The 6 Best Cheeses for Grilled Cheese

By Margaret Eby
September 09, 2020

Once you've settled on a grilled cheese sandwich, whether as a fall snack or an accompaniment to a bowl of soup, or a perfect light lunch, then you have a crucial choice: Which cheese should you use in your grilled cheese? We have some ideas.

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Époisses

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This savory, sweet, and spicy grilled cheese sandwich from chef Vivian Howard combines pungent Époisses, a French cow’s-milk cheese, with sweet and spicy pepper jelly.

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Cheese Curds

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Cheese curds are small chunks of just-made cheese that haven’t been pressed into a shape. They’re milky and delicious in a grilled cheese like this one, which is spread with a savory mayonnaise and topped with bacon.

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Gruyère

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Richly flavored, ultra-melty Gruyère is delicious with both salty and sweet flavors. Try it with ham and strawberry–red wine jam in this recipe.

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Fontina

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Smooth and nutty fontina is a great grown-up cheese for sandwiches. It’s especially great with sage-accented sautéed mushrooms in these sandwiches.

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Mahón

Lisa Linder
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A young semi-soft Mahón is perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches. The mildly tangy flavor is particularly good with briny olive tapenade and thinly sliced lomo ham. Try the combo in this great sandwich.

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Cheddar

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According to cheese expert Laura Werlin, after you bite into a grilled cheese, “the cheese should stretch out past your face as far as your arm will reach.” Classic, extra-sharp orange cheddar is perfect for that. Try it with andouille sausage and crunchy cornichons in this recipe.

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By Margaret Eby