16 Unexpected Ways To Upgrade Grilled Cheese

For many of us, a grilled cheese sandwich is as near as perfect a comfort food as it gets. Not only do they taste delicious, but there's a kind of nostalgia that comes with biting into crunchy bread and having melted cheese ooze out of it. As a professional chef and grilled cheese sandwich aficionado, I've eaten and prepared my fair share of these sandwiches over my lifetime and, while there's an art and science to making the perfect grilled cheese sandwich, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

From different ways of cooking them to various ingredients you can add to jazz up their texture, there are a number of surprising ways to give a grilled cheese sandwich a lift that will completely change your life. If this sounds hyperbolic, you haven't tried these hacks yet. You might never go back to your old ways of making this iconic sandwich again once you've tasted these new and improved variations on this classic.

Many of my favorite spins on classic recipes come from my research on the food habits of other cultures. You often recognize similar types of dishes across the globe with slight variations that can revolutionize how you make them. A great example of this is an Italian spin on grilled cheese, known as a mozzarella in carrozza.

Mozzarella in carrozza is a sandwich that's loaded with fresh mozzarella, coated in breading, and then fried to give a golden brown, crispy crust. The addition of the breading is what makes this sandwich so dynamite, and it is a technique that can work with any type of bread or cheese combo.

Start by assembling the sandwich and trimming off the crusts. This will ensure the eggs and breadcrumb coating evenly absorbs into the entire sandwich. Then dunk the prepared sandwich in beaten eggs followed by seasoned breadcrumbs before frying it up in canola or grapeseed oil until browned and toasty.

As the chef of a bed and breakfast, the lens through which I view food often comes from the perspective of transforming it into something I can serve for breakfast or brunch. One of my go-to brunch sandwiches is a grilled cheese-inspired French toast recipe.

This savory twist on French toast is loaded with cheese and dunked into an egg batter made with just a hint of milk, salt, pepper, and seasonings. Once the batter's absorbed, the grilled cheese french toast can be cooked in butter. For best results, I recommend finishing this sandwich in the oven for a few minutes to ensure the egg custard is thoroughly cooked before serving.

If you're getting Monte Cristo sandwich vibes from this idea, you're right on track. You can easily upgrade this combo by adding thin slices of ham or turkey to the sandwich before soaking it in the custard and cooking it. 

A panini press, or sandwich press, is one of the most versatile countertop appliances you can buy. Among its many uses, you can make a quick, easy, and distinctive grilled cheese sandwich that requires far less fat and has a particularly crisp exterior.

The beauty of the panini press is its upper and lower grilling surfaces. As the sandwich is squeezed between the two halves of the press, the cheese melts evenly while the bread is toasted, leaving behind crunchy grill marks that make for a unique mouthfeel.

Though a panini press requires far less fat than making a grilled cheese sandwich in a pan, you should grease it before adding the prepared sandwich to the press using either cooking spray or brushing it with canola or grapeseed oil. This will prevent the bread and cheese from sticking to the press and tearing.

One of the biggest superpowers of a chef is the ability to combine seemingly incompatible flavors in one dish to produce a complex, layered masterpiece in your mouth. This is often achieved by fusing sweet and savory ingredients together, which can be a game changer when conceiving an elevated grilled cheese experience.

Look no further than an epic charcuterie platter for some inspiration on this one. Meats and cheeses are frequently paired with fruit, chocolate, and candied nuts to help balance out the saltiness and savoriness of these elements, and this can easily be translated to a grilled cheese sandwich.

Some fantastic options include fruit spreads, fresh fruit slices, Nutella, jellied cranberry sauce, pistachio cream, and flavored peanut butter. These pair best with cheeses that are inherently nutty in nature, such as Gruyère, Gouda, and Manchego. If you really want to up the ante, add in some cured meat, like prosciutto, speck, or some Ibérico ham, to infuse a layer of umami-richness that will help to meld the cheese with the sweet elements.

When it comes to surprising ingredients for making a perfect grilled cheese sandwich, you may not have anticipated something as simple as an ice cube being the answer. Melting cheese comes down to a few factors. First, cheese selection matters. The best melting cheeses are ones with a high moisture content, an ample amount of fat, and that are young, not aged.

Beyond this, often a grilled cheese sandwich doesn't spend enough time in the pan for the cheese to melt to the point that it becomes stretchy and gooey. This requires a little assistance in the form of steam. Adding an ice cube to the pan while cooking a grilled cheese sandwich helps to expose it to just enough steam to help that cheese along, giving you the best mouthfeel.

