Give Your Grilled Cheese A Dessert Twist With The Help Of Nutella

There's no denying that it sounds weird. We've lived in a world where the expected use of a grilled cheese is to dunk it into a delicious and creamy tomato soup. With the rise in bizarre TikTok food trends which are aimed at looking good, or simply providing shock value, it might seem reasonable to think that a Nutella grilled cheese is just another attempt at viral fame. But the sandwich itself actually goes back several years, and the ideas that this grilled cheese is founded upon go back even further.

Nutella has a wealth of uses that we're familiar with. Whether it's a sandwich (either all by itself or paired with peanut butter), as something to smear onto crêpes, or for dipping strawberries into, it's a versatile spread. In recent years, we've all become more accustomed to the idea of desserts being sweet and salty, whether that takes the form of a sprinkle of salt on freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, or finding fun new applications for salted caramel. Ultimately, a sweet grilled cheese isn't that far from the idea of French toast. So, while the initial impulse might be to turn away from the idea of a Nutella grilled cheese, you should try leaning in.

You know how to make a grilled cheese, so how do you go about successfully adding Nutella to your creation? On the most basic level, you just need to spread the inside of one piece of bread with Nutella and carry on as normal. While some grilled cheese ingredients need a buffer of cheese to make sure the sandwich still holds together, Nutella is quite sticky enough all on its own. How much Nutella you use will be a matter of personal taste and some trial and error.

When it comes to the bread and the cheese, there really doesn't need to be any limitations. Different breads and different cheeses will give your Nutella grilled cheese a unique vibe with each combination, so it's good to have a play with some options and see what works best for you. A classic choice is to use sliced baguette with Brie for your Nutella grilled cheese. For a more savory note, go for rye or whole wheat bread and use a sharp cheese. If you want to move further into the sweet world, then a white bread and a less intense cheese will be a winner.

A Nutella grilled cheese goes all out on bringing the sweet to the world of grilled cheese. The downside is that you might not want to dip that chocolatey goodness into a bowl of soup. But there are some great middle ground options if you want to try out a sweet twist on a grilled cheese without going fully into the realm of a dessert.

A great way to do this is by taking your grilled cheese and adding fruit. While you might pause at the idea of fruit in a grilled cheese, fruit and cheese has been a classic pairing for a long time. Most cheese boards will come with some fruit, and the same logic holds up here. Try starting by adding apple to your grilled cheese and try other tricks from there. A drizzle of honey can help bring the whole thing up a notch, without that sweetness becoming overpowering. And for a last-minute hack, you can always try spreading some jam in your grilled cheese — fig jam is a great treat.