The Perfect Pairings For Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

There are many foods that go well with grilled cheese sandwiches. The most popular pairing is arguably tomato soup, but other soups also go well with grilled cheese, including chicken noodle soup, creamy vegetable soup, and potato soup. Salads are another common pairing, such as a simple green salad, a spinach salad with apples, or a Caesar salad. For those who want a more indulgent side, French fries, sweet potato fries, and tater tots are all popular choices.

Soups

Tomato Soup

The most iconic soup to pair with grilled cheese is, of course, tomato soup. This combination is a classic for a reason—the tangy, creamy soup perfectly complements the cheesy richness of the sandwich. You can go for the traditional canned variety or get creative with a creamy tomato bisque, a chilled heirloom tomato gazpacho, or a roasted fennel and white bean tomato soup.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken noodle soup is another comforting option that pairs well with grilled cheese. It's a hearty and familiar choice that will leave you feeling satisfied.

Red Lentil Soup

For something a little different, try an instant pot red lentil soup. This soup is tomato-based, which gives it that familiar flavour, but it also includes vegetables and spices for a comforting and healthy option.

Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut squash soup is another excellent option to serve with grilled cheese. It's creamy and delicious, and the melted cheese on the sandwich adds a savoury touch.

Vegetable Soup

A creamy vegetable soup is perfect for dipping your grilled cheese sandwich into. Load it with tons of veggies for a hearty and satisfying meal.

Potato Soup

A Crock Pot potato soup is a delicious and easy-to-make option. With just a few ingredients, you can make a comforting and creamy soup that pairs well with the grilled cheese.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

For a heartier option, consider a broccoli cheddar soup. This soup combines the cheesiness of grilled cheese with the healthy goodness of broccoli.

In addition to these options, you can also try a light vegetable soup, a broth-based meat soup, or a summer zucchini soup. Whatever soup you choose, it's sure to be a delicious pairing with your grilled cheese sandwich!

Salads

Simple Green Salad

A simple green salad is a classic choice to accompany a grilled cheese sandwich. You can easily customise it to your taste by choosing your favourite leafy greens, such as arugula or spinach. Add in some fruits, veggies, protein, nuts, and cheese to make it more substantial. As for the dressing, options like balsamic, dijon vinaigrette, ranch, or caesar will all work well.

Cucumber Avocado Tomato Salad with Pesto

This salad is a refreshing option for spring and summer. It combines cucumbers, avocados, and tomatoes, with a delicious basil pesto dressing. The creamy avocado and fresh tomatoes provide a nice contrast to the gooey grilled cheese.

Watermelon Feta Salad

Watermelon and feta might seem like an unusual combination, but they create a wonderful summer salad. The addition of fresh mint gives this salad a refreshing flavour that will balance out the richness of the grilled cheese.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

This Mediterranean-inspired salad is a light and tasty option to pair with your grilled cheese. It's made with quinoa, a few veggies, and some Mediterranean staples like olives and feta cheese. The zesty lemon dressing adds a nice tangy touch.

Mexican Street Corn Salad

Also known as Elote Salad, this salad is a flavourful and easy-to-make option. It's a great choice if you're looking for something a little spicy and different to accompany your grilled cheese.

Santa Fe Salad

If you're looking for a hearty salad to go with your grilled cheese, the Santa Fe Salad is a great option. It typically includes ingredients like crunchy vegetables, beans, and a tangy dressing. It's a flavourful and satisfying choice.

Fruit and Veg

Salads

Salads are a great way to balance out the richness of a grilled cheese sandwich. A spinach salad with apples is the ultimate pairing, as the apple and spinach complement the cheese perfectly. A simple arugula salad or a simple mixed green salad are also lighter options that go well with grilled cheese.

Fruits

Fruits can add a nice sweet contrast to the savoury grilled cheese. The best fruits to pair with grilled cheese sandwiches are apple slices, grapes, pears, cherries, watermelon and berries. Apples and cheese are a perfect combination, and you can even try dipping your grilled cheese in apple sauce.

