I’m not really sure who started the whole ‘National ____ Months’ for food but you won’t hear me complaining about this one! Grilled cheese sandwiches are the classic American comfort food and are almost always attached to a nostalgic story about how they single handedly cured some form of teenage heartbreak. Just like many beloved foods, there’s a grilled cheese sandwich for every mood. Celebrate with one of three delicious recipes we came up with:

 

The Cheater: Dairy-Free Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cashews, soaked in water for at least 4 hours

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Juice of ½ a lemon

Pinch of cayenne

½ a jalapeno, sliced

1 ciabatta bun

Method:

1. Prepare the ‘no cheese’ cheese: In a food processor, blend soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and cayenne until smooth.
2. Slice jalapeno and fry with some olive oil for a couple minutes.
3. Assemble: Dig up a couple slices of your fave bread (we suggest ciabatta buns), smear a good amount of the no cheese sauce, add fried jalapeño, brush the outside of the sammy with some olive oil and heat up in a pan for about 5 minutes (or until toasty), turning it half way through.

Pro Tip: You can also add a few slices of red onion and some fresh oregano for an extra layer of flavor.

The Salsa Dancer: Mexican-inspired (Healthy-ish) Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

4 slices of aged cheddar

1 roma tomato, chopped

1 tbsp chopped onion

1 handful of parsley

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 jalapeño, diced

2 slices of whole grain bread

Method:

1. Prepare salsa: Combine all ingredients (minus the bread and cheese), add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Assemble: Place cheese on the bread, then add some fresh salsa, and grill until ooey gooey.

Pro Tip: Use a pastry brush to apply melted butter or oil to the outside of the bread. This way, you’re adding less butter than if you had spread it on the bread, helping you cut calories without sacrificing flavor.

The Locked-and-Loaded: Everything You Could Ever Want in a GC

Ingredients:

1 pear (anjou is great)

2-3 sage leaves, chopped

50g of prosciutto

1 tbsp. blue cheese

3-4 slices havarti cheese

1 tsp. mango chutney

2 slices of bread or 1 ciabatta bun

Method:

1. Slice the pear and grill or pan fry at high heat until golden brown (about 2 minutes).
2. Spread some chutney on both slices of bread (inside of your sammy), then layer in this order: Havarti, pear, prosciutto, chopped sage, blue cheese sprinkles. Grill until nice and gooey and crispy.

Pro Tip: Looking for a different cheese option? Flavor lives in the land of sharp cheeses! Aged cheddar is the current office favorite.

Try these grilled cheese recipes and ride a wave of cheesy goodness right into flavor town. What are your favorite additions to the traditional grilled cheese sandwich? Share your sandwich staples here or tweet them to us @Luvoinc