A grilled cheese sandwich doesn’t have to be just American cheese and bread. Doll up your dull sandwich with fun ingredients that add a punch of flavor.

Swipe through for ideas for leveled-up grilled cheese sandwiches.

Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Use a white cheese like mozzarella on ciabatta bread, and don’t skimp! Add in fresh spinach and olive oil-soaked sun-dried tomatoes for a tasty spin on grilled cheese.

Caramelized Onions

Consider adding caramelized onions to your grilled cheese. Don’t rush the caramelization process—it can take more than 30 minutes to develop the deep flavor. It’s not a bad idea to do a batch on a Sunday afternoon, stick them in the fridge and use as needed throughout the week.

Photography: Pinterest/Who Needs A Cape?

Bacon and Jalapeño

This one’s packed with bold flavors. Crisp up some bacon and add it to your sandwich along with fresh or pickled jalapeños, as you prefer. Sourdough or plain ol’ white bread works fine.

Photography: Pinterest/Newsbreak

Ham

Ham and cheese is a classic sandwich, and it’s even better when it’s grilled. Swiss cheese is a great choice for this sandwich, and Gruyere, a type of Swiss cheese, matches particularly well with ham. Cheddar works, too, if the holey cheese isn’t your thing.

Photography: Pinterest/Insanely Good Recipes

Sloppy Joe

If you have some leftover sloppy joe mixture from dinner a couple nights ago, turn it into a sloppy Joe grilled cheese! Choose a sturdy bread or bun that will stand up to the sloppiness factor, and then layer on the cheese and the ground meat mixture. Take your time flipping the sandwich so it remains intact.

Photography: Pinterest/Recipe-ideas

Apple and Thyme

This gourmet sandwich uses cheddar and Camembert cheeses, thin apple slices and fresh thyme. Stack everything on thick sourdough bread, season with pepper and grill away!

Photography: Pinterest/Carrie Walder, MS, RD || Walder Wellness

Pizza

Level up a routine grilled cheese by adding your favorite pizza ingredients. Use pasta sauce (or just fresh tomatoes), pepperoni, mushrooms, minced garlic—whatever you like. Consider a mix of mozzarella and parmesan for the cheese element.

Photography: Pinterest/Clara Cooks