The Creamy Upgrade Your Grilled Cheese Is Missing

Grilled cheese sandwiches made with cream cheese are as messy as you'd imagine. They're also delicious and totally worth the mess, though in all fairness, who worries about a little melted cheese and bread crumbs under their nails when the perfect grilled cheese sandwich is on the line? In any event, some versions of this sandwich adhere to simplicity to the core. A classic grilled cheese consists of just a bit of crispy toasted bread stuffed with a generous amount of cream cheese. Easy peasy. More complicated versions of the recipe fold together ingredients like cream cheese along with mayo and shredded cheeses, such as Colby Jack, before stuffing the mixture between two slices of bread. After that, it's business as usual for your favorite ooey gooey sammy. 

A little butter on the outside flavors the sandwich up some more, all while ensuring that the bread doesn't stick to the skillet while you grill the sandwich. Still, other cream cheese grilled cheese sandwiches create layers by using two slices of cheddar cheese with a dollop of cream cheese in the middle to glue them together. These layers are then inserted between two pieces of bread before being tossed onto the fire. The only thing these variations all have in common is that they produce one seriously creamy grilled cheese sandwich, making it hard to choose your favorite. Guess you'll have to try them all to know which you like best.

If you're like most grilled cheese sandwich lovers, the addition of cream cheese to an already decadent sandwich probably only inspires you to experiment more. And one of the simplest ways to tickle your tastebuds further is to brush some compound butter onto the sandwich's exterior before you grill it. The herbs and seasonings in the butter are an especially simple way to bring more flavor to the cheesy mixture. You could also try the reverse and mix in ingredients like chopped onions, garlic, and the works into the cream cheese itself. Or save yourself some labor by substituting your favorite flavored cream cheese instead. Just imagine how your creamy grilled cheese sandwich would taste with a bit of salmon cream cheese, for example.

You can also make the sandwich both creamier and heartier by layering in grilled vegetables. Peppers, onions, and mushrooms, with some basil, offer a good place to start, though if you're feeling extra creative, by all means, don't stop there. There's probably a few fresh spinach leaves or some sliced dill pickle just hankering to leave your fridge and find their forever sandwich homes. Don't deprive them, or yourself, of that supreme flavor experience. Go ahead and load up the sandwich with everything you desire. It'll still be the crispiest, creamiest grilled cheese ever.