The Sweet And Spicy Ingredient That Adds A Gourmet Touch To Grilled Cheese

When you break it down to the bare components, a basic grilled cheese isn't much more than bread, cheese, and a heat source. As simple as those elements may be, there are so many other factors that go into an amazing grilled cheese, from the best cheeses for your grilled cheese sandwich to the factors behind why grilled cheeses taste so much better at restaurants. One of our favorite tricks to upgrading this childhood favorite is incorporating a sweet and spicy ingredient that adds a gourmet touch to grilled cheese: hot honey. 

While there are a multitude of amazing condiments to elevate your grilled cheese, hot honey is the perfect combination of heat and sweetness, as neither flavor is usually strong enough to outshine the other. While we have our opinions on the absolute best ways to use hot honey, like on pizza or fried chicken, grilled cheese is the perfect canvas for the sticky, spicy spread. The heat of the peppers infused with honey cuts through the richness of the melted cheese, while the saccharine notes from the honey elevate the entire experience. There are plenty of great brands available at the supermarket, but it's extremely easy to make your own hot honey. Making it at home is usually less expensive, and also gives you the ability to have more control over the spice. 

There are many ways to incorporate hot honey into a grilled cheese, whether you pour it directly onto the uncooked cheese while assembling, or simply drizzle it directly on top of the freshly griddled sandwich. One way we don't recommend adding hot honey to your grilled cheese is spreading it on the outside of the bread before cooking it, as direct contact with a hot cooking surface can burn the honey and give it an acrid taste. Once you've mastered our hacks for grilled cheese you'll wish you knew sooner, you can spread your creative wings any way you like. 

Hot honey would pair great with Gruyère, sharp white cheddar, or both. The best grilled cheeses usually include more than one type of cheese to bring more complexity and layers of flavor into the sandwich. Add thinly sliced deli ham on the inside and top with a fried egg, almost like a croque madame without the bechamel sauce, followed by a drizzle of hot honey.

For another sweet and meaty combination, use cheddar cheese, sliced apple, and bacon. Fresh goat cheese is an uncommon cheese for grilled cheese sandwiches but would make a stellar pairing for hot honey, as the mild-yet-tangy taste is a perfect backdrop for hot honey to shine. It's hard to go wrong with most combinations of cheese and other flavors, so feel free to experiment until you find your new favorite way to add hot honey to your grilled cheeses.