As any connoisseur of grilled cheese sandwiches knows, cheddar isn’t the only game in town. You want a cheese that features a sharp, intense flavor and–most importantly–melts with ease. (Here’s 6 more ideas for the best-ever grilled cheese–ever!) Read on to discover five cheeses that are perfect for grilling between two slices of bread.
1. Colby
This cheese could double as a stand-in—visually, at least—for cheddar, considered the best cheese for grilled cheese. It’s a similar yellow-gold hue, and also a cow’s-milk cheese. Invented in the Wisconsin town of Colby in 1885, Colby is often blended with Monterey Jack and Swiss in a grilled cheese sandwich, like this Sourdough Turkey Melt. (It’s a super-quick sandwich, using deli turkey and shredded cheese.)
2. Provolone
For an Italian spin on your grilled cheese sandwich, Provolone does the trick! Melt Provolone along with fresh basil leaves and tomato slices for a hot-and-crispy twist on a Caprese sandwich. Provolone also works well with prosciutto and hard salami in this delicious recipe for a Grilled Cheese & Prosciutto sandwich.
3. Blue Cheese
Blue cheese can taste tangy on its own but when you melt it with another ingredient–wow! Fresh or dried figs (as well as fresh or dried peaches) melted with blue cheese between two slices of bread is divine, and caters to sweet-tooths everywhere. Another tasty concoction? This Grilled Beef & Blue Sandwiches Recipe, which adds thinly sliced red onion as well as cream cheese.
4. Muenster
One of the most divisive cheeses out there, Muenster is also an ideal semi-soft cheese for grilling in a sandwich. A riff on French Munster cheese, annatto is rubbed into the rind for additional flavor as well as its characteristic orange hue. This kid-friendly recipe for Cinnamon-Apple Grilled Cheese adds peeled apple, chopped walnuts, honey, cream cheese and cinnamon to Muenster. Sounds perfect for lunch!
5. Monterey Jack
Looking for an alternative to quesadillas that’s just as tasty? By adding chopped peppers and onions (including jalapeno for some heat) to shredded Monterey Jack cheese, and grilling between slices of rye bread with caraway seeds, this Grilled Cheese and Pepper Sandwich recipe is an easy fix.
Ready to up your game with grilled cheese? Have fun playing around with these cheeses and if you’re still looking for inspiration, check out this collection of gooey grilled-cheese sandwich recipes.
