12 Grilled Cheese Varieties From Around The World

The grilled cheese sandwich is the epitome of comfort food. In the U.S., the most common way to prepare this lunchtime staple is stuffing sliced or grated cheese between hearty slices of bread, and toasting everything to melty-crisp perfection in a skillet. However, this certainly isn't the only approach to consider. Around the world, you'll find countless takes on the crowd-pleasing cheese-bread combo, each with its own unique twist. Using local ingredients and techniques can transform the gooey sandwich we know and love into a whole new dish, and these international variations are just as tempting as the classic.

If you're yet to branch out from the traditional method, we highly recommend giving one of these equally cozy and satisfying versions a try. All feature that irresistible base of carbs and cheese, but there's plenty of variation in texture, flavor, and presentation here. Some recipes feature spicy, meaty, or fruity add-ins, others are served open-faced, and many ditch the skillet in favor of alternative cooking methods. But all have become the go-to in their respective parts of the world for good reason. Here are some of the diverse and delicious ways that the humble grilled cheese takes shape across the globe.

A staple of Parisian cafe menus, the croque monsieur has been delighting locals and tourists alike since the early 1900s. This gloriously cheesy sandwich shares many similarities with the American-style grilled cheese, but takes things to new levels of decadence with a velvety bechamel sauce and the addition of ham.

The croque monsieur typically begins with slices of crusty white bread, which are first toasted, then topped with a generous swipe of the bechamel. This simple white sauce is made with butter, flour, milk, and cheese, and it gives the sandwich an unmatched richness. Next come the grated Gruyere and ham, before the slices are sandwiched together, and topped with a final layer of the sauce and cheese. Baked to melty perfection, the sandwich comes out ultra-gooey, crispy, and packed with satisfying savory flavor.

There are plenty of ways to customize this French favorite, with some recipes featuring Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, or other varieties of cheese like Emmental or cheddar. The popular croque madame is an even heartier variant, which essentially takes the croque monsieur and tops it off with a sunny-side-up fried egg. We love making this in the form of mini bagel sliders, with the eggs baked right into the holes.

You might think of quesadillas and grilled cheese sandwiches as two entirely separate entities, but these comfort food classics both have cheese and carbs at their core. Generally enjoyed as a snack or at dinner time, Mexican quesadillas are made with soft flour tortillas, which get sandwiched together with a whole host of savory goodies. Cheese is essential to any good quesadilla, helping to bind the fillings to the tortilla, and creating that all-important molten center that makes every bite so moreish.

Monterey Jack cheese is one of the most popular picks for sprinkling into the tortillas. Cheddar also works great, and you can absolutely throw in other melting varieties like mozzarella or Oaxaca if preferred. When it comes to the additional fillings, there's plenty of room for creativity. Shredded chicken, sauteed bell peppers, skirt steak, and refried beans all make excellent accompaniments to the creamy, salty cheese, and spices like chili powder, paprika, and cumin will pack in even more Mexican-inspired flavor.

Once the fillings have been added, a second tortilla is pressed on top to form a sandwich. Then, the quesadillas are ready for pan-frying or baking until crisp on both sides. To serve, they're typically sliced into triangles and enjoyed with fresh toppings like pico de gallo, sour cream, and guacamole.

If you thought the grilled cheese couldn't get any more indulgent, think again. Italy's take on the sandwich amps up the richness and crunch by breading and deep-frying the cheese-stuffed slices, and the resulting "mozzarella in carrozza" is just as incredible as it sounds.

As the name would suggest, the cheese of choice here is mozzarella. This melts down effortlessly, yielding a seriously gooey filling that perfectly contrasts the crunchy exterior. The sliced cheese is first sandwiched between slices of white bread, before the crusts are cut off, and the halved sandwiches are dunked in flour and beaten egg. Or, you can use a breadcrumb coating if preferred, perhaps even throwing some grated Pecorino into the mix to boost the salty sharpness.

Deep-fried until irresistibly crisp and golden, the mozzarella in carrozza is amazing served as is, but it also pairs beautifully with a tangy, marinara-style tomato sauce. This cuts through the richness of the cheese exceptionally well, making every bite more balanced and bright.

In true Japanese style, pizza toast boasts an impressive presentation and the flavor to match. These rather pleasing cheese-topped slices feature on cafe menus across Japan, and they're wonderfully simple to prepare at home too. Here, bread and cheese are combined with tomato sauce and various toppings to create pizza-style, open-faced sandwiches. 