Vegetables

There are many vegetables that can be added to a grilled cheese sandwich. A Sun-Dried Tomato Spinach Grilled Cheese uses sourdough bread, provolone cheese, pesto sauce, fresh spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes. You can also try a Margherita Grilled Cheese with Italian bread, garlic, mozzarella cheese, plum tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil, and garlic pepper seasoning.

If you want to add vegetables as a side dish, roasted broccoli in the oven or air fryer is a great option. Air fryer roasted potatoes are also a good choice, especially if you make a chipotle dipping sauce to dunk your grilled cheese in.

Sandwich Fillings

If you want to add vegetables to your grilled cheese sandwich, try cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, green bell peppers, and spinach. You can also add some spice with green chillies.

Chips and Crisps

Potato Chips

Potato chips are a classic side to grilled cheese sandwiches. You can opt for a simple bag of potato chips, or you can make your own homemade potato chips. Homemade potato chips can be seasoned with spices like salt and vinegar, or even dill pickle flavouring. You can also experiment with different types of potatoes and cuts, such as sweet potato chips or thick-cut kettle-fried chips.

If you're feeling creative, you can even include potato chips within your grilled cheese sandwich. Simply add the chips to your sandwich, gently pressing down to break them slightly, before grilling.

Crisps

Crisps, or potato chips, are also a popular choice for those in the UK. A crisp sandwich is a classic British icon, and it's easy to see why. The combination of soft white bread, butter, and crisps creates a delightful textural contrast. For a crisp sandwich, it's recommended to use everyday crisps like Walkers, rather than posh crisps, as their light texture works perfectly. When it comes to flavour, the options are endless, but a classic choice is cheese and onion.

Grilled Cheese Chips

If you're looking for something a little different, grilled cheese chips are a unique take on the classic grilled cheese sandwich. These chips are essentially mini grilled cheese sandwiches that have been flattened, cut into triangles, and baked until golden and crispy. They can be served with dips, such as tomato chutney, or even turned into nachos.

Other Chip Options

In addition to potato chips and crisps, there are other types of chips that can accompany a grilled cheese sandwich. These include polenta chips, truffle fries, sweet potato fries, and even pasta chips.

So, whether you're a fan of potato chips, crisps, or grilled cheese chips, there are plenty of chip-based options to elevate your grilled cheese sandwich experience.

Pickles

When serving pickles as a side dish, you can choose from a variety of options, including dill pickles, bread and butter pickles, or sweet pickles. You can also get creative and try pickled berries, green tomatoes, radishes, jalapenos, or even pickled spicy eggs.

If you want to include pickles as an ingredient in your grilled cheese sandwich, it is recommended to use flat-cut pickle chips or sandwich pickles, as they will fit better in the sandwich and reduce bulkiness. Chopping the pickles into smaller pieces can also help hold the sandwich together by allowing the cheese to melt into the tiny gaps. To prevent a soggy sandwich, be sure to pat the pickles dry with a paper towel before adding them to your sandwich.

For the cheese, you can use shredded or sliced cheddar, dill havarti, muenster, pepper jack, Monterey jack, American cheese, regular havarti, or even mozzarella. Sourdough bread is a popular choice for this sandwich, but you can also use white bread, rye bread, multigrain, or any homemade bread of your choice.

• Prep your ingredients: shred your cheese or use sliced cheese, and blot your sliced pickles with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
• Build the sandwich: add half of the shredded dill havarti to one slice of bread, then top with pickle slices and the rest of the cheese.
• Add the remaining slice of bread on top and butter the outside of the sandwich.
• Cook the sandwich in a panini press, grill pan, or heated cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat for a few minutes on each side until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
• If you're feeling extra indulgent, add a layer of crispy dill pickle potato chips inside the sandwich for an extra punch of pickle flavour!

So, the next time you're craving a grilled cheese sandwich, don't forget to include some crunchy, tangy pickles on the side or inside your sandwich for a delicious flavour boost!

Frequently asked questions