21 Irresistible Hot Sandwich Recipes That Redefine Comfort Food

1. THE CLASSIC COOPER^® GRILLED CHEESE

When it comes to easy hot sandwich recipes, it doesn’t get much simpler than this. It also doesn’t get much tastier. Or more comforting. The classic grilled cheese sandwich really is the One Sandwich to rule them all. With Cooper^® cheese, which is the One Cheese to rule them all.

The humble grilled cheese sandwich tops our list of hot sandwich recipes for a few reasons …

It’s super simple
It’s unbelievably delicious when you make it with Cooper^® cheese
And it is literally not capable of being anything other than one of the most comforting comfort foods this planet — nay, universe! — has ever known.

2. THE PHILLY CHEESESTEAK

With perhaps the sole exception of the Cooper^® grilled cheese, the Philly cheesesteak is the one hot sandwich recipe we’d bring with us if we were stranded on a desert island … and we’d never look back at civilization again. There’s plenty of argument over who serves the best Philly cheesesteak, how to make it, whether you want it “wit” or “witout.” But for our money, a cheesesteak smothered in melted Cooper^® Sharp is always the way to go.

3. OUR FAVORITE HOT PASTRAMI SANDWICH RECIPE

The pastrami on rye is another one of those sandwiches that needs no explanation. Nobody ever said, “Wait, what do you mean by pastrami on rye?” Just hearing the name is enough — it’s like the Cher of sandwiches.

We love a good hot pastrami sandwich recipe, but we really love this one, because the magic ingredient is Cooper^® cheese. In fact, just hearing the name Cooper^® is enough to conjure mouthwatering memories of deliciousness, too. And if that makes us the Cher of cheese, well, we’ve only got one thing to say … we believe in life after cheese.

4. THE PERFECT HOT HAM AND CHEESE SANDWICH RECIPE

The hot ham and cheese sandwich is a match made in food heaven. Like peanut butter and jelly. Wine and chocolate. Bacon and … anything.

Some things are just meant to be together, and hot ham and Cooper^® cheese belong near the top of that list. Give this hot ham and cheese sandwich recipe a spin next time you’re in the mood for a quick, simple comfort food. You won’t be disappointed.

5. CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE

Let’s round out our collection of iconic hot sandwich recipes with a real crowd-pleaser, shall we? There are few things that scream “Eat me now!” like corned beef and cabbage. And when you put it on a sandwich? And smother it in melty Cooper^® cheese? Comfort food for the ages.

No St. Paddy’s Day is complete without corned beef and cabbage, and no list of tasty hot sandwich recipes would be, either.

6. BUFFALO CHICKEN GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

Technically, that corned beef and cabbage qualifies as a grilled cheese sandwich. So, since we’ve already made the official leap from delicious hot sandwich recipes to hot cheese sandwich recipe, let’s continue the trend. (Yes, I understand … these all have cheese. That’s what we do. We’re Cooper^® cheese.) And we’ll keep the train rolling with one of our favorite versions of that prime mover of hot sandwich recipes … behold, the Buffalo chicken grilled cheese sandwich.

It’s spicy. Cheesy. Tangy. Sharp. It’s everything you want in a wings binge combined with the melty perfection of grilled cheese. Perfect for game day, perfect for any day. Just. Perfect.

7. LOBSTER GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

The lobster may be a mildly terrifying creature sprung from watery depths unknown, but it sure is a tasty one. And if you’re a fan of that sweet, buttery lobster flavor, you’ll love it in your grilled cheese sandwich. Especially because lobster makes a perfect complement to the sharpness of Cooper^® cheese.

It’s a feast of comforting goodness. And just indulgent enough to really treat yourself.

8. BABY BELLA MUSHROOM AND HORSERADISH GRILLED CHEESE

According to the Mushroom Council, baby bella is another name for the mushroom officially known as a crimini. That’s interesting, yes. But the really interesting thing here is that THERE’S AN ACTUAL MUSHROOM COUNCIL!! The awesomeness of this fact simply cannot be overstated. You know what else can’t be overstated? The awesomeness of this sandwich.

This hot cheese sandwich recipe packs all the goodness of a melty Cooper^® grilled cheese together with the flavor explosion of horseradish, kale, roasted red pepper and those tasty baby bellas.

But also … Mushroom Council!

9. CAJUN CHICKEN AND WAFFLE BREAKFAST SANDWICH

Chicken and waffles! On a sandwich! With Cooper^® cheese!

Sorry, we get a little excited about this one. But, to be fair, you will too. Chicken and waffles are one of those counterintuitive food combinations that actually makes all sorts of sense when you taste it. It’s sweet, savory, crunchy, hearty. It’s like breakfast, lunch and dinner all wrapped up into one perfect package.

See? Pretty exciting.