Fluffy Japanese milk bread is the go-to for making pizza toast. This crisps up beautifully and provides a hint of sweetness that works great alongside the savory toppings. The sauce is usually either ketchup, store-bought pizza sauce, or a homemade mix of crushed tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. This is spread onto the bread, then topped with shredded mozzarella cheese before the toppings come into play. Much like its Italian counterpart, pizza toast is highly customizable, but popular picks include thinly sliced bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, onions, pepperoni, and ham. 

Baking the slices in a toaster oven is usually recommended to achieve the meltiest, crispiest finish. However, the broiler, air fryer, or conventional oven will also work great.

India's Bombay sandwich puts a spicy spin on the grilled cheese. This mouth-watering street food snack is loaded with vibrant chutney, fresh veggies, and plenty of melty cheese, and it's a must-try variation for fans of comfort food and bold, Asian-inspired flavors.

The buttered white bread slices get smothered with a bright green cilantro chutney, which is made with aromatic add-ins like garlic, ginger, lemon, and mint. Fresh elements like sliced red onions, cucumber, and tomatoes add a welcome crunch to the sandwich, and a sprinkle of chaat masala brings that signature warming edge. Some versions also include sliced, boiled potatoes or beets for extra heartiness, and of course, we can't forget the cheese. Melting varieties are ideal (think cheddar, a Mexican blend, or even cream cheese). 

The assembled sandwiches are pan-fried until golden and often served with hot sauce or ketchup. They fit right in alongside other Indian sides like refreshing kachumber salad, crispy samosas, or aromatic aloo gobi.

Down under, Aussies are also partial to a good grilled cheese, but their version takes a distinctly different form. Unlike the American sandwich, where melty cheese is often seen oozing from the edges, the Australian jaffle keeps the filling safely sealed within the crispy bread, with no drips in sight.

The name "jaffle" stems from the appliance used to make the sandwich. In 1949, Dr Earnest Smithers invented a sandwich maker which he called the Jaffle iron, allegedly due to its similarities to the already-popular waffle iron. What makes this appliance unique is its clamping action, which not only seals the edges of the bread shut but also slices it into perfect triangles. This means you can load the sandwich with fillings without fear of them spilling out the sides. The original jaffle iron has since been reimagined by many other manufacturers, with various versions making their way into Aussie households.

Cheese (such as cheddar, Colby Jack, or mozzarella) is the star of a jaffle, but there's also the option to incorporate additional fillings and create a more substantial, well-rounded meal. Bacon, spinach, baked beans, and corned beef are all favorites among jaffle fanatics, and you'll even find sweet versions stuffed with cream cheese and berries, or sliced banana, honey, and ricotta.

At first glance, a classic British cheese toastie looks much like its American counterpart, but there are some notable differences between these two sandwiches. Both begin with sliced white bread and melting cheese, but the prep methods and appliances used to make each version differ. 

First up, a toastie is buttered on the inside rather than the outside, yielding a softer, creamier filling and drier exterior that makes the sandwich less messy to eat. Then, there's the cooking method. An American-style grilled cheese is usually pan-fried to achieve that crispy exterior, but with toasties, using an electric sandwich press is commonplace. This yields a thinner sandwich with more uniform browning, without the need for extra butter or oil. Many sandwich presses also give the bread those signature ridged grill marks, adding a touch of visual appeal.

Cheddar is the preferred cheese for a toastie, but other melty variants like Red Leicester and mozzarella are welcome, too. Many Brits like to upgrade their toasted sandwiches by adding extras like sliced ham, tomatoes, English mustard, or a dollop of Branston pickle. Marmite is another top pick for boosting the savory depth, while fruity chutneys offer a hint of balancing sweetness.

The Monte Cristo sandwich is America's take on the beloved French croque monsieur, and this cheesy creation truly takes the indulgence factor to the max. Though its exact origins have been debated, this variation is thought to have emerged in California in the 1940s, and recipes were soon popping up in cookbooks and magazines nationwide. Today, it remains a favorite across the U.S., loved for its unique sweet and savory profile.

