12 Cheeses You Should Throw On The Grill This Summer

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As the weather heats up, it's time to start firing up the grill and assembling your friends and family for all the fun outdoor or indoor gatherings. Nothing beats a summer barbecue, getting to socialize with your loved ones, and chowing down on some tasty eats. The grill makes it easy for everyone (except the griller) to relax and enjoy some delicious food without too much fuss. The only downside is that barbecues tend to always have the same sorts of foods. For those who are looking to vary it up with something more exciting, or just different, there's a world of grilled cheeses waiting for you to explore. And no, not a grilled cheese sandwich — we mean literal cheese getting placed on the grill.

If the thought of grilling slices of cheese surprises you, you'll be pleased to learn that yes, cheese can get even more delicious than it already is. Plus, there are a variety of cheeses that won't turn into a melted mess on the grill, but either hold their shape really well or melt in a way that still holds together. Or there are cheeses that you can melt on the grill, using a carrier of sorts. These cheeses go from being pretty good to fantastic, as the grill gives them some char marks, a smoky flavor, and alters their texture in the best ways possible. The trick is to know what you're working with and choose the right type of cheese. Here are some cheeses you should throw on the grill this summer.

Of all the cheeses out there, it's most likely you've heard of halloumi being grilled — or at least, it's one of the first ones that comes to mind. Many people have had grilled or perhaps pan-fried halloumi before, and we can't get enough of that irresistible crust. However, if you haven't had it yet, the tangy cheese is one you should try on the grill as soon as possible. This Cypriot cheese is firm and salty, and when applied to heat, it gets pleasantly soft on the inside, while browning on the outside.

It can be known for being squeaky on your teeth, especially if eaten cold, but this goes away once grilled. And to avoid it going back to a rubbery texture, it's best eaten immediately. It usually comes in a brine, so give it a little pat down with some paper towels to dry it off before you throw it on the grill. Once it's ready, it can be drizzled with honey, herbs, lemon juice, olive oil, sesame seeds, or however else you like to eat it. It's the perfect grill food for vegetarians and meat eaters alike, as it completely holds its shape and can even be skewered, perfect for your weekend barbecue.

Another cheese that's amazing to grill is queso panela. For lovers of Mexican cuisine, this won't be a new one. Queso panela is a type of Mexican cheese that's made from cow's milk, usually in a basket, which is why it's sometimes called "basket cheese." It has some similar characteristics to halloumi, like when heated, it doesn't melt fully, but becomes delightfully soft and chewy, while holding its structure. That means you can throw it straight onto the grill without worrying about a potential mess. You can get perfect grill marks on it, and create that delicious Maillard reaction as it browns and develops a crispy exterior.

Queso panela can be found at any Mexican grocer or in some larger supermarkets. Since it has a pretty neutral taste, it's a good idea to dress it up with various flavors. You can make different salsas to serve it with or even add some grilled pineapple on top of it for a play of salty and sweet.

This one is a cheese lover's dream, and if you've visited France, Switzerland, or the Alps region more generally, you will know just how delicious raclette cheese is. It has a more potent cheesy taste and becomes super gooey when heated. Raclette is a bit of a departure from cheeses like halloumi and queso panela, in that it's a very "melty" type of cheese. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't give it a go on the grill. The only trick is to give it the right carrier. This might mean grilling it on top of your meat or veggies, or in a little raclette pan, like this Nonstick Coated Mini Grill Cheese Pan.

These little individual raclette pans are part of the tradition of eating raclette in the Alpine region. You place a slice of cheese in a pan, place it on your grill, and wait for the cheese to start bubbling and melting. It's up to you how much "melt" you want, but it can go from semi-soft to totally stringy and gooey. Plus, if you leave it on the grill for a little longer, it can even start to brown and develop even more flavor. If you can't be bothered to get the little pans, raclette is really tasty grilled on some skewers of beef or something like mushrooms. In truth, it's pretty tasty on anything you'd usually grill. Just lay your cheese on top of your food about five minutes before you take it off the grill, as it melts pretty quickly.

