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There is nothing better than a deliciously prepared grilled cheese sandwich. A sweet bread toasted in butter with a gooey melted cheese pair perfectly with certain subtle side dishes. A perfect grilled cheese sandwich has a very strong flavor on its own, so you should not pair it up with a side dish that has the possibility of clashing with it. So, if you are wondering best thing to eat with grilled cheese, let us run you through delicious side dishes.
1. What to Eat With Grilled Cheese?

A grilled cheese sandwich is a perfect combination of soft, crunchy, rich, and creamy flavors. While a grilled cheese sandwich is extremely delicious but you need to get various ideas of side dishes that make the meal fulfilling for you.
1.1. Tomato Soup is a Good Option

What’s better than a classic tomato soup? Grilled cheese sandwiches dunked in a bowl of tomato soup make a great pair. A fun fact is that tomato soup to serve with grilled cheese sandwiches started after World War 2. They were served in school cafeterias so that the kids get good nutritional value from the food.
Tomato soup is easy to prepare and requires very minimal effort. Start with melting two spoons of butter in a pan and make sure that the gas is on medium to low flame. Once the butter melts and starts shimmering, add bay leaves in the butter and fry them until they turn a light brown in color. After this, add finely chopped onions and garlic to the pan and stir them.
Saute them for some time and then it’s time for you to add sliced tomatoes to the pan with a pinch of salt for an added taste. Cook them until they get soft and then add some basil to the mixture. After the tomato slices have softened, discard the bay leaves and once the mixture cools down, blend it for a smooth consistency. Make sure to make the tomato soup with fresh tomatoes for a more delicious taste.
1.2. You Can Try Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet potato fries taste absolutely best with grilled cheese sandwiches. Adding sweet potato fries to serve with grilled cheese sandwiches will give a nice sweet contrast and a good crunch to your meal. Also, there is no need to worry about the health part as they are baked not fried.
To make the potato fries, you will have to cut the sweet potatoes into sticks and toss them with oil. Then, you will have to mix salt, pepper, and other spices in a bowl and then toss them with the sweet potatoes. After it is done, spread them on a baking tray and let them bake for around ten minutes, until you see them turning brown and crispy. Serve the fries hot. You can even get frozen sweet potato fries from the market and bake them.
1.3. Serve Air Fryer Potato Chips
Potato chips to serve with grilled cheese sandwiches is an excellent idea and honestly, what’s better than homemade potato chips? It adds that extra crunch and saltiness to your meal. To make this extremely delicious side dish, start by preheating your air fryer.
Add diced potatoes to a bowl and soak them in iced water for around 10-15 minutes. After it is done, drain those potatoes and pat dry them after placing them on a towel. Sprinkle some salt on those diced potatoes and place them on a tray. The tray of the air fryer needs to be greased. You need to cook until you see them turning crispy and golden brown in color. Enjoy your own potato chips with a delicious cheesy sandwich.
1.4. Macaroni Salad to Serve With Grilled Cheese
Macaroni Salad is the best to serve with grilled cheese when you are arranging a barbecue party for your friends and family. It takes just a few minutes to make this quick and easy meal. To prepare the macaroni salad, you will need macaroni noodles, fresh veggies such as onions, carrots, bell pepper, mayo, salt and pepper, sugar, balsamic vinegar, and yellow mustard.
To make this pasta salad, start by boiling the macaroni noodles and then rinse them under cold water. After draining the water, mix the mayo with the seasonings in a large sized bowl. Stir in the veggies and then refrigerate the pasta salad for 4 hours before serving them.
1.5. Marinara Sauce
Marinara sauce is one of the best options to serve with grilled cheese. To make this hearty meal, put onions and garlic in a pan and saute them for some time. Then, you will have to add crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper jelly, and oregano and leave them for simmering for around 10-15 minutes. Serve by stirring in some fresh herbs.
Dunk your grilled cheese sandwich into this sauce and the combination of the toasty bread along with melted cheese will make you feel as if you are eating pizza.
1.6. You Should Try Chicken Noodle Soup
Another healthy soup option to serve with grilled cheese is a good chicken noodle soup. This is generally a comfort food and also a fulfilling meal as it is served with egg noodles, chicken, and fresh vegetables.
1.7. A Classic Waldorf Salad is a Must Try

Waldorf salad combined with warm grilled cheese is a must for a Thanksgiving holiday spread. The recipe consists of apple slices, celery, mayo, and chopped walnuts. Some people even prefer yogurt instead of mayo in their refreshing salad.
To make the homemade dressing for this salad, you will have to whisk mayo, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowl. Then, you will have to mix the apples, celery, grapes, and walnuts with the dressing that you have prepared. Serve this classic comfort food on a bed of lettuce and enjoy.
1.8. Lentil Soup is Amazing to Serve With Grilled Cheese

