Give Your Grilled Cheese Gourmet Sweetness With One Juicy Ingredient

You've surely seen the famous scene in "Ratatouille" where the protagonist (and rat) Remy carefully selects a cube of cheese and a slice of strawberry, combining them as a flawless proof-of-concept for flavor-mixing. As it turns out, Remy was right — the creamy, salty flavors that cheese brings to the table make it the perfect candidate to pair with any number of other fruits, nuts, or crackers — after all, charcuterie boards are famous for a reason.

So why not apply the same concept to your next grilled cheese sandwich? Much like Remy's skeptical family members, you may be thinking, "Why mess with a classic?" But the truth is that the simplicity of grilled cheese lends itself perfectly to experimentation. From the nearly 1,800 different kinds of cheese in the world to the varying bread types, cheese layering techniques, soup dipping choices, and so on, so much awaits beyond the world of white bread and American cheese slices. More specifically, seasonal stonefruits like peaches and nectarines are the perfect choice to give a juicy, sweet tang to your sandwich — and make those "Ratatouille" fireworks go off in your head.

Peaches — and their stonefruit-sister nectarines — are in season from May to late September, and their taste feels like a sweet, delicate bite of summer. Paired with brie or gruyere, thin slices of these fruity farmer's market classics can make your grilled cheese go from basic to gourmet. Yellow peaches and nectarines are more tart, which you may or may not prefer. They tend to boast a stronger, more floral flavor in general.

Sandwich the peaches or nectarines in between two cheese-lined pieces of bread to keep the fruit from going limp, and make sure you've chosen a sturdy type of bread to hold up the toppings. But don't let the experimentation end there: Try adding a few slices of bacon for a protein-packed crunch, a sprig of basil for an herbal twist, or both, along with a drizzle of honey for a mouth-melting, sweet-and-salty bite.

The grilled cheese is truly a blank slate for your imagination, and you can get a lot of sandwich combos out of one loaf of bread. Take advantage of seasonal flavors (and of course, whatever you've got in your fridge). Maybe after making this summery treat, you'll want to try a chili cheese dog grilled cheese next.