Brie is not the first cheese that comes to mind when you're thinking of cheeses to grill, but it actually works great. That thick rind that makes brie what it is actually helps keep the oozing cheese inside and maintain its integrity as it heats up. That's why you can place it directly on the grill, and it will only take a few minutes. This makes it a much faster option than baking it in the oven. In fact, if you're used to making baked brie in the oven, throwing it on the grill will be even better during the summer heat when you don't want to turn your oven on.

Grilled brie develops a lovely smoky flavor, and when paired with a sweet accompaniment, becomes a pretty fancy snack that will impress your friends and family. Some stewed fruit, jam, or even some grilled peach slices will work a treat. It will be soft and creamy on the inside, so you can even use it as a kind of dip and dig in with some breadsticks, crackers, chips, or veggies.

Grilling firmer cheese is by far a much easier process than softer cheeses, which is why paneer is a great choice of cheese to grill. This Indian staple is firm, creamy, and a dream to grill. Paneer shares some similarities with halloumi in the sense that it's a white sturdy cheese that easily develops char marks or browning. However, it's a lot less salty than halloumi and has a more neutral taste. This actually makes it even more of a no-brainer for grilling, because you can actually treat it like a grilled food and give it a marinade or baste it with some delicious sauce as it grills.

It's a blank canvas that easily takes on other flavors, so give it a rub with some spices, a yogurt marinade, or even some barbecue sauce. As it's firm and doesn't melt, it can also be cut into chunks and threaded onto skewers. This is a protein-packed, vegetarian-friendly skewer, so it's a handy cheese to have on hand. You should be able to find it at an Indian or Asian grocery store. If you can't track some down, don't despair, as it's perhaps one of the easiest cheeses to make at home.

There are some cheeses that are made to be grilled, and this Finnish cheese is one of them. Named "bread cheese" precisely because of the brown crust it forms on the outside when grilled, it's an obvious cheese to try at your next barbecue. Bread cheese, also sometimes known as juustoleipä, is springy, yet firm, and it doesn't melt, but softens just enough to be chewy when grilled. Like halloumi, it's a little squeaky. It also goes well with a sweet touch like honey or syrup, and is often consumed as a breakfast food.

You may think that you'll never be able to get your hands on a niche cheese like Finnish bread cheese in the U.S., but surprisingly, juustoleipä has become quite popular in the Midwest. In Wisconsin, it's become considered a local specialty. There you can find it enjoyed as a snack with a beer or some wine. So, if you're ever in the area, be sure to get some and give it a try at your next grilling session.

Kasseri is a lesser-known Greek cheese than feta or halloumi, but it should get way more attention than it does. For non-Greeks, it may sound quite new, but if you've enjoyed Greek cuisine, you may have already eaten it in the form of saganaki. Saganaki is a fried cheese appetizer that is sometimes served while still aflame. The name saganaki refers to the frying pan it's traditionally served in, but the type of cheese used can vary. Often, though, it's made from kasseri. Kasseri is a firm, thick, and tangy cheese that is even more delicious when cooked.

Kasseri does get quite melty, so you'll need to work a little quicker with it than other firmer cheeses, but it's still worth grilling. It gets delightfully soft, and is complemented by other flavors really well. Serve it with some herbs and olives, or some grilled veggies for a savory dish, or drizzle on some honey for a harmony of sweet and salty.

Feta is a cheese that everyone loves. It's hard not to when it's the perfect combination of salty, tangy, and creamy. Plus, it can enhance any dish it's added to, whether it's a salad, a soup, a pasta, or even a sandwich. It can be served in blocks, crumbled, or melted into a hot meal. No matter how you serve it, it's a hit. And it doesn't stop there, because yes, you can grill it too. Feta is sturdy enough to throw on the grill and get some char marks on it, too. You just need to keep it in large enough blocks so that it doesn't break. It's a good idea to keep it whole, just as you bought it. Make sure your grill is really hot, and leave it for just long enough to get grilled on the outside, but not long enough that it gets too hot internally and starts to melt.

