Leftover Crab Rangoon Is Your Gateway To The Ultimate Grilled Cheese

Whether your go-to Chinese takeout order is beef lo mein or General Tso's chicken, there's one appetizer we can all agree must be inside that smiley face-adorned bag — crab rangoon. These deliciously deep-fried pockets of creamy goodness are almost more important than the main dishes themselves, with the fried wonton perfectly complementing the cheesy filling studded with little bits of crab meat and diced green chives. Yet, it almost always seems like leftovers are an inevitability, likely due to Chinese takeout's notoriously generous portion sizes.

While reheating crab rangoon is an option, they're likely never going to taste as good reheated as fresh. The wonton almost always turns out leathery, with uneven heating of the filling. Even air fryers, which are capable of perfectly cooking a whole fish, may be unable to restore cold crab rangoon's flavor. Fortunately, there's a clever way to repurpose them that combines two of America's beloved comfort foods into one — crab rangoon grilled cheese.

This may sound like a wild combination, but considering we've been doing things like stuffing grilled cheese with spicy and delicious jalapeño poppers, it's not that far a leap to jam other classic deep fried fare into this childhood favorite. It's also easy to make — just slice open your leftover crab rangoon and scoop the filling into a bowl. After whipping it together, spread it evenly onto a piece of tart sourdough or nutty multigrain, top with a second slice of bread, and grill until everything is golden, gooey, and delicious.

If you're feeling the late-night munchies or need a quick breakfast from a mostly-empty fridge, the simplest version of this grilled cheese is certainly a tasty way to curb your appetite. However, it's equally easy to see that the filling isn't made from the most elevated ingredients. There's usually more cheese than anything else, with just a sprinkling of crab meat and each bite mostly relying on the accompanying tub of bright red sweet and sour sauce for flavor.

This means your new favorite sandwich may need a little help to go from a delicious struggle meal to dinner party appetizer. First, adding jumbo lump crab meat to any grilled cheese sandwich is a surefire way to improve its flavor. You don't need much, as the main ingredient will be cream cheese — bonus points if you use garlic and chives or swap in a few tablespoons of herby Boursin for an extra punch of flavor. Additional seasonings like Worcestershire sauce, chili crisp oil, sesame oil, and soy sauce will also punch up the flavor.

While you can use any or all of these ingredients to upgrade leftover crab rangoon filling when first experimenting with this sandwich, you can also make your own filling entirely from the fresh ingredients mentioned. You can also either make your own sweet and sour dipping sauce with vinegar, soy sauce, and ketchup, or lightly warm the leftover takeout sauce to enjoy with your hot, crisp grilled cheese.