For A Southern-Style Twist On Grilled Cheese, Swap Your Bread For This

Crispy, gooey grilled cheese is as easy to make as putting a slice of cheese between two buttered pieces of bread and letting both sides hit the pan. If you want a break from the typical white Pullman, sourdough, or brioche, swap in cornbread for a southern-style twist. Cornbread might be more typically associated as a side dish for smoky barbecue or a dunking vessel for mouth melting chilis. But when it's done serving those duties, break out the skillet to transform the leftover cornbread into a southern-inspired grilled cheese sandwich.

If your cornbread is particularly thick, slice it into thin enough pieces to ensure the cheese in the middle gets hot enough to melt. Be careful assembling the sandwich, and don't get too vigorous when flipping it in the pan. The griddling process will help crisp up the cornbread's exterior and reinforce it, but it could still be fragile. If it falls apart in the pan, the sandwich might melt into a cheese slick with a cornbread crumble garnish.

As for choice of cheeses, there's never anything wrong with cheddar. But the cornbread can sweeten a little spice, so maybe try some pepper jack or Sriracha gouda. An even melt of the cheese is essential; we recommend this method to give you perfectly melted grilled cheese.

Is a grilled cheese made with southern-style cornbread still not novel enough for you? Upgrade the sandwich to a melt with meat pairings like chorizo or bacon. If the leftover cornbread has some  barbecue pulled pork in the fridge next to it, perfect. Sauteed greens are a typical side dish for barbecue, but sandwiches call to be paired with chips. Make it the best of both. Here's how to make delicious kale chips in the air fryer every time. And since you're already transforming leftovers into luxury, wash down your cornbread grilled cheese with a margarita shaken up from the last bit of jam in a jar. Here's how to make a refreshing jargarita.

Lean into the sweet and garnish your sandwich by drizzling in some hot honey. Or keep the sweet heat southern-inspired with a garnish of hot pepper jelly. Take it as far south as Mexico by adding whole griddled corn with lime, chili, and cotija. Who's going to say no to a cornbread and esquites grilled sandwich? 

And why not make that cornbread sandwich into dessert with a mascarpone cheese and maple cinnamon filling? The only thing limiting the number of different creations you can try here is the amount of leftover cornbread.