Once you've grilled the feta, there's no rule that says you can crumble it. Since it's quite strong tasting, it's not exactly the type of cheese you want to eat large bites of, like other grilled cheeses. However, it does still add a whole lot of flavor to other foods. After being grilled, it will have absorbed all the yummy smoky flavors from your grill, and will taste amazing in a salad, with some other grilled vegetables, or even whipped into a smoky feta dip.

Italian cheeses are beloved by many, but we often hear more about mozzarella than its close relative, scamorza. Scamorza is prepared in a similar way to mozzarella, but it is left to dry out, making it a sturdier cheese. This is great news for anyone who wants to grill cheese, because scamorza's dryness makes it perfect for grilling. It has a slightly more robust taste than mozzarella and beautifully lends itself to the smoky notes of the grill. In fact, some would describe its flavor as quite naturally smoky.

As scamorza can melt if heated for long enough, it's a good idea to grill it quickly and hot, while also keeping it whole. You can always slice it up after you grill it, but for the best success, grilling it as a larger chunk will work better and prevent any mishaps. There are many ways to eat grilled scamorza, but you can also treat it similarly to mozzarella and pair it simply with some tomatoes and olive oil, or do a grilled take on a Caprese salad. The possibilities for delicious eating are endless. It may be difficult to find good-quality scamorza in mainstream supermarkets, so it's worth a visit to an Italian deli or market to get the good stuff.

If we're talking about Italian cheeses, provolone is pretty up there, and in the U.S., one of the most well-known of the bunch. Provolone is a popular Italian cheese and is quite readily available across grocery stores and delis. It's firm and often has a delicate, smoky flavor. While provolone is comparable to mozzarella in certain ways, it doesn't melt quite as fast as mozzarella. This makes it a decent cheese to grill. However, it does still melt, so you need to keep your eye on it and work quickly before it totally disintegrates.

If it's possible, try to ask the deli worker for a hard provolone, as not all provolone cheese is made equally, and you do get softer ones that will melt much too quickly to grill. A hard provolone will make grilling easier. A handy trick to prevent your provolone from sticking on the grill is to give it a brush with olive oil before. Serve it immediately after grilling, as it can become rubbery as it cools down.

The French are famous for their cheeses for a reason. There is an endless variety of types of cheese, and they range from mild to straight-up funky. For those who are scared by the more potent flavors, there are plenty of French cheeses that fall somewhere in the middle. Reblochon is one of those. It's far from bland and delivers a satisfying umami hit without veering into smelly territory. While better known for dishes like tartiflette, Reblochon can be enjoyed in many ways and is made to be eaten hot. Like Brie or Camembert, Reblochon is sold in a wheel, covered in an edible rind. Thanks to this rind, Reblochon can be grilled and stay intact.

Keep your Reblochon whole so you can place it directly on the grill. Place the entire wheel on the grill as is. You can flip it over to brown both sides, but be delicate with it, as it will soften into a goo on the inside once it's hot.

Akawi cheese is perhaps quite unknown in the U.S., but this firm, salty cheese is perfect for grilling. Consider akawi cheese (can be found with different spellings) to be the Middle East's version of halloumi. It's a hard, white cheese that's quite mild in flavor, but quite salty. When grilled, it develops a lovely brown crust on the outside, while the inside gets a little soft and chewy. You can treat it just like halloumi, cut it into slices, chunks, or keep it whole, and place it straight onto the grill.

It goes really well with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of zaatar seasoning, in keeping with the Levantine ingredients and flavors. You can also serve grilled akawi in some flatbreads or in a salad with some grilled tomatoes and zucchini. It goes really well with anything, but take note not to add any more salt, as it's already quite salty. It's a little difficult to find akawi in the U.S., but not impossible. Most Middle Eastern grocery stores stock it, and you can always ask the storekeeper where to find some if not.