Few comfort foods are as simple or satisfying as a crispy, gooey grilled cheese, but some home cooks take the classic sandwich far beyond bread and American cheese. These grilled cheese sandwiches shared on Reddit feature everything from pesto and fresh mozzarella to buffalo chicken, caramelized onions, and even a runny egg. Here are 16 creations that might make Grandma’s version look a little basic.
Turkey, Bacon, Pesto, Gouda and Muenster Grilled Cheese
Reddit user jihadpizza piled oven-roasted turkey, bacon, pesto, Gouda and Muenster between beautifully toasted slices of bread, serving the seriously loaded sandwich alongside tomato basil soup. It is definitely a maximalist take on grilled cheese, and the combination of smoky bacon, creamy cheese and pesto makes the photo especially tempting. Reddit user SpartanUp247 commented, “This sounds delicious!”
Heirloom Tomato, Mozzarella and Pesto Grilled Cheese
Reddit user frasierandchill turned a classic grilled cheese into something much more colorful with heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and pesto tucked inside sourdough. Even the bread got extra attention, with butter and freshly grated Parmesan pressed onto the outside before grilling for a deeply golden, crispy crust. Reddit user natooshyy was impressed, commenting, “Stunning. Magnificent. Flawless. The only words that matter in describing this masterpiece.”
Grilled Cheese With Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup
Reddit user MolarPet27 paired a beautifully golden grilled cheese with homemade roasted red pepper and tomato soup, creating the kind of simple comfort-food combination that is hard to beat. The deeply toasted bread and gooey cheese look especially inviting next to the bright red soup, and the photo had plenty of people asking for the recipe. Reddit user dumboss commented, “This looks and sounds absolutely amazing.”
Classic American Grilled Cheese
Reddit user fr3dw4rd took grilled cheese back to basics while making an impressive 200 sandwiches for a homeless shelter. Using white bread, American cheese and butter on a large flat-top grill, the cook developed a system that got the entire batch finished in just over an hour. The sandwiches were such a hit that some people came back asking for more. Reddit user banshee_matsuri commented, “how kind and they look delicious.”
Buffalo Chicken Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese
Reddit user sprinklesapple packed this seriously loaded grilled cheese with buffalo chicken, sharp cheddar, pepper jack, smoked provolone, and a roasted jalapeno cream cheese spread. The bread gets an equally indulgent treatment with homemade herbed garlic butter before being toasted in a cast iron skillet, resulting in a crispy exterior and an incredibly cheesy center. Reddit user Kasaurus96 commented, “Garlic bread grilled cheese sounds amazing.”
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Three Cheese Grilled Cheese With Tomato Bisque
Reddit user sandwich432 paired homemade tomato bisque with a seriously cheesy sandwich made with Jarlsberg, three-year-aged cheddar, and low-moisture mozzarella. The sandwich was first cooked in a panini press and then finished in a hot oven, giving the bread a beautifully crisp exterior while keeping the cheese inside gooey and melted. Reddit user Ikeelu commented, “That is beautiful. The bisque looks amazing. The cheese is melted perfectly. Good looking bread.”
French Onion Grilled Cheese
Reddit user BachToTheFuture3 gave grilled cheese a French onion inspired upgrade by filling it with buttery caramelized Vidalia onions and shredded Gruyere. The onions were cooked until deeply golden, deglazed with red wine vinegar, mixed with the cheese, and tucked between slices of bread before the sandwich was grilled in butter. Reddit user Wetnoodleslap commented, “That is one clean looking cut, aside from looking like an amazing sandwich.”
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Reddit user kimchiman85 served up a homemade grilled cheese alongside an unusually colorful take on tomato soup. The cook explained that green onion and celery were added to the soup, giving it a look that sparked plenty of conversation in the comments. Regardless of the color, the crispy grilled cheese beside it makes the whole plate look like pure comfort food. Reddit user Idlertwo commented, “This looks incredibly tasty.”
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Fresh Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil Grilled Cheese
Reddit user Chriswalken12398 made this Caprese inspired grilled cheese with fresh mozzarella, sliced tomato, basil and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. The bread was completely coated with butter before grilling, right to the edges, helping create that beautifully even golden crust. Served beside homemade roasted tomato soup, it is a colorful upgrade to the classic pairing. Reddit user darkandtwistys commented, “I don’t even like cheese and that sandwich looks amazing. The toast on it is beautiful!”
Cheddar Grilled Cheese on Homemade Bread
Reddit user JohnnyTano kept this grilled cheese simple but gave it a major homemade upgrade by using freshly baked white bread and a good cheddar. The bread was proofed overnight before baking, then sliced and filled with melted cheese for a crisp, golden sandwich served alongside homemade tomato soup. Reddit user fermat143 commented, “Your homemade bread kicks it up a notch!”
Provolone and Sharp Cheddar Grilled Cheese
The cook paired homemade tomato basil soup with a grilled cheese made from provolone and sharp cheddar. With gooey melted cheese tucked between deeply toasted slices of bread and a warm bowl of tomato soup on the side, the whole plate looks made for a gloomy afternoon. One Reddit user summed up the mood perfectly, commenting, “I could have had that today, it was dark and rainy, quite cold. Great soup and sandwich weather.”
Homemade Grilled Cheese Sandwich
This homemade grilled cheese proves that sometimes keeping things simple works beautifully. Made with straight cheddar, the sandwich has a deeply golden, crisp exterior and plenty of melted cheese spilling through the middle. There are no elaborate fillings or toppings competing for attention, just bread and cheddar doing exactly what a grilled cheese should. Reddit user Broseidon_62 appreciated the simplicity, commenting, “Straight cheddar. Bold, I dig it.”
Grilled Cheese Croutons With Tomato Soup
Reddit user muffinman2606 put a playful spin on the classic grilled cheese and tomato soup pairing by cutting the sandwich into large pieces and dropping them directly into the bowl like croutons. The golden toasted bread soaking up the bright tomato soup certainly divided commenters over whether these really count as croutons, but the idea still earned plenty of fans. Reddit user 3pgirls commented, “Ahhh. This was my dinner tonight. For some reason it always makes me feel like a kid.”
Garlic Butter Sourdough Grilled Cheese
Reddit user softrotten took grilled cheese up several notches with sourdough, sharp cheddar, Colby Jack, and a Kraft single, then coated the bread with garlic butter made with minced garlic, parsley, Parmesan, and seasonings. The result is an exceptionally golden sandwich with a thick layer of melted cheese, served alongside roasted tomato basil soup. Reddit user Captainzabu commented, “I never thought to make garlic butter for grilled cheese. This is brilliant.”
Grilled Cheese Croutons With Parmesan Crisp
Reddit user MTNHead transformed the classic grilled cheese and tomato soup combination into something that looks straight out of a restaurant. The sandwich was chopped into cubes and baked again so the pieces would stay crisp in the soup, then served with a Parmesan crisp and fresh basil. Reddit user raininginmaui loved the idea, commenting, “Grilled cheese croutons! That’s an awesome idea.”
Grilled Cheese With a Messy Egg
Reddit user drwtsn_thirty2 accidentally created something pretty spectacular after a failed attempt at a poached egg ended up on top of a buttery grilled cheese. The sandwich was made with white bread and plenty of grated cheddar and mozzarella, creating a gooey center beneath the runny egg. The unusual shape even reminded several commenters of the Millennium Falcon. Reddit user eccentricelmo commented, “Never heard of that combo before, but looks so good.”
