It’s one of the nation’s favorites: the grilled cheese.

If you’re anything like us, you’ve tried a lot of grilled cheeses. You’ve probably already decided whether you like to butter your bread on both sides (we’re firmly in the yes camp!). You might have found your favorite cheese or chosen the ultimate bread. Well today, we’re going to show you how to take your grilled cheese to the next level with some clever additions and changes.

1. Add fruit 

We absolutely love a sweet and savory combo! Adding fruit to your grilled cheese is an incredible way to add sweetness. You might want to choose a cheese based on the fruit that you’re going to use. Blueberries with mascarpone, peaches with gouda, apple butter with pepper jack, and strawberries with mozzarella are all great combinations. You could even create a Hawaiian pizza inspired grilled cheese with ham and pineapple.

2. Go for different bread

You might have found your favorite loaf, but that doesn’t mean you need to always reach for it. Have you tried brioche bread for your grilled cheese? It gets an incredible caramelization from its high sugar content. You could also try bagels! Even croissants work really well. Donuts and pound cake are an extra decadent addition to a sweet grilled cheese. Trust us, get creative and try a different bread for your grilled cheese this week.

3. Add pickles and relishes

Some of you will be purists who want the cheesiest grilled cheese that they can find, but we’re pretty partial to a good pickle in our sandwiches. It cuts through the richness and will pack a flavour punch at the same time. A spoonful of mustard can also work wonders with the right cheese.

4. Top it with a fried egg

Whether you like yours over easy or sunny side up, you won’t be sorry that you topped your grilled cheese with a fried egg. It does mean that you’ll have to use a knife and fork to dig in, rather than picking it up, but that’s a small sacrifice to make for the perfect combination of bread, melted cheese, and oozing egg yolks.

5. Go wild

We know that there’s a combination that you’ve dreamed of but haven’t dared to try. Now is the time! You want a mac and grilled cheese? You got it! Want to put crushed up pretzels inside? It sounds like a great idea! You want to grill chocolate and cheese between slices of cake? Go for it!

However you make your grilled cheese, we want you to love it. Pop into Shisler’s Cheese House to pick up your favorite cheeses and condiments.

Tell us about your grilled cheese inspiration in the comments!