A few tips to keep in mind when using an ice cube, don't let it touch the bread, or it will become soggy, rather than crisp. Additionally, it is crucial to put a lid on the pan while the sandwich cooks, to help keep the steam inside.

When it comes to livening up a grilled cheese sandwich, fermented ingredients, like sliced pickles or tangy kimchi, have a funkiness that is simultaneously unexpected and can help to temper the greasiness of the cheese and fat in which the sandwich is cooked. The key to using these elements in a grilled cheese sandwich is to do so in moderation. Not only do you want the flavors to meld well, but you also don't want the pickles or kimchi to overwhelm the bread and make it waterlogged.

I recommend using a double-layered approach. Place the cheese directly against the bread, then add an even layer of the fermented item of choice. Follow this with another helping of cheese before adding the final piece of bread. As the cheese melts, it will adhere to the pickles or kimchi and encase them, absorbing any excess moisture and helping to fuse the flavors.

When it comes to a classic grilled cheese sandwich, while butter or a neutral-flavored oil, like canola or grapeseed, are effective at achieving the ideal crust, they can be rather boring in flavor. There are a couple of options that can completely transform your grilled cheese for the better.

First, mayonnaise can produce a better grilled cheese for a variety of reasons, not least of which is the fact that it is easier to spread and has a unique, tangy flavor. Its primary superpower is its high smoke point. Butter can burn easily, which will ruin your grilled cheese sandwich before it has completely crisped up and the cheese has melted. Mayo will encourage a slower crisping process, during which the Maillard reaction can do its magic, giving you those toasty and nutty elements that form the perfect crust.

Another dynamite alternative for a delicious grilled cheese sandwich is browned butter. It brings a depth of flavor, which lends a nutty, caramel-forward taste that can completely revolutionize your grilled cheese sandwich. For added interest, try infusing brown butter with fresh herbs, like sage, rosemary, or thyme. These will give the brown butter an additional earthiness that will make the flavor of the sandwich even more nuanced.

While taste is crucial, texture is equally as important to making a superior grilled cheese sandwich. You can certainly get a crispy crust on the sandwich by cooking it as-is, but sometimes you want something extra to give it a boost of crunch. That's where a compound butter laced with a crispy component comes into play.

Simply soften a stick of unsalted butter and crush up some potato chips, tortilla chips, crackers, shortbread cookies, or cereal in a food processor for the ultimate mash-up. Mix these together, spread them over the exterior of the assembled grilled cheese, and cook it up as usual.

The crushed bits will adhere to the bread and nestle themselves into all the nooks and crannies, creating an extra bite that will completely transform the mouthfeel of your grilled cheese sandwich. Just be sure to cook the sandwich on a lower heat and monitor it carefully so that the coating doesn't burn before the cheese has completely melted.

Another way to easily elevate a grilled cheese sandwich is by slapping it on the grill. You may think the grill is a bit overkill for a humble sandwich like a grilled cheese, but the very characteristics that make it so great for burgers is exactly what helps to transform your sandwich into something special.

Depending on whether you have a gas or charcoal grill, the flavor and aroma may differ, but the idea is the same. The grill can impart a grilled cheese sandwich with a smoky aroma and taste that give it incredible depth and a savory quality that cannot be captured in a pan. It also develops distinctive grill marks that are visually appealing and provide a nice mouthfeel.

When grilling a grilled cheese sandwich, be careful not to use high heat. Low-and-slow is what you are going for. This allows time for the Maillard reaction to kick in and begin to caramelize the bread, while giving a chance for the cheese to melt.

If you want a hack for making grilled cheese sandwiches the way professional chefs do, toss them in the air fryer. These mini, convection-like ovens are not just efficient, but they can produce a sandwich that is crispier and has a light, fluffy texture. The key to the air fryer is its circular airflow. By heating both sides of the sandwich with hot air, it cooks more thoroughly and melts the cheese more evenly. That said, there are some caveats to using the air fryer for making a grilled cheese sandwich.

First, this vigorous air flow can end up blowing the top off your sandwich, spreading the cheese all over the unit and making a mess. The best way to mitigate this is by securing the sandwich with toothpicks. Second, don't use the highest setting for the air fryer thinking it will speed things up. 350 F for roughly three minutes per side is all you need for the most spectacular grilled cheese money can buy.

If you have ever eaten a Parmesan wafer, you'll completely understand what this upgrade is about. It involves using freshly grated cheese to create the crispiest grilled cheese sandwich.

