14 Melty and Cozy Grilled Cheese Recipes

Two halfs of a grilled cheese stacked on top of each other with cheese dripping down the front. — Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

A grilled cheese sandwich is a classic comfort food that can be made in a couple minutes with a few staple ingredients. Great bread, butter, and cheese are really all you need. But if you want to elevate this cozy standard, it’s easy to do with some creative components like kimchi, chiles, or even more cheese! Below, find fourteen grilled cheese recipes to get those creative juices flowing.

Grilled Cheese with Kimchi

A grilled cheese-kimchi sandwich, sliced on the diagonal and shingled on a black plate. — Serious Earts / Vicky Wasik

The acidity, heat, and savory funk of kimchi make it the perfect addition to a classic grilled cheese.

The Grilled Cheese Sandwich

This recipe is our preferred method for making the very best grilled cheese sandwich. The secret? Toast the bread on both sides.

Crisp Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Up your standard grilled cheese game by adding parmesan cheese on the exterior before cooking. Whether this outer layer of fried parmesan makes the sandwich a so-called meta-grilled cheese is an open question, but we do know that it’s very cheesy and has a delightfully crisp crust.

Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese

This recipe recreates the flavors of the classic party app by adding roasted jalapeño, crispy slices of bacon, and a healthy slathering of cream cheese to our standard, double-toasted grilled cheese sandwich. The outside gets toasted in a mixture of butter and rendered bacon fat.

Brie and Nutella Grilled Cheese

Chocolatey Nutella and rich, gooey brie ooze through the open crumb of butter-toasted French bread to create this sweet-savory extravaganza. Definitely a keeper for those who prefer a lunch with dessert vibes!

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese

Blue cheese, shredded chicken, and Frank’s RedHot are straddled by two melted layers of Monterey Jack—all the spicy, meaty, funky, cheesy flavors of a bar food classic, translated into the ultimate comfort food.

Cemita Grilled Cheese

This grilled cheese is inspired by cemitas, the Pueblan sandwich specialty. Stringy Oaxacan cheese surrounds a spicy, creamy mash of avocado and chipotles in adobo, while a layer of whole papalo leaves add an herbal pop.

Mozzarella, Pesto, and Mortadella Grilled Cheese

Start by spreading minced anchovy fillets over half of the toasts, then layer on mozzarella, pesto, thinly sliced marinated artichoke hearts, and mortadella before closing the sandwiches and grilling them to golden perfection.

Grilled Cheese With Guacamole

A guacamole grilled cheese cut in half and stacked, next to bowl of guacamole, a sprig of cilantro, and a wedge of lime. — Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

The warm, gooey, crisp, buttery comfort of a grilled cheese paired with the creamy tang of guacamole could just be the best thing ever.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Sautéed Mushrooms

Two golden-brown mushroom and grilled cheese sandwiches, cut in half and in a basket lined with brown paper. — Serious Eats / María del Mar Sacasa

Adding a few bells and whistles to a classic never hurt. This grilled cheese is slathered in butter, while the inside is generously layered with soft, mildly pungent taleggio cheese. Tucked in the middle are mixed mushrooms sautéed with herbs and sweet shallots.

Grilled Pimento Cheese, Ham, and Homemade Pickles Sandwich

A pimento grilled cheese sandwich with ham and pickles, split in half and stacked on a plate with pickle slices. — Serious Eats

Crisp and buttery bread, gushing cheese, ham, and homemade pickles make this a sandwich to remember. If you’re not acquainted with pimento cheese, you’ll experience love at first bite.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Grilled Cheese

A golden grilled cheese stuffed with Thanksgiving leftovers on a plate next to a small white ramekin of gravy. — Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

This is the Thanksgiving leftover sandwich that you make late, late Thanksgiving night when the apple pie has settled, but the red wine is still kicked in at full force. Bread. Butter. Cheese slices. Fistfuls of leftovers jammed into the middle. All grilled until golden, buttery brown. And don’t you dare forget the gravy!

Spinach and Artichoke Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

A crisp grilled cheese sandwich stuffed with spinach and artichokes, cut in half and stacked on a black plate. — Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

This cheesy melt is everything you love about spinach and artichoke dip, in crispy, crunchy, cheesy sandwich form. It’s a hearty lunch or, paired with a bowl of tomato soup, a full dinner on its own.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich With Charred Chili and Corn

A grilled cheese sandwich with melty cheese, corn, and chile peppers. — Serious Eats

This sandwich is a nod to queso fundido—a traditional Mexican appetizer with Oaxaca cheese, and sometimes chiles—served melted alongside warm, soft tortillas.