12 Jazzed-Up Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipes Slideshow (2024)

FAQs

How to jazz up grilled cheese? ›

Adding ingredients like chutney, pepper jelly, tomato jam, or bacon jam can totally change the flavor profile of your grilled cheese. "Any jam, any chutney, even dijon mustard, almost any condiment will lend itself to a grilled cheese sandwich," Werlin said.

Tuck in a little sautéed spinach, caramelized onions, chopped steamed broccoli, roasted red peppers, or roasted tomatoes. Add fruit. For really gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, use a mix of Gruyere and brie cheese along with thinly sliced apples or a slather of fig jam. Pickles, please!

Twist open a jar of roasted peppers, marinated artichokes, or spicy relish to jazz your sandwich in just a few spoonfuls. Jarred goods add dimension to sandwiches, and with almost no added work. Pile on favorites like sundried tomatoes, sauces (like sambal), kimchi, and even jarred pesto.

Using a cast iron-pan, add a touch of olive oil and get pan hot over medium-high heat and add sandwich. After about 30-45 second push sandwich so it crisps and cheese melts. Flip after about 2 minutes, once slices are nice and crunchy. Keep flipping and pushing down until cheese is melted.

Ramsay used a combination of Romano and asiago cheeses (perfect for upgrading lasagna) on thick-cut country bread. He slathered the outside of the bread slices with butter to ensure the perfect crispy cook, then seasoned the outer bread with salt.

Sharp cheddar, Gouda, Fontina, Monterey Jack, Gruyere, Pepper Jack, and brie are all good options. The amount of cheese you use will depend on the size of your bread. I love sharp Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Gouda together.

To ensure golden (not burned) toastiness, the exterior of the sandwich should be slicked with mayonnaise, which has a higher smoke point and possesses the combined browning power of oil and egg yolks.

Sprinkle parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary, and dill over the cheese; top with remaining bread. Spread the top of sandwich with 1 tablespoon butter. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Gently flip sandwich, buttered-side down, into the hot skillet; spread remaining 1 tablespoon butter on the top.

Spread a light layer of Dijon mustard over your bread.

I mean, a really light layer over one slice of bread. Even if you don't love mustard, this adds a little je ne said quoi to your sandwich. It's a little salty and complex, and I think you're going to love it.

Remember to keep the buttered sides on the outside. Cook the grilled cheese. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the bottom is golden. Flip and cook uncovered until the second side is golden and cheese is melted.

How do you spice up a boring sandwich? ›

Dijon mustard, spicy and pungent, amps up the flavor of any sandwich by at least 50 percent.

The best side dishes to serve with grilled cheese are French fries, onion rings, tomato basil soup, tabasco sauce, chicken nuggets, cheese curds, coconut shrimp, fried pickles, sweet potato fries, coleslaw, dill pickles, Greek salad, garlic green beans, baked zucchini, corn fries, Caprese salad, and chicken cheese ...

I often use onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, etc. Sometimes I also use ground up fresh herbs, chopped chives, etc when mixing my butter. Last I cook the inside of the bread first with Mayo then add the cheese before doing butter on the outside. Mayo spread on the inside, butter grilled on the outside.

Salad dressing: Balsamic vinaigrette, dijon vinaigrette, or ranch salad dressings can complement melted cheese and bread. Sauces: When making a grilled sandwich out of Italian breads and cheeses, serve it alongside marinara sauce for a pizza-like rendition. Condiments: Condiments like ketchup and mustard never hurt.