Earlier this week we aired a mouth-watering video on The Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. From an Italian-inspired creation to a white on white mega cheese explosion, we even include a sweet take on the traditional savory.

Most of us grew up on grilled cheese sandwiches and even as adults we still turn to it as the ultimate comfort food – perfect with a piping hot bowl of tomato soup on a rainy day or for nursing a bad cold.  This classic is the kind of sandwich that warms the soul and gives us an excuse to feel like a kid again.  It’s also the kind of food you can whip up in a pinch, after you realize how starving you are and how barren your kitchen is. 

When I think of the quintessential grilled cheese sandwich, I either think of American cheese between two slices of buttered white bread or orange cheddar cheese with wheat bread.  Having grown up a little though, I find my palate much more evolved and in search of a slightly more sophisticated type of grilled cheese, the kind of grilled cheese my former seven year-old self would have wrinkled her up her nose to.  My idea of the perfect grilled cheese doesn’t stray too far from the ones from my childhood, but is a little more adult.  It isn’t fancy but demands just a touch of class – I absolutely love gruyere cheese in between some buttered sourdough bread.  It’s as simple as that – no fancy mustards, five gourmet cheese combinations, bacon or tapenades.  Just the holy grilled cheese trinity: bread, butter and cheese.   And sometimes, when I’m feeling mischievous, I like to do pesto and provolone on sourdough bread.

However, I do love several other versions of “grown-up grilled cheese.” Grilled cheese doesn’t just have to be savory either.  Some of the best grilled cheese sandwiches defy our usual definition of this sandwich and are sweet and just as soul-soothing.  I think the key for a truly delicious grilled cheese sandwich, no matter what your taste, is good bread.  Bypass the grocery store and hit up your favorite bakery.  It will make the few extra bucks all worthwhile.  Here are 10 ideas for sweet, melt-in-your-mouth grilled cheese sandwiches:

1. Rustic French or farm bread with mascarpone cheese and raspberry or strawberry jam (I love Bonne Maman) – add some melted semi-sweet chocolate if you want some extra decadence!

2. French or ciabatta bread with raspberries, blackberries, balsamic and brie.

3. French or ciabatta bread with nutella, strawberries and mascarpone.

4. Multigrain bread with granny smith apples, caramelized onion jam or chutney and white cheddar.

5. French, rustic farm or multigrain bread with honey, goat cheese and fresh figs (preferably black mission figs).

6. Sunflower, rustic farm or multigrain bread with honey (or) melted semi-sweet chocolate, mascarpone, bananas and cinnamon, sprinkled with powdered sugar.

7. Rosemary bread with strawberry jam and brie.

8. French or ciabatta bread with figs, prosciutto and ricotta and a drizzle of balsamic.

9. Ciabatta bread with apricot marmalade, grilled chicken and goat cheese

10. Ciabatta or French bread with pears, walnuts, cranberries, honey and goat cheese.

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