Inside the white bread sandwich, you'll find sliced ham and/or turkey, melty cheese (such as provolone, Gruyere, or Swiss), and sometimes mayo or mustard. The whole sandwich is dunked in an egg-milk mixture, then pan-fried, creating a rich, custardy interior and crisp, golden exterior. The sweet element comes in the form of a fruity jam (often raspberry or fig), typically served on the side. Some also like to finish their Monte Cristo with a dusting of powdered sugar. These unexpected additions work surprisingly well with the other, deeply savory fillings, balancing the saltiness and adding an extra layer of decadence.

Despite its name, Toast Hawaii actually hails from Germany. The invention of this open-faced sandwich is widely attributed to German TV chef Clemens Wilmenrod, who first prepared the dish on his debut cooking show in 1955. Toast Hawaii quickly rose to fame, gaining popularity in Switzerland, too, and there's no denying the appeal of this sandwich's fuss-free approach.

The toasts are made by generously buttering slices of white bread and topping these with ham, canned pineapple rings, and sliced cheese. Everything is oven-baked until the cheese is bubbling and the ham is starting to curl at the edges, then garnished with a vibrant maraschino cherry for an extra pop of sweetness. The resulting dish is a delightful blend of sweet and savory, providing creaminess, crunch, and juicy fruit in equal measure. It makes an ideal breakfast, lunch, or snack, pairing well with salads, soups, and crunchy slaws.

Welsh rarebit is another open-faced twist on grilled cheese, and it delivers all the gooey richness you'd expect. Once known as "Welsh rabbit", this dish served as an affordable meal for working-class families in the 1700s. And, while there's much speculation around the name, some believe it was initially meant in a mocking way, suggesting that the Welsh were too poor to afford meat. There is indeed no rabbit meat required to make a traditional Welsh rarebit, but the cheesy topping does get jazzed up with some delicious savory add-ins. 

Rather than simply melting cheese atop the bread, rarebit is made with a thick cheese sauce. This is infused with beer, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard, and sometimes spiced up with a dash of hot sauce, too. Cheddar cheese packs in heaps of salty sharpness, and milk loosens things up, creating a silky, umami-rich mixture that's just begging to be slathered atop crispy toast. A quick broil is the perfect way to get the cheesy toasts nice and golden, and a side of tangy chutney always goes down a treat. Sliced tomatoes, crispy bacon, and fried eggs all make excellent toppings for a classic rarebit, and we also love layering jammy caramelized onions underneath the sauce.

Most variations of grilled cheese feature wheat-based bread, but arepas buck the trend. These South American staples are crafted from a finely ground cornmeal flour called masarepa, which yields a soft, fluffy interior and crisp exterior when fried.

Arepas come in many forms, with countless savory fillings to explore. Beans, slow-cooked meats, and plantains all feature heavily, but you can't go wrong with a generous helping of cheese. To make the traditional arepas con queso, a mound of shredded melting cheese, such as mozzarella or Jarlsberg, is hand-sealed between circles of arepa dough, before everything is pan-fried until well-browned on both sides. As you bite into the tender-crisp parcel, you're met with a pool of melty, cheesy deliciousness that contrasts the subtle sweetness of the cornbread beautifully.

Some arepa recipes take a simpler approach by mixing the shredded cheese into the cornmeal dough itself. This way, you can skip the stuffing step, shaping the dough into thick discs and frying them as they are. Either way, arepas are cheese and carbs at their finest, and the perfect way to branch out from your everyday white bread sandwich.

If you like your grilled cheese with an extra dose of heat, the Korean-style version won't disappoint. Adding kimchi to the crispy, cheesy sandwich injects color, texture, and a distinct fiery tang, turning a basic grilled cheese into something altogether more lively.

Kimchi has long been a staple of Korean cuisine. This umami-rich condiment is made with vegetables like cabbage and radish, which are salted and fermented with bold seasonings and aromatics like ginger, garlic, fish sauce, and gochugaru (Korean chili flakes). As the kimchi ferments, it develops a slightly sour edge that makes it especially refreshing. That makes it a fantastic tool for cutting through the richness of gooey cheese and buttery bread.

Giving an American-style grilled cheese a Korean twist can be as simple as layering the kimchi between the bread with the cheese, and pan-frying everything as normal. However, some versions take things up a notch, adding gochujang for an extra hit of spiciness, or bacon to continue the salty, savory theme. The kimchi can also be sauteed before it's added to the sandwich, for a more tender, caramelized finish.