Creative Grilled Cheese Sandwich Ideas

Perfecting the Basics

The basic grilled cheese sandwich just requires two slices of bread, some butter and your favorite cheese. Try cheeses that melt well like cheddar, Monterey jack, Colby gruyere, Swiss, fontina, provolone or brie. Make your cheese sandwich and then spread butter on the outside of the bread. Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Then put the sandwich, buttered side down, into the pan. Cook three to four minutes on one side, then flip and cook another three to four minutes on the other side. Sliced tomato and mustard are simple fixings. Serve with a cup of tomato soup.

Experiment with Meats and Breads

Dress up your basic sandwich by adding some turkey and avocado into the mix. Explore different breads – a ciabatta and a panini press is a delicious variation. Try healthy whole grain breads and artisan cheeses. Slices of ham, prosciuttio or bacon can introduce some meat into your sandwich. Try combining smoked ham and Brie cheese on a sliced ciabatta. Don’t forget to butter the outside of the bread before grilling. If you don’t have a panini press, just place a heavy pan on top of the entire sandwich as it cooks. When ready, remove the top layer of bread and top with a dollop of Dijon mustard and roasted red peppers.

Try using English muffins for your bread. Turn them inside out so the buttery grilled side is the one with the nooks and crannies. Use sharp white cheddar cheese and slices of tomato. Cook about four minutes on each side. Use all your favorites in a sandwich. Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Take two slices of sourdough rye and spread with cream cheese. Between the cream cheese slices, place fontina cheese and cheddar cheese. Then grill, letting the bread absorb the butter. Then add artichoke hearts, black olives and slices of tomato when ready.

Use sourdough bread, fresh sliced apricots and mozzarella cheese. Butter the outside of the sandwich, then fill with the apricots and cheese and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Grill about four minutes on each side. Try slices of fresh country bread for this sandwich. Cook sliced mushrooms in butter with salt, pepper and four teaspoons of fresh sage. (If you don’t have fresh, reduce to one teaspoon of dried sage.) Saute about five minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and wipe out the pan to use it for grilling the sandwich. Butter the outside of the bread and fill the sandwich with grated fontina cheese and the mushrooms. Grill the sandwiches about two minutes per side.

Try a Global Spin

Explore the different cuisines of the world. Pair Spanish manchego with Serrano ham. Use prosciutto and fontina cheese on Italian bread. Or make the French classic, the croque monsieur. Sprinkle nutmeg into the melted butter and then grill a ham and cheese sandwich. Use emmental or gruyere cheese and Dijon mustard for extra kick. Top with a fried egg to make a croque madame.