10. PORK ROLL, EGG AND CHEESE SANDWICH

Hot sandwich recipes aren’t only for lunch, and this one proves it. And then some. Here we have a tower of breakfast sandwich deliciousness that brings all your favorites together. Pancakes. Bacon. Sausage. Eggs. Cooper^® cheese. If that doesn’t get your morning started off right, we don’t know what will.

12. HASH BROWN BREAKFAST BURGER

Speaking of menageries of breakfasty wonderment, this guy definitely earns a place on any good list of hot sandwich recipes, too. We’ve already sandwiched our breakfast in pancakes. Now, on to the hash browns!

This Cooper^® cheese hash brown breakfast burger brings so much breakfast together into one sandwich, it’s like a skillet you can eat with your hands. Well, I suppose you could eat a regular skillet with your hands too, but this you can eat while maintaining some general sense of decorum.

13. FRENCH TOAST AND EGG SANDWICH

Let’s just keep the hot breakfast sandwiches coming, shall we? We’ve done the pancakes. We stepped it up to hash browns. What’s left? That’s right, French toast.

If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, this sandwich makes the absolute most of it. It’s French toast, eggs, ham, bacon and Cooper^® cheese all together in perfect harmony.

14. FRUIT AND NUT FRENCH TOAST SANDWICHES

If you’ve already gone all-in on the French toast, you may as well do it again. Except this time we’re essentially making a French toast grilled cheese sandwich. Then topping it with fruit, nuts and plenty of syrup. It’s very good. Trust us. This is one hot cheese sandwich recipe you’ll want to hang on the inside of your cupboard for easy access.

15. LEBANON BOLOGNA OMELET AND DONUT BREAKFAST SANDWICH

If you’re going to dedicate part of your list of hot sandwich recipes to breakfast, you might as well finish it off with a flourish. And “flourish” isn’t enough to do this sandwich justice. More like “mind-boggling feat of culinary wizardry.” Yeah, that’s more like it.

This is a sandwich, and maybe put that “sandwich” in air quotes, that defies description. You’ve got your Lebanon bologna (yum!). An honest-to-goodness omelet (also yum!). Mouthwatering Cooper^® cheese (even more yum!).

All sandwiched in the middle of a glazed donut. Mind. Blown.

16. GRILLED HAM AND CHEESE SANDWICH … WITH WAFFLES!

Remember that hot ham and cheese sandwich recipe waaaaay back in #4? We called that perfect. And as pure hot ham and cheese goes, it is. But this! This is even more perfect. Because it’s not just a hot ham and cheese sandwich recipe. It’s a hot ham and cheese sandwich recipe that unleashes the breakfasty goodness of waffles upon your unsuspecting sandwich!

And the results? Why, they’re glorious.

17. ONION RING AND BACON GRILLED CHEESE

We’re back on the grilled cheese bandwagon, and this is another one of our favorites. The cool thing about grilled cheese is the sheer versatility of the sandwich. That cheesy, melty goodness is the perfect foundation for any number of add-ons. And this one levels it up with even more comfort foods … onion rings and bacon.

18. GRILLED BLP (BACON, LETTUCE, PIMENTO CHEESE) SANDWICH

Pimento cheese, affectionately known as the “caviar of the South,” didn’t actually start out in the South. But that couldn’t stop it from becoming a staple of Southern cooking and a legendary comfort food. And it definitely won’t stop you from enjoying one of the most unique and tastiest hot sandwiches on our list.

19. BACON AND SMASHED AVOCADO GRILLED CHEESE

You know what we haven’t put into one of these hot sandwich recipes yet? Avocado. That’s what.

But fear not, the time for avocados has arrived. And it brought along the bacon. Which means now it’s definitely a party.

20. AVOCADO GRILLED CHEESE BURGER

And since we’ve got the avocado party started, let’s just go ahead and turn it all the way up to 11. Technically, this isn’t just one hot cheese sandwich recipe, it’s really a 2-in-1 kind of deal. Maybe even 3-in-1. Because you’ve got your melty Cooper ^® grilled cheese. Two of those, actually, with all the insides of a cheeseburger—complete with bacon, tomato and avocado—wedged in between.

Too crazy? Nope. Just crazy enough.

21. BBQ MAC & CHEESE GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

Well, folks, this is it. The pinnacle. The apex.

The capstone on this cathedral of hot sandwich recipes. And because it is indeed such a momentous occasion, we wanted to leave you with a recipe that’s a worthy exclamation point!

This BBQ mac and cheese grilled cheese is just such a sandwich. It’s big. Cheesy. Unruly in all the best ways. It’s two comfort food heavyweights joining forces to all but guarantee a blissful food coma. It’s kind of a super-sandwich. And we’re pretty sure you’ll love it.