Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

A combination of chipotle-spiked béchamel and mild Comté cheese melt together to create the rich, creamy center in this pressed “toastie” sandwich.

Nancy Silverton’s L.A. restaurant Pizzeria Mozza celebrates unfussy, straightforward, focused food that uses fresh California produce. This upgraded grilled cheese by the 1990 BNC alum is filled with a charred sweet corn-studded blend of nutty English-cheddar, sharp caciocavallo, and just enough mayonnaise to bind it all together. Thick slices of sourdough get a beautifully buttery, golden crust in a cast iron skillet, while Calibrian chile sneaks in with just the right amount of heat. Satisfyingly rich, sharp, and indulgent, cheese filling is a knockout on burgers, or even as a hot dip with crackers and crudités. Related: More Grilled Cheese Recipes The Best Way to Make Grilled Cheese

Pork, three cheeses—blue, cheddar, and Parmesan—and tart spiced apple chutney make up this delicious grilled sandwich from Santa Monica chef Raphael Lunetta. The carnitas recipe makes enough shredded pork for 12 sandwiches, though you may find other delicious uses for it. If you like, substitute leftover pulled pork for the carnitas for a quick sandwich fix. Slideshow: More Carnitas Recipes

In the early years of Top Chef, the judges took forever to agree on which contestants should stay and which should go, and conversations often dragged into the wee hours. These days, the judges generally decide more quickly, but during season 7, one particularly long, lively debate required substantial refueling, and Padma Lakshmi introduced Gail Simmons to a favorite late-night snack: melted sharp cheese and spicy chiles on toast. Simmons had to know more! Lakshmi explained that she often ate this popular open-face sandwich as a child in India. A recent taste of the cheese toast at a buzzy Indian restaurant in London inspired Simmons to create her own version. Her grilled cheese crossed with chile-cheese gets a flavor boost from mango chutney spiced with fresh ginger, which lends both floral and peppery notes. Slideshow: More Grilled Cheese Recipes

Chef Chris Cosentino proves here that you can elevate the humble grilled cheese sandwich into something magical with just a few tweaks. His buttery, crisp version is filled with luscious Taleggio cheese, then drizzled with honey and sprinkled with flaky salt and coarsely ground black pepper. It’s so simple, but also jaw-droppingly good. Slideshow: More Grilled Cheese Recipes