Grilled Cheese Is 10x Better When You Layer On This Middle Eastern Dip

Grilled cheese is a sleeper classic: simple, spare, but never short on flavor. At its core, it requires only two ingredients (bread and cheese), but as long as you're not a grilled cheese purist, there is always room to play around. Classic fillings such as bacon and tomato always perk up a grilled cheese, but they certainly won't surprise any diners. There is an addition that just might, though: hummus. Yes, the tahini- and chickpea-based spread might be the thing to bring new life into the griddle top staple.

Now, you're going to have to stay with us here, because it's not exactly an intuitive pairing, but it certainly has a lot of flavor potential. After all, hummus' slight tangy flavor with nutty, earthy, and garlicky notes can pair perfectly with a sharp, creamy cheese. Plus, it makes a nice thick and fluffy layer between the crisp bread and gooey cheese. To add, simply spread a layer of hummus on the cheese side of your bread, then pop on your cheese of choice (cheddar works great), slap those bread slices together, and griddle up as usual (add some mayo on the outside before grilling to make your grilled cheese taste like heaven).

Now that we've established hummus as a great filling for grilled cheese, we can finally get to the fun part: arranging flavor combinations. If you want to play it safe, you can absolutely add plain hummus to a grilled cheese with cheddar or American cheese. That's plenty tasty as is. But why not be a bit more playful? After all, there are plenty of hummus flavors to choose from. For example, a tangy pickle-flavored hummus, perhaps paired with dill-infused havarti, will make for a herbaceous, fresh take on the classic sando.

You might also want to reach for a garlic or olive tapenade hummus. Both will bring a super savory, complex edge that can level up this dish beyond child's play. Adding a parmesan crust could also bring a bit of dimension. Or, if you're wanting something brighter, try adding roasted red pepper hummus. This grilled cheese would be fantastic to dip into a roasted red pepper soup. Jalapeño hummus would also work well, especially when paired with a perky pepper jack. Or, if you want to really get creative, make a dessert "grilled cheese" with chocolate hummus and cream cheese, perhaps to be dipped in a strawberry compote as a mock-tomato soup. Of course, this is only an idea. If you're chocolate hummus averse, there are plenty of savory versions to stick to.