The Brilliantly Simple McDonald's Hack That Lets You Enjoy An Off-Menu Sandwich

Grilled cheese sandwiches aren't your typical fast food fare, but they really ought to be. You'd be hard pressed to find a grilled cheese on the menu of your local burger joint, with the exception of Five Guys, which offers up a delicious grilled cheese served between its controversial squishy buns. But, for diners on a time crunch, this isn't a viable option. Luckily, a McDonald's ordering hack lets you live out your fast food grilled cheese dreams — you just have to be willing to improvise a little.

To employ this not-so-secret hack, simply order a cheeseburger as normal, but ask for it without a hamburger patty or any toppings. Et voilà! You have yourself a delicious grilled cheese sandwich. Crucially, though, you'll want to make sure to request toasted buns for that grilled cheese crunch but otherwise this trick is pretty easy. So simple, in fact, that you might wonder why you've never tried it before.

Now, this hack is simple enough, requiring the omission of ingredients rather than any additions or special cooking instructions (outside of toasting the buns, of course). But there are still a few things you can do to zhuzh up your McDonald's grilled cheese sandwich. First, you can add in (or keep) whichever toppings you like in order to customize your grilled cheese. For example, diced onions for extra flavor or a slice of tomato to create a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich. Likewise, pickles are a flavorful grilled cheese topping, resulting in a surprisingly tasty, and delectably salty, sandwich.

Elsewhere, bacon also makes for a great, meaty addition to this sandwich. In fact, you could even extend this hack to the famous breakfast menu by ordering any McDonald's breakfast sandwich with just cheese. This is particularly good with a McGriddle, as it contrasts the savory, gooey taste of the cheese with the syrupy-sweet buns (add bacon for maximum flavor). And, if you're craving a super cheesy sandwich, order an extra slice. But, as McDonald's doesn't have the grilled cheese's default pairing of tomato soup on the menu, you'll have to make it at home instead.