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Grilled cheeses are a classic comfort food, and here at EatingWell, we know that there’s many ways you can spice them up. From classic grilled cheese with veggies like tomato and cabbage to warm and comforting high-protein melts, these sandwiches are a delicious lunch or dinner that’s perfect for colder weather. Try our Grilled Cheese with Spinach & Tomato for a quick and nutritious bite, or our Rotisserie Chicken Salad Melt for a dish that packs on the protein.
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Grilled Cheese with Spinach & Tomato
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen.
This grilled cheese with spinach and tomato is a flavorful twist on the classic sandwich, cooked to golden perfection on the stovetop. Wilted spinach is infused with plenty of garlic. Juicy tomato slices add color and a fresh bite to the melty mozzarella filling. This sandwich makes for an easy lunch or dinner and pairs well with tomato soup or a simple green salad.
Broccoli Melts
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
These broccoli-cheese melts combine crisp-tender broccoli with a layer of melted cheese inside two crispy pieces of bread for a sandwich that’s rich and creamy. These 20-minute cheese melts are the ultimate comfort food—satisfying and packed with that cheesy goodness everyone loves.
Cabbage Grilled Cheese
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall
This warming cabbage grilled cheese has it all: melty cheese, tender cabbage and crispy sweet-tart apple slices. This sandwich is an easy winner for lunch or served with a green salad for dinner. A light layer of mayonnaise on the outside of the bread is a great way to toast a grilled cheese to golden brown without having to rely on butter. We love tender, sweet Savoy cabbage, but this recipe would work with red or green cabbage as well.
Rotisserie Chicken Salad Melt
Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist Tucker Vines
This classic chicken salad melt features a dressing lightened up with yogurt and shredded rotisserie chicken for ultimate convenience. We cook the sandwiches two at a time on medium-low heat to crisp up the bread and melt the cheese without having to worry about burning.
Cauliflower Spanakopita Melt
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower
This cauliflower spanakopita melt is a dream come true! It blends the flavors of the Greek spinach pie, spanakopita, into the hand-held comfort and convenience of a grilled cheese sandwich. Chopped roasted cauliflower brings a healthy, veggie-packed twist.
Sweet Potato Grilled Cheese
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
The crispy golden exterior of this sweet potato grilled cheese is thanks to mayonnaise, which spreads easily and browns more evenly than butter or oil. Roasted red onions and sweet potato rounds make up the filling, but you can roast the onion separately and use leftover roasted sweet potato if you have that on hand.
5-Ingredient Brie and Blackberry Jam Grilled Cheese
Photography: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco
This sandwich pairs creamy Brie cheese with a sweet-and-savory blackberry jam spread for the perfect ultra-quick lunch or dinner option. You can easily double the recipe using a medium pan, or use a sandwich press if you have one on hand.
French Onion Grilled Cheese
Elizabeth Laseter
One of our favorite comfort foods—French onion soup—meets crowd-pleasing grilled cheese in a sandwich with the flavors of both dishes, minus a lot of the traditional sodium and saturated fat. Caramelized onions are the star here: their pungent, concentrated flavor means that just a touch of Gruyere is more than enough to make this sandwich sing. The other key? Shaving the cheese with a microplane, which allows the cheese to distribute its melty goodness evenly, and makes just a bit of cheese feel like a lot.
Collards & Portobello Grilled Cheese
Meaty portobello mushrooms and sautéed collards turn this easy grilled cheese recipe into a healthy meal. If you don’t have Dijonnaise on hand, make your own by stirring 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard into 3 tablespoons mayonnaise.
Open-Face Cauliflower-Cheddar Melts
Brie Goldman
Melty Cheddar cheese is the perfect complement to cauliflower in this satisfying open-face sandwich built on whole-grain country bread. Serve it with a spinach salad for a great autumn lunch.
Mushroom & Spinach Melts
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Melissa Gray, Prop Stylist: Joshua Hoggle
These mushroom-and-spinach melts check all the boxes: they’re cheesy, packed with veggies and easy to make—what’s not to love? Balsamic vinegar adds a wonderful sharpness to cut through the cheese, and pairs well with the sautéed vegetables.
