Suns out, buns out. Nothing says summer cookout like a cheeseburger. Your grill loves them. Nay, your grill expects them. Craves them even. Cheeseburgers are the quintessential choice for summer grilling.

But even if your family could eat a traditional cheeseburger with Cooper^® Sharp every single day of the week, it never hurts to change things up a bit. Everyone needs a few good grilled cheeseburger recipes in their repertoire. Here, we offer up 15 fresh options:

 1. Grilled Cheese Burger with Grilled Cheese Bun

Let’s get things started with the extreme burger. The fatty melt. THE burger sure to have your friend’s snapping pictures and updating their Insta: The grilled cheese bun burger.

Because grilled cheese sandwiches are amazing. Cheeseburgers are amazing. So why not replace your burger bun with full grilled cheese sandwiches? It’s an experience you need to have at least once in your life. Or summer. Or Tuesday. Yeah, at least once a Tuesday.

2. The Mac N Cheese Burger

Let’s be honest. Whoever invented the mac and cheeseburger … we owe that person a huge debt of gratitude. Now combine that historic innovation with the goodness of Cooper^® Sharp, and you’re in bona fide food revolution territory. Try this cheese-on-cheeseburger recipe and you’ll gain a whole new understanding of the term “comfort food.”

3. Cooper^® Cheese Beer Dip Tater Tot Burger

Sometimes, the more unruly your burger, the more delicious it is. That’s kind of the deal with this Cooper^® Cheese Beer Dip Tater Tot Burger.

It’s chaos on a bun. But the absolute best kind of chaos. You know, with Tater Tots. And sautéed onions and mushrooms. And tons of Cooper^® cheese sauce. We won’t lie to you … this is hard to eat while maintaining impeccable table manners. But, to be fair, we’re grilling out and impeccable table manners aren’t really the point here.

4. Cooper^® Sharp Teriyaki Pineapple Cheeseburger

Pineapple on the grill is tough to beat. Pineapple on the grill, on top of a cheeseburger, when said cheeseburger is itself topped with Cooper^® cheese … beating that might be a statistical impossibility.

So if you’re dreaming of Hawaiian beaches, planning a luau, or just in the mood for something sweet and savory and a little bit tropical, this Cooper^® Sharp teriyaki pineapple cheeseburger is a meal you won’t want to pass up.

5. Cooper^® Cheese Stuffed Cheeseburger

Delicious oozing cheese lava. That’s what you get with these cheese-stuffed burgers, also known as the Minneapolis-born Juicy Lucy.

Careful: It’s piping hot and ridiculously tasty. So tasty, your friends are going to request these all the time. Not that you’d ever get sick of making them … it’s just there are so very many Cooper^® grilled cheeseburger recipes to try.

6. The Brat Burger

Is it a brat? Is it a burger? Is the question itself enough to spark your interest and your appetite? Do we even need to ask? This Cooper^® Sharp brat burger is part brat, part burger, all Cooper^® Sharp deliciousness.

7. Cooper^® Cheese Crunch Burger Sliders

Remember when you were a kid, you’re at a backyard barbecue, making yourself a burger, grabbing some chips—and suddenly it hits you … what if you put those chips not next to your burger, but on your burger?!

People may have thought you were crazy. Maybe they gave you the side-eye. But today we know better. Today we know that adding the salty, crunchy texture of potato chips to your burgers is pure genius. You were just ahead of your time.

8. Cooper^® Sharp Taco Crunch Cheeseburger

Taco … burger … taco … burger. How do you decide? You don’t. That’s how. You just put them together and go to town. We make ours with Cooper^® Sharp, taco seasoning, guacamole, salsa, and crispy tortilla chip strips (look for them in the salad dressing/toppers aisle).

Now you can have the burger you’re craving with the crunchy, delicious tacos you’re, well, also craving.

9. Black Bean Burger with Cooper^® Sharp

The word “hamburger” comes from the name of Germany’s second-largest city, Hamburg. So, cheeseburgers must come from Cheeseburg? And in that case, black bean burgers, of course, come from Blackbeanburg.

And if you were the mayor of Blackbeanburg, this is the burger you’d probably declare to be your official food. You are a wise mayor indeed.

10. Cooper^® Cheese Penn Turnpike Burger

Crispy onions AND onion rings? Don’t mind if we do! Add bacon and Cooper^® Sharp, and any way you look at it, this grilled burger recipe is packed with flavor that goes on for miles. So, buckle up and let this burger take your taste buds for a ride.

11. Cooper^® Double Cheeseburger

There are cheeseburgers in the world, and then there are “stack burgers.” Anything with two or more patties qualifies and this one gets bonus points for the interstitial bun. (Hey, we didn’t make the burger rules, we just follow them and top them with Cooper^® cheese.)

12. Cowboy Coleslaw Burger

Saddle up! I reckon this here Cooper^® cheese cowboy coleslaw burger will put a shine on your boots and a skip in your spurs. Don’t be afraid to make this fine-lookin’, better-tastin’ chow for your next roundup, hoedown, or hootenanny. 

PS: Cowboy coleslaw = no mayo, no vinegar. Just plain ole nekked slaw.

13. Egg and Jalapeno Brunch Burger 

Want to add a little spice to brunchtime? Forget the mimosas. This brunch burger with egg, jalapeño, and Cooper^® Sharp, is a surefire way to heat things up. And relax … we’re just kidding about the mimosas.

14. Hamburger Sliders

You know what’s great about mini burgers? More burgers equal more toppings and flavor combinations. We suggest accompanying these with a build-your-own burger bar. Everyone likes to customize.

Just set out a whole host of toppings and invite your guests to mix and match and load ’em up. Add to the fun and ask your guests to bring a burger condiment or spread to add to the buffet. Just be sure to stock lots of Cooper^® Sharp – because everyone’s going to want that.

15. Pub Burger

Just what makes this a “pub burger” you ask? Foodies and fancy pants editors disagree on what, exactly, earns a burger the moniker “pub.” So we’re going to go ahead with our own definition: We give thee, the no-nonsense burger.

A classic. Grilled the way you like it and topped with the timeless condiment triumvirate of mayo, ketchup, and mustard. And cheese – of course, Cooper^® cheese.

There are those people who say we don’t need to cook everything on the grill. People who think grills are made for steaks and burgers, full stop. We say those