The technique is pretty simple. Pre-grate some parmesan, or any good melting cheese, into a bowl. Once your sandwich is assembled and the butter has been placed into the pan, add the cheese in a thin, even layer. Toss the prepared sandwich on top of the cheese and let it do its magic. As the cheese melts, it will adhere to the bread and create a cheese wafer coating that will knock your socks off.

One thing to keep in mind when using this trick is to keep a close eye on the cheese. The heat will need to be high enough to melt it, but not so high that the sandwich doesn't cook properly before the cheese burns. 

Did you know that salt is the missing ingredient for a better grilled cheese sandwich? Sprinkling just a pinch of salt, no more than about ⅛ teaspoon per tablespoon of butter, into the pan before adding your assembled sandwich will dramatically lift up the flavor of a grilled cheese. The salt enhances the natural savory qualities of the cheese, while bringing out the yeasty goodness of the bread for a more layered taste.

There are some things to consider before using this trick. First, always use unsalted butter, as you don't want it to be too salty, but want to aim for the right balance of flavor. Additionally, be mindful of the cheese you use, as some have a higher salt content than others, which can further overwhelm the sandwich.

Though table or kosher salt would work for this purpose, this is the moment that finishing salts were made for. Break out that truffle, garlic, smoked, or lemon zest salt for a truly gourmet dining experience that will take a grilled cheese sandwich from everyday fare to something worthy of a fine dining establishment.

Have you shied away from making grilled cheese sandwiches for a crowd because the idea of laboring over a hot stove for hours to produce enough portions feels daunting? Grilled cheese sandwiches can be a great party food, if you use the right equipment, namely the oven or toaster oven.

Simply assemble as many sandwiches as you need, butter the tops of the bread, and place them on a baking sheet in an oven set to 425 F for roughly 10 minutes, flipping the sandwiches halfway through cooking. The crust will be perfectly browned and crunchy, while the cheese will become melty and stretchy.

One tip when using an oven or toaster: If you have a convection setting on your unit, use it. This will promote circular, even airflow, which will make for a more uniformly crisp exterior and will more efficiently melt the cheese. You will also want to note any hot spots in the oven and rotate the pan accordingly, to guarantee all the sandwiches are done at the same time.

Leave it to the French to develop a way to turn a basic grilled cheese into haute cuisine by slathering it in luscious béchamel sauce to transform it into a croque monsieur or madame. Not sure what separates the two? It all comes down to an egg. The former is eggless, while the latter is donned with even more richness in the form of a poached or fried egg, sitting on top of the sandwich like a lady's sun hat.

For this variation on a grilled cheese, you;ll need to master the art of making the perfect béchamel sauce. This sauce is made from a roux of butter and flour, which is augmented with milk or cream, and seasoned with a pinch of nutmeg. The whole thing is whisked until smooth and creamy.

The rest of the recipe is simple. Just layer shredded Gruyère or Comté cheese onto crusty bread along with thinly sliced ham and a smear of Dijon mustard. Butter the bread and cook it up, as usual. Next, transfer the sandwich to a baking sheet and cover it with the béchamel sauce. Pop this under the broiler for a few minutes until golden brown and bubbly.

If you've ever made French toast, you know that stale bread is the golden ticket to a more flavorful and satisfying mouthfeel. The same holds true when making a grilled cheese sandwich. 

As soon as bread is removed from the oven and cools, it begins to lose moisture. One culprit is a process known as retrogradation, which involves the starch within the bread beginning to crystallize and harden. Another culprit is moisture from the interior of the bread making its way toward the crust, which not only dehydrates the bread, but makes the crust soggy.

The solution is adding that moisture back. In this case, the cheese and the butter used to make a grilled cheese sandwich will effectively turn back time and revitalize your bread. Not only will you have something delicious to eat, but you're also reducing food waste, which is a win-win. 

I owned a waffle iron for nearly a decade and used it maybe once to make an actual waffle. But that thing was the perfect appliance for whipping up a superb grilled cheese sandwich that not only was easier to make, but had a great flavor and texture.

The key is the uniform heat coming from both the top and bottom grates of the unit. These heat the sandwich evenly, crisping up the crust and melting the cheese to perfection. The quirky, grid-like pattern left behind is visually appealing, has a lovely mouthfeel, and provides little pockets for absorbing anything you plan to dip your sandwich into, like tomato soup.

When using a waffle iron, you may want to swap the butter for mayo to ensure the crust of the bread doesn't burn before the cheese has fully softened. You may also end up with some cheese oozing out of the bread and burning onto the waffle iron — though personally, I happen to be a fan of these lightly crispy bits of toasted cheese.