Quick Answer: What to Serve with Grilled Cheese?
The most incredible side dishes that you can pair with Grilled Cheese are- Tomato Soup, Coleslaw, Fruit Salad, Sweet Potato Fries, Dill Pickle, Brussel Sprouts, Bacon and Eggs Baked Avocado, Black Bean Corn Salad, Celery Salad, Cilantro Chutney, Bolognese Sauce, Butternut Squash Soup, Ketchup and Mustard, Marinara Sauce and Spinach and Artichoke Dip.
Wondering what sides will complement the melt-in-mouth cheesy goodness of your grilled cheese sandwiches? Don’t sweat it, we have got you covered.
In this post, we are going to list down the most incredible and versatile side dish options with complementary flavors and textures that are bound to leave all bellies utterly satisfied.
I have personally tried my hand at these recipes and these incredible sides are super light, refreshing and nutritious at the same time.
Let’s dive right in.
1. Tomato Soup
Total calories (per 100 gm)– 40
Total preparation time– 30 min
Imagine dunking your grilled cheese sandwich into creamy, rich and tangy tomato soup, pure bliss!
Not only is this pairing a classic but also seamlessly complementing.
The bold and bright flavor of fresh tomato goes perfectly with the richness of grilled cheese.
Plus, you can make your own bowl of velvety smooth soup using zesty fresh tomatoes and real cream in hardly 30 minutes.
You can also throw in some bread croutons for a crunchy texture.
Just combine some bread cubes, olive oil, salt and black pepper in a baking tray and toss to coat.
Bake until they reach golden brown crispiness.
Add the croutons on top of the soup.
Alternately, you can also top it with mint leaves, basil sprigs or freshly chopped parsley.
Quick tip: Use fresh and ripe red tomatoes in order to avoid a sour taste.
2. Coleslaw
Total calories (per 100 gm)– 169
Total preparation time– 20
Refreshing, creamy, crunchy, colourful and downright healthy; coleslaw is the perfect accompaniment to those grilled cheese sandwiches.
Filled with the richness of cabbage, onions, carrots, mayo and vinegar; this vegetable dish cuts through the greasiness and fattiness of your main dish with its sweet and subtle flavors.
To prepare a creamy and flavorful dressing, just stir the mayonnaise, vinegar, celery seeds, mustard, salt, and pepper together.
Make sure to chop the veggies finely and for the secret ingredient, drizzle in some Tabasco sauce and the salad will make your guests coming in for a second round.
3. Fruit Salad
Total calories (per 100 gm)– 60
Total preparation time– 20 min
What could be possibly better than an incredibly refreshing and light fruit salad side to balance out the richness and greasiness of those grilled cheese sandwiches?
Pick amongst your favourite fruits (blueberries, strawberries, grapes, pineapple, bananas etc) and toss them in a simple homemade dressing made of honey and lime zest.
For best results, use fresh fruit as frozen fruit tends to get mushy and watery and might not give out the best results.
Check out this quick recipe by Clean & Delicious:
4. Sweet Potato Fries
Total calories (per 100 gm)– 165
Total preparation time– 45 min
Crunchy, sweet, salty and spicy- these sweet potato fries will give just the accompaniment your grilled cheese needs.
Unlike regular French fries, they are not heavy and since they are baked and not fried, they are packed with a whole lot of nutritional values.
Moreover, we assure you that with the sweetness of sweet potato fries and the cheesy tenderness of grilled cheese, you are in for a great taste.
Remember thick fries never get crispy so you need to ensure to slice them as thin as possible. Also, cornstarch is the real game changer here.
Toss the sliced fries in it before oil to get the outsides real crisp.
You can always throw in a little cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and lots of freshly ground black pepper to balance the sweetness of fries.
Here’s how you can make these fries at home fuss-free:
5. Dill Pickle
Total calories (per 100 gm)– 18
Total preparation time– 1 day
Crispy and tangy dill pickle with its hint of sour flavor will optimally complement the heat of your sandwiches.
Once you try this super simple and scrumptious recipe, you are sure to forget store bought pickles.
The method to get these dill pickles together couldn’t be more straightforward.
First things first, slice the cucumbers lengthwise into quarters and divide them in jars.
Then, add fresh dill, garlic cloves, mustard seeds, and peppercorns to the pickle jars.
Prepare the brine and allow it to refrigerate for 24 hours.
Remember, the longer you store them, the more flavorful they get!
Check out this super interesting recipe by Food Wishes:
6. Brussel Sprouts
Total calories (per 100 gm)– 60
Total preparation time– 30 min
Brussels pan-fried sprouts and truffle oil taste heavenly with grilled cheese.
The recipe is not so cumbersome and needs pantry staple ingredients including baby brussel sprouts, olive oil, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, truffle oil and grated parmesan cheese.
If you are using full-sized brusel sprouts, it is always a better option to cut them in half for a crispier result.
Here are 4 different ways you can make your sprouts:
7. Bacon and Eggs Baked Avocado
Total calories (per 100 gm)– 207
Total preparation time– 30 min
Picture tender baked avocado to dunk your sandwiches along with crispy bacon bits and soft-cooked egg, drool-worthy, right?
Place the scooped avocado halves on a baking sheet and take out a little flesh to create a hole.
Crack open one egg into each hole and season with salt and pepper.
Top with bacon bits and shredded cheddar cheese and bake for about 15 minutes.
You can also throw in some freshly chopped chives for garnishing.
