9 Ways to Celebrate National Grilled Cheese Day!

Grilled cheese sandwiches are appropriate for any occasion, including but not limited to: when you’re slightly hungry, starving, sick, cold, bored, entertaining guests or having a solo self-care session. In honor of this blessed occasion, we bring you 9 fire grilled cheese combos that are unarguably tasty, if not coincidentally world renowned.

1. Cheese Toastie

An English staple similar to an American grilled cheese, with emphasis on using strong, semi-hard or crumbly British cheeses like Wensleydale, Red Leicester or Cheshire. You want to grab a wholegrain or granary bread if possible, or a sourdough if that’s what you fancy.

2. Brie + Fig Jam
This combo is better than just cheese and fruit spread; it’s only the beginning. Switch out regular wheat bread for pound cake and cook with rosemary butter versus margarine. Adding all four ingredients together makes for a lovely, brunch worthy grilled cheese.

3. Smoked Gouda
First off, smoked Gouda. Second, bourbon caramelized onions (just throw a shot of bourbon in when normally caramelizing). Third, bacon. I’m not sure there is any more that needs to be said except, when are you creating this simple yet brag-worthy sammie?

4. Jarslberg

Hailing from Norway, this type of cheese is mild and semi-soft, perfect for a grilled cheese! Place a few slices on a bread of your choice and spice it up with some sun dried tomatoes and watch everything melt into place in Instagram worthy fashion.

5. Fontina
Tip #1: Find a cheese with the right pH balance for maximum stretch like Fontina and Gouda because they easily melt. Tip #2: Grate or shred cheese into slices prior to cooking to cut down on melting time. This Fontina, walnut, apple and honey open-faced grilled cheese is to die for and brings a tasty, unique approach to the traditional sandwich.

6. Cornish Yarg
England blessed us with Yarg, and so we do Yarg right. Sourdough bread (be generous when buttering), wild garlic Yarg and thyme/sage. It sounds bomb and it is bomb with crispy edges and golden brown cheeeeese.

7. Classic Cheddar Grilled Cheese

It’s what you know and it’s always worked. What’s even better is when you pair the cheddar with a complimentary cheese like Gruyere, adding caramelized onions and/or mushrooms. Now you’re really talking delicious.

8. Grilled Cheese Pesto Sandwich
I mean, we’re working with a trio of yummy cheeses on this one. Swiss, Muenster and Colby make a solid mixture of cheeses that melt together in harmony. Add basil pesto and let all the flavors make magic for a nom-worthy experience for your taste buds.

9. Manchego
Let’s agree that the Spaniards know what they’re doing with some Romesco. Mix it with some Manchego cheese on a wheat baguette and you’re good to go.

If you need ANOTHER reason to have a grilled cheese today, check out this video feauring grilled cheese pull apart bread and tomato soup!