Gallery: The Art of the Perfect Grilled Cheese (Plus 20 Variations to Shake Things Up)

It may sound strange, but spicy, garlicky kimchi and melty cheese are a natural pair. Just ask anyone who's had cheesy kimchi ramen, or a kimchi quesadilla from a Korean taco truck.

Get the recipe »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

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

Get the recipe »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

This is the one we all know and love. Buttery, golden-brown bread and oozy, gooey, melty American cheese. The trick to perfecting it? Griddling the bread on both sides for maximum crispness.

Get the recipe »

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Four words: Potato. Chips. In. The. Sandwich. Okay, five words. Still just as tasty.

Get the recipe »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Fresh mozzarella, sweet-tart tomatoes, basil leaves, and a drizzle of olive oil. It's part refreshing and light, part hearty, melty comfort food.

Get the recipe »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

All the elements of a jalapeño popper—the crisp crust, the heat from the peppers, the gooey-and-melty cream cheese—shoved into a grilled cheese sandwich. Oh, right. Plus bacon.

Get the recipe »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

This'll take you right back to the ballpark. Thinly slice a single hot dog, fry it up on a hot skillet, then lay it on top of a slice of bread lined with American cheese. Spoon on some chili, add another slice of cheese, then close 'er up and grill in the fat rendered out of the hot dog. Not big enough? A double dog'll do ya!

Get the recipe »

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

If you're one of those people who gag at the idea of warm avocado, this recipe just might change your mind. This sandwich combines the warm, gooey, crisp, buttery comfort of a grilled cheese with the creamy tang of guacamole. I'm not a betting man, but if I were, I'd place good odds on this being one of the best things ever.

Get the recipe »

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Yeah, we like our muffulettas up in here. This grilled cheese variation gets piled with cold cuts and olive salad before being griddled in hot butter until melty.

Get the recipe »

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Grilled cheese by way of Hawaii—that is, assuming they really eat a lot of ham and pineapple in Hawaii (which, of course, they do). Roasting the pineapple beforehand makes it extra sweet.

Get the recipe »

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

It's like a B.L.T. sandwich, except the lettuce is a bit ooier, gooier, meltier, saltier, and, well, made of cheese. We also throw in some avocado for good measure. Don't do bacon? Just sub in our mushroom "bacon" from this vegan B.L.A.T. sandwich!

Get the recipe »

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

It's not quite a Cubano without the roast pork or Cuban bread, but in many ways, it's even better. For one thing, sliced bread is better for soaking up butter and cooking up golden brown. For another, it takes a fraction of the time. A fair tradeoff, in my estimation.

Get the recipe »

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Caramelized onions, sautéed shredded Brussels sprouts, and sharp Vermont cheddar cheese combine on a buttery-crisp French loaf for a hearty but elegant take on the classic.

Get the recipe »

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

A big ol' pile of sweet caramelized onions (see here for an easy technique to speed up the process), melted with a fat slab of Comté cheese. It's like French onion soup in an easy-to-pick-up, extra-buttery package.

Get the recipe »

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

A grilled cheese 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 adds an herbal pop. This sandwich may not have the beef and onion or the trademark roll, but it still manages to capture the bold, fiery flavors of the original.

Get the recipe »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

In this version, we've upped our standard grilled cheese game by adding a layer of crispy browned Parmesan cheese to the exteriors of our sandwiches. Meta grilled cheese?

Get the recipe »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

One of my favorite breakfasts: Cut a hole out of a slice of bread, cook in butter, break an egg into the hole. Well, we wondered what would happen if we built a grilled cheese out of two of those bad boys. We did it, and deliciousness ensued.

Get the recipe »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

A monstrous creation whose origins are unknown, but it deserves worldwide infamy. What is it, you ask? Only a hamburger with two grilled cheese sandwiches as its bun. Yeah. Shove that on your griddle and fry it.

Get the recipe »

[Photograph: Robyn Lee]

Yeah...you can add bacon to this bad boy, too. NBD.

[Photograph: Robyn Lee]

Want to go one step further? How about the Double Bacon Burger Fatty Melt? Two burgers, 12 slices of bacon, seven slices of cheese, six slices of bread, and one hell of a grilled cheese coma.

Get the recipe »

[Photograph: Robyn Lee]

Nutella makes most things better, and toasting things in butter makes better things even...more better. So why not combine two great concepts and apply them to the greatest food ever? It makes for one seriously delicious mess of a sandwich.

Get the recipe »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]