What to Serve with Grilled Cheese

When you find yourself wondering what to serve with grilled cheese sandwiches, think about the people you're feeding, and then check out this comprehensive list! All of these side dish ideas are standard, go-to side dishes for grilled cheese or they're a tasty take for a more mature meal!

Savory, delicious, and easy to make, a grilled cheese sandwich is the ideal snack. Anyone can make it and the freedom of ingredients it offers is unmatched. But while you can add anything to your grilled cheese, what do you serve with it?

Here are ten great options:

1. Coleslaw

This vegetarian side is delectable and never fails to work with a sandwich. It is easy to make and always goes well with a piece of grilled cheese. The sweetness of the slaw enhances the flavor profile of your meal and goes well with the cheesiness of the sandwich. 

The Best Coleslaw Recipe - Spend with Pennies

This is the best coleslaw recipe! Homemade with a creamy mayo & vinegar dressing, it’s easy to make & perfect on a pulled pork sandwich.

Check out this recipe

2. Tomato Soup 

Tomato soup is, without a doubt, the quintessential side dish for grilled cheese. Sweet, refreshing, and easy to make, tomato soup is a surefire classic. Whether you take sips of it between bites or dunk the grilled cheese in the soup, it is a meal to cherish. 

Tomato Soup Recipe

This recipe, adapted from Ted’s Bulletin, an upscale comfort food diner in Washington, makes a simple yet satisfying soup A generous swirl of half and half adds richness, and the unexpected addition of honey lends a subtle, earthy sweetness Just add grilled cheese.

Check out this recipe

3. Fresh Salad

A fresh salad provides a refreshing contrast to the richness of the grilled cheese. Fresh salads give you a lot of room to experiment with your favorite combinations, while the dressing allows you to take the flavor one step further. 

Everyday Salad

My go-to everyday salad recipe -- quick, easy, healthy, and SO delicious! Perfect for serving as .a side salad or as a main dish.

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4. Marinara Sauce

If a tomato soup is too light for you, you can go further with the tomatoes and make a marinara sauce. Sweet, intense, and easily spreadable on the grilled cheese, marinara sauce enriches your meal and gives your meal a cool punch of tomato goodness. 

Super Simple Marinara Sauce

This marinara sauce recipe is the best! It’s so easy to make with just 5 basic ingredients and 45 minutes on the stove. No chopping required! This healthy homemade marinara will become your family’s favorite.

Check out this recipe

5. Bean and Corn Salad

A bean and corn salad gives you a healthy and delicious side to grilled cheese. The sweetness of the corn and the spiciness of the beans cut through the richness of the grilled cheese while giving you the option to add any vegetables or toppings you like. 

Black Bean and Corn Salad

This black bean and corn salad is a fresh mix of black beans, corn, red peppers, jalapeno and avocado, all tossed in a zesty cilantro lime dressing. An easy salad that’s the perfect side dish for any meal!

Check out this recipe

6. Fries

Fries are classic, traditional, and a surefire win no matter what you eat them with. Whether you fry them or bake them, the potatoes offer a crunchy side option. Bonus points if you make a dipping sauce for the fries and the grilled cheese both. 

Perfect French Fries

Get Perfect French Fries Recipe from Food Network

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7. Butternut Squash Soup

A butternut squash soup makes for some great company for a grilled cheese sandwich. Sweet, creamy, and packed full of nutrients and antioxidants, it adds a healthy touch to your meal. 

Butternut Squash Soup

This easy butternut squash soup with potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion cooks up quickly into a thick, velvety soup that’s ready in about 1 hour.

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8. Chutney

A chutney makes for a great dipping sauce for sandwiches because of its sweetness and the refreshment from its herbs. You can also put it on or inside your grilled cheese, adding a nice kick of spice to it. The best thing about it is that you can store it in the refrigerator and reuse it whenever you want. 

Mango Chutney

This tangy, sweet, and savory mango chutney recipe couldn’t be easier and can be canned for longer storage. Serve with chicken, pork, or lamb.

Check out this recipe

9. Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts are another one of those classic side dishes. Whether sauteed or roasted, they add a nice crunch to your meal along with some nice bitterness. You can even make brussels sprouts chips. 

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts {BEST EVER Recipe!}

Pan sautéed Brussels sprouts are a quick, easy way to make delicious Brussels sprouts you’ll want to eat every night! Crispy, caramelized, and addictive!

Check out this recipe

10. Dill Pickle

Coming after all the sweet dishes on this list, dill pickles bring something sour to your grilled cheese. What makes it even better is that you make the pickles yourself and control the flavor. 

How To Make Dill Pickles

Cool and crunchy, delightfully sour and capable of going from snack to sandwich without a hitch — that’s what I call a good pickle.

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