Get fawncy with this fancy grilled cheese recipe! Our signature recipe is made with pimento cheese dip, smoked gouda cheese, and bacon.
Best Fancy Grilled Cheese!
Cheese Knees wouldn’t be a cheese site without a straight-up obsessed with grilled cheese. It’s one of the best foods to eat when there’s nothing to eat and when you’re hungry. So, pretty much any day of the week.
Our air fryer grilled cheese is quick and easy and our sheet pan grilled cheese makes a bunch at once. But, this fancy grilled cheese is exactly what it sounds like FANCY.
It’s made with our homemade pimento cheese dip, a couple of slices of smoked gouda, and perfectly cooked strips of bacon. Keep on reading to see how this fancy grilled cheese recipe comes together in less than 15 minutes.
Why you’ll love it!
- Multiple kinds of cheese
- Protein (thanks bacon!)
- Ready in less than 15 minutes
- Kid-friendly
Featured Ingredients
Bread: feel free to use any kind of bread for this. We’re using regular ol’ sandwich bread. Another great option would be sourdough. speaking from experience.
Pimento Cheese Dip: pimento cheese dip really is the secret to this recipe. You’re more than welcome to use store-bought pimento cheese, but you can also go the extra mile and make our homemade pimento cheese dip recipe.
Try it!
Pimento Cheese Dip
Make your own homemade pimento cheese for a decadent spread or easy dip for crackers. Enjoy!
Smoked Gouda: smoked gouda adds a smokiness to this recipe. If you’re not into gouda, try cheddar or pepper jack.
Bacon: bacon adds a bit of saltiness along with protein and great texture.
Butter: we’re butter people when it comes to grilled cheese, but feel free to use mayo if you wish.
How to Make Fancy Grilled Cheese
- Prep bread: spread butter on one side of each slide of bread.
- Added cheese: spread on a generous amount of pimento cheese dip one one piece of bread and then lay the sliced gouda on top.
- Add bacon: place the cooked bacon on top of the cheese and cover with the second piece of bread making sure the buttered-side is facing up.
- Pan fry: pan fry the fancy grilled cheese over low/medium heat for 2 minutes on each side.
- Serve: serve immediately once the bread is toasted and the cheese is melty.
Ways to Make This Your Own
Swap the gouda: not a fan of smoked cheeses or gouda? Add whatever you have on hand!
Add a sauce: get saucy and add your favorite sauce such as bbq, aioli, or french dressing.
Add a veg: if I wanted to add a veggie to this, I would hands down add caramelized onions. They’re slightly sweet and make everything better.
Storage
While we always recommend eating grilled cheese as fresh as possible, you can always store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Fancy Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 slices white sandwich bread
- 1 tablespoon softened butter
- ¼ cup pimento cheese dip (we used this recipe)
- 2 slices smoked gouda cheese
- 2 strips bacon cooked
Instructions
- First spread ½ tablespoon of butter onto each side of both pieces of bread.
- Then, evenly spread the pimento cheese dip onto one slice of bread.
- Next, add the smoked gouda cheese and bacon strips and then top it with the second slice of bread.
- Heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat and cook the grilled cheese for 3-4 minutes.
- Flip the grilled cheese and cook for an additional 2-4 minutes.
- Serve immediately!
Tips & Notes
- You can use any sliced cheese that you would like.
We have made this twice and loved it both times. The pimento dip make quite a bit, so my husband uses it as a chip-dip the rest of the week. Very delicious and very creative!
Ooo amazzzzing idea to use the leftover pimento dip the rest of the week, Emily!