A bowl of lentil soup paired with tasty grilled cheese is a perfect combination. To make this delicious soup, you have to begin by sauteing veggies in olive oil and then add the aromatics. Then you will have to stir in water, tomatoes, and lentils and allow the mixture to simmer until the lentils get tender. Sprinkle some spinach into this flavorful soup while serving it with great grilled cheese.
1.9. Corn Chowder
Corn chowder is a creamy side dish to serve with grilled cheese. This is filled with sweet corn, crumbled bacon and diced potatoes, and the sweetness of this dish blends really well with the savory grilled cheese sandwich.
1.10. You Can Try Roasted Brussels Sprouts

This fast and easy recipe of Brussels sprouts makes a perfect side dish to serve with grilled cheese. Start by laying your Brussels sprouts over a baking sheet. Sprinkle salt and pepper and drizzle them with olive oil and toss the Brussels sprouts until they are finely coated.
After that, you will need to spread the sprouts on a baking sheet and let them bake in the oven for around 20 minutes. Bake them until they are crispy. Make sure they are tender on the inside and charred on the outside. You can even sprinkle some fresh thyme or parsley while serving them. You can try this same recipe with baked beans.
1.11. Dill Pickles is Great to Serve With Grilled Cheese

If you are looking for some change to cut the savoriness of the grilled cheese sandwich, then dill pickles are an amazing side dish to serve with grilled cheese because of their tart flavors. It is a tasty snack which has also got a bit of spiciness.
Get some cucumber salad and red onions, and toss them in a jar. Soak the veggies in vinegar and water mixture. Make sure to add salt, pepper, and dill fronds and cover the jar to refrigerate for around 4-5 hours.
1.12. Your Favorite Fruit Salad
A refreshing fruit salad acts as a great side dish to serve with grilled cheese as it balances out the rich and oily flavor of the grilled cheese. Prepare a creamy dressing of Greek yogurt for a combination of your favorite fruits such as mangoes, bananas, peaches, and grapes, and enjoy this simple green salad with your savory grilled cheese crusty bread.
1.13. The Combo of Ketchup and Mustard
A dipping sauce is perfect to pair up with a grilled cheese sandwich. You can even pair it up with french fries as french fries will add a good crunch to your grilled cheese with the mouth-watering dipping sauce.
1.14. Caesar Salad

This creamy and garlicky Caesar salad is a good side dish to serve with delicious grilled cheese. The ingredients you need for this simple green salad are parmesan cheese, lettuce, red wine, lemon juice, garlic, dijon mustard, and minced garlic.
Combine all your ingredients in a large-sized bowl. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper to that bowl. Make sure to toss the ingredients gently to coat the lettuce in the ranch dressing. Serve the salad with shredded parmesan cheese and enjoy with your grilled cheese. You can add chicken or shrimp to amplify the taste of your salad.
1.15. Try Honey Glazed Rainbow Carrots
These roasted beauties coated with a delicious honey glaze serve as an amazing side dish to serve with grilled cheese. To make this recipe, you will have to peel the carrots and chop them. After that, you will have to use glazed ingredients such as honey, garlic, butter, oil, fresh herbs, and ground spices.
Coat the carrot sticks with the glazed ingredients. Then it’s time for you to place those carrots sticks on a baking tray. Bake them for sometime in the oven and your carrot sticks are ready to serve. If you have extra carrots left from the last night’s ground beef stew, you can use those carrots too, and turn them into flavor bombs.
1.16. Caprese Salad

This 20 minutes Caprese Salad is a refreshing side dish to serve with grilled cheese for your summer parties. To make this salad, you will have to arrange sliced tomatoes and mozzarella on a platter and scatter basil leaves over them.
Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and pepper and drizzle oil over the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil leaves. Serve with grilled cheese immediately.
1.17. Broccoli Salad
If you want greens to pair with your grilled cheese, you should definitely go for a broccoli salad as it will make a really healthy and fulfilling side dish. To avoid the bitter flavor, you can toss the broccoli with savory flavors from cheese, cranberry, sunflower seeds, and crispy bacon.
Final Note
Serving melted grilled cheese with toasty and fluffy bread is a loved treat and gives everyone soulful joy. Grilled cheese can be made with different variations and every combo has to offer something different. The variations of grilled cheese can be made with different types of bread, cheese, and the other ingredients that you use.
Adding a side dish to your grilled cheese would be ideal for a perfect fulfilling meal and these 17 side dishes that you have known by now from this article are not only easy to make but also really fulfilling and will complement your crisp and savory bite.
FAQs
1. Is it fine to have grilled cheese for breakfast?
It is absolutely fine to have grilled cheese for breakfast as it has a rich source of protein and carbs and it can make you energized in the morning. To make your breakfast more healthy, you can pair up your grilled cheese with fruits, veggies, or any kind of salad.
2. Should grilled cheese be considered junk?
Grilled cheese is a rich source of fats and calories and eating one of them every day will lead to weight gain. It is not a nutritious meal as it has no content of vitamins and minerals. So it is prefferable if you have them only once or twice a week.
3. Should I consume warm or chilled grilled cheese?
Honestly, it depends on the taste of people and how they prefer having it. Some people like grilled cheese warm and find the texture of a chilled grilled cheese unappealing whereas, some people say that grilled cheese tastes better when it is cold. You can try it for yourself to see which texture suits you more.
Last Updated on by kalidaspandian