20 Creative Ways to Make a Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe Collections Sandwiches Lunch Dinner

Grilled cheese is a classic. Who doesn't love an ooey, gooey grilled cheese sandwich? But what if you took that grilled cheese and elevated it to star status?

Here are 20 exciting ways to recreate that plain grilled cheese sandwich to red-carpet worthy. What's your favorite ingredients for a grilled cheese sandwich? Do you eat it for lunch or dinner? What is the ultimate cheese for a grilled cheese sandwich? Tell us in the comments section below!

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

1. Fried Apples Grilled Cheese: Cinnamon fried apples add a sweetness to grilled cheese. Apples go well with sharp cheeses like cheddar, white cheddar, gouda and Gruyere.

2. Ham and Cheese Grilled Cheese: Are you elevating the ham sandwich or grilled cheese sandwich? Who cares! This classic combination is a winner.

3. Caprese Grilled Cheese: Melty cheese combined with fresh basil leaves and tomato slices makes this sandwich just a little fancy. Try a sprinkling of red pepper flakes and a drizzle of olive oil, too.

4. Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Cheese: Use mozzarella cheese and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and then add slices of pepperoni. Delish.

5. Macaroni and Cheese Grilled Cheese: Say what? You can't go wrong when you pile macaroni and cheese on bread and then grill it. This grilled cheese sandwich is over the top.

6. Club Sandwich Grilled Cheese: Take classic club sandwich ingredients like ham, turkey, lettuce, tomato, onions, avocado and turn them into a grilled cheese sandwich. Genius.

7.  Apple and Bacon Grilled Cheese: Layer crisp slices of cooked bacon and fresh raw apples with your favorite cheeses.

8. Arugula and Berry Grilled Cheese: Peppery arugula combines so well with sweet berry preserves and cheese. Spread the bread with blueberry, raspberry or your favorite variety preserves and then top with baby arugula.

9. Reuben Grilled Cheese: Layer Reuben sandwich ingredients – sauerkraut, corned beef and mustard – and then top with Swiss cheese.

10. Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese: Spread a thick layer of caramelize onions on top of the cheese before cooking. Plan ahead because caramelized onions take a little while to cook.

11. Mushroom and Ham Grilled Cheese: Mushrooms in a grilled cheese sandwich? Why not? Be sure to cook the mushrooms before adding them to the sandwich.

12. Eggplant and Herbs Grilled Cheese: Chopped roasted eggplant and fresh herbs give this grilled cheese sandwich a Mediterranean feel.

13. Thanksgiving Grilled Cheese: This grilled cheese sandwich takes all those Thanksgiving favorites and transforms them into a sandwich you'll probably need a fork for.

14. Avocado and Pesto Grilled Cheese: Creamy avocado and pesto together isn't new (check out all the avocado pesto recipes going viral). But adding avocado and basil pesto to a grilled cheese sandwich, however, is epic.

15. Blue Cheese, Cranberry and Spinach Grilled Cheese: The tang of blue cheese, the tartness of cranberries and the freshness of spinach is a grilled cheese sandwich match made in heaven.

16. Hawaiian Rolls Grilled Cheese: Instead of sandwich bread, use sweet Hawaiian rolls as the foundation for your grilled cheese sandwich.

17. BBQ Grilled Cheese: Turn a grilled cheese sandwich into an amazing barbecue sandwich by adding pulled pork, shredded barbecue chicken or brisket. Serve with a side of barbecue sauce for dipping.

18. Fresh Spinach Grilled Cheese: Cook a bag of fresh spinach and then layer it with mozzarella, Gruyere, fontina or your favorite cheese for an iron-packed sandwich.

19. Garlic Toast Grilled Cheese: Use flavorful garlic toast for your grilled cheese sandwich instead of plain bread. The frozen garlic toast works well, or use the leftovers from your spaghetti dinner.

20. Egg-on-Top Grilled Cheese: No matter what kind of cheese, bread or fancy ingredients you use on a grilled cheese sandwich, nothing adds a wow factor like a fried egg on top.

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