Revamp Classic Grilled Cheese With One Simple Bread Swap

Ah, the grilled cheese. The old favorite. It's remained relatively unchanged over the last century, and there's a reason why: It's practically perfect in every way. Gooey, rich cheese, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, salty, fatty, subtly tangy — there aren't enough words to truly convey the culinary perfection that is a grilled cheese (or a toastie, if you're a Brit). Speaking of the British, they may take a lot of flak for their cuisine, but one thing they can't be faulted on is their muffins. As the cornerstone of (arguably) the most iconic breakfast sandwich on earth — the humble McMuffin — the English muffin is, like grilled cheese, perfect. So why not put them together?

There are many ways to upgrade a grilled cheese, like using mayo in place of butter for the crispiest exterior or adding a touch of red onion — but the English muffin seems like a natural evolution. It's crispy on the outside and soft within, just like a great grilled cheese, and its naturally yeasty, slightly sour flavor complements the richness of the cheese extremely well. That richness also benefits from the slight char you can get on the muffin's crust when toasting it, adding an earthy complexity and an extra crunchy bite.

Though English muffins are often served as part of afternoon tea (at least in their namesake country), most of the world knows them as one of the ultimate breakfast items. Whether served on their own, in a breakfast sandwich, or as the foundation of a classic eggs Benedict, there's no doubt that muffins are a breakfast titan. You can use this to your advantage — not only are English muffins a delicious upgrade for your sandwich, but they also provide a convenient excuse to have one for breakfast! To add further breakfast flair to things, you could try topping your grilled cheese with homemade bacon jam to unlock a whole new flavor profile with a sweet and savory kick.

You could also take inspiration from the aforementioned eggs Benedict and add some Canadian bacon to your grilled cheese. Then, just serve it with a good dollop of Hollandaise and voila — a breakfast-inspired grilled cheese fit for even the most discerning of sandwich fanatics.