to add a pop of color to grilled cheese. Since they aren’t adult greens, they wilt just enough between the layers of bread and cheese. 
• Sliced tomatoes: Likewise, thinly sliced fresh tomatoes will soften ever so slightly from the heat of the griddle. 
• Cooked vegetables: Need something to do with leftover grilled or roasted vegetables? Add them to your grilled cheese. Planks of summer squash, eggplant, and onions are particularly easy to layer onto the sandwiches. 
• Marinated mushrooms: You can often purchase marinated mushrooms from the deli counter, or you can make your own. Take some sautéed or roasted sliced mushrooms and toss them with some lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, chili flakes, and dried herbs. Let them sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour or two. 
• Caramelized onions: These are one of our favorite things to keep handy in the refrigerator. Caramelized onions add a rich, umami flavor to any sandwich, and while they’re full of flavor, they’re not overpowering, so you can pair them with just about any cheese. 
• Fresh figs: As with sliced tomatoes, slices of ripe figs will begin to melt and soften slightly in a sandwich. They add a pop of sweet, caramelized flavor. 
• Stone fruit: When stone fruit is in season, we love to shingle a few slices of peaches, nectarines, plums, or apricots onto a grilled cheese sandwich. Peaches and nectarines pair particularly well with Brie or a mild cheddar; plums and apricots shine alongside sharp, buttery cheeses like Gouda or sharp cheddar. 
• Apples and pears: Slices of apples and pears will maintain their crisp texture better than peaches or nectarines do and the slight crunch is appealing. They also add a little sweetness.

Add Pickles or Other Jarred Things

• Bread and butter pickles: These slightly sweet pickles are ideal for grilled cheese sandwiches. We have one rule—use pickle chips, not spears. 
• Pickled onions: Bright and acidic, pickled red onions will liven up even the heaviest sandwich. 
• Sliced pepperoncini: Pepperoncini are a very mild pepper, so they add a little something tangy with minimal heat. 
• Roasted peppers: Bell peppers and sweet or spicy jarred peppadews are great on grilled cheeses. Slice roasted bell peppers into thin strips and cut smaller peppers in half.
• Marinated artichoke hearts: These add a ton of flavor with no effort.

Slather Some Mayo, Pesto, or Other Spreads

• Pesto: Pesto is a classic when paired with gooey mozzarella and tomatoes. 
• Calabrian chili paste: A little goes a long way here–spread a very thin layer along one piece of bread. 
• Flavored mayo: Add fresh herbs, dried spices, and citrus to mayo to make it something a little more special. You can also make your very own special sauce by combining equal parts mayo, ketchup, mustard, and relish. 
• Hummus: Pair this chickpea spread with some of your favorite grilled vegetables for a hearty vegetarian sandwich. 
• Mustard: We always have a few options on hand, from super grainy to smooth and mild because mustard makes a sublime addition to a grilled cheese.
• Jam: Sweet, fruity jams are equally as delicious as is something more piquant like hot pepper jelly. 
• Chutney: Chutney is an immediate flavor booster. A spoonful can add equal amounts of sweetness and savoriness. 
• Honey: It's an easy way to add a touch of sweetness and heat.