Here’s an easy recipe for you:
8. Black Bean Corn Salad
Total calories (per 100 gm)– 170
Total preparation time– 12 min
Give your meal a Latin hint with this spicy Black Bean Corn Salad.
Packed with black beans, corn, jalapeno, red peppers and avocado and covered in a zesty cilantro lime dressing; this refreshing and flavor packed salad side is the perfect accompaniment to grilled cheese.
The recipe is as easy as it can get.
Mix the black beans, corn, avocado and red peppers in a bowl and whisk together the contents for the cilantro lime dressing in another.
Combine everything together for a delectable salad that nobody could resist!
Check out this super easy recipe by The Stay at Home Chef:
9. Celery Salad
Total calories (per 100 gm)– 47
Total preparation time– 10 min
A crisp, light and refreshing Celery Salad can do wonders!
With its incredible umami flavor and flavorful toppings, the taste of grilled cheese is guaranteed to enhance by leaps and bounds.
The star here is the creamy vinaigrette made with lemon zest, extra virgin olive oil, minced small shallot, salt, anchovy paste and cracked black pepper.
Sprinkle some toasted walnuts, parmesan and parsley leaves onto the mix before serving time for an added crunch.
Do check out this awesome recipe:
10. Cilantro Chutney
Total calories (per 100 gm)– 298
Total preparation time– 10 min
Who doesn’t fancy cilantro chutney? Everybody does!
It is the perfect dip for your grilled cheese and its earthly heat gives a great contrast to the cheesy goodness of sandwiches.
It is essential that the coriander chutney flavors are preserved.
Don’t thin out your chutney too much; else the flavors might get diluted.
Watch 3 different ways to make this chutney:
11. Bolognese Sauce
Total calories (per 100 gm)– 113
Total preparation time– 2 h
This Italian sauce is up to the challenge and will give your sandwich meal a notch with its chunky tangy tomato flavor.
Onion, carrot, and celery form the foundation for a great Bolognese sauce.
Chop them real fine and sauté them. You will be amazed by their sweet and savory flavors left behind.
Pro tip: Add a whole cup of milk to make the sauce extra silky!
Go check out this super quick and easy recipe:
12. Butternut Squash Soup
Total calories (per 100 gm)– 37
Total preparation time– 45 min
Try pairing your Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with this sweet Butternut Squash Soup and you surely won’t regret it!
This ultimate comfort soup is served piping hot with a hunk of crusty bread.
Plus, it is ultra-creamy and nutritious.
Best part? It comes together in less than an hour using only 10 ingredients!
Check out this roasted soup recipe by
Downshiftology :
13. Ketchup and Mustard
Total calories (per 100 gm)– 97, 101
Sandwiches are sort of incomplete without a bottle of Ketchup and Mustard on the side, no?
Simple and with almost no preparation time involved, these little guys have your back if you are short of time.
Be it tomato ketchup, mustard or chili ketchup, an added flavor doesn’t spoil anything!
14. Marinara Sauce
Total calories (per 100 gm)– 51
Total preparation time– 25 min
We already know the classic pairing of tomatoes with grilled cheese.
Marinara sauce is no exception.
With just a handful of ingredients and a little preparation time, you can make your very own Italian Marinara.
Add some finely chopped onion in olive oil and sauté until soft.
Stir in garlic for about a minute and then throw in crushed tomatoes, oregano, salt, and pepper.
Simmer for 15 minutes and then put some fresh basil into the mix.
Use extra virgin olive oil for extra flavor!
Here’s how to make the perfect Marinara sauce:
15. Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Total calories (per 100 gm)– 286
Total preparation time– 30 min
What if we told you that this deliciously rich, cheesy and ultra-creamy dip brimming with spinach and artichokes is incredibly easy to make at home?
For those who can never get enough of cheese, you are guaranteed to fancy this side.
Picture dipping in your cheesy and fluffy sandwich into the creamy goodness of this cheesy dip! Tantalizing, right?
To make this party favorite dip, you need cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, garlic, parmesan, pepper, mozzarella, canned artichokes and frozen spinach.
Combine everything together and spread the mixture into a baking dish.
Bake for about 20 minutes and serve it warm.
Check how Natasha’s Kitchen takes to this recipe:
FAQs
Yes! You may use it. However, you will have to add more water or stock to alter the consistency of the soup given the already thick consistency of canned tomato puree.
Two cups of tomato puree should do the job!
We do not recommend using milk for this recipe as it is highly likely to curdle because of the acidity in tomatoes.
Roast the sprouts at a high temperature to keep them from getting mushy. Roast until they are brown and delicious and show a toasty color.
The sides and the outer leaves as well should get brown and crisp.
Definitely! You can always use fresh spinach instead of frozen. Just remember to steam it and blanch in ice water. Squeeze the excess liquid, if any, before you chop it.
Well, Chilled beer and Cheese make for a spectacular pair. A micro brewed IPA is the best drink to have with grilled cheese.
Additionally, you can pair sweet White wines like Riesling or Moscato with your sandwiches to experience optimum flavor sensations.
Of course! You may add a little honey or sugar for bringing in some sweetness or toning down the bitterness in the chutney.
Bottom Line
We hope that this wholesome guide on what to pair with Grilled Cheese has been of utmost help.
These incredibly healthy and hearty sides, each with their distinct flavors and textures are sure to make your heart feel warm.
If you have any tips or suggestions to share, do let us know below.
Also, please don’t forget to share these incredible side dish recipes with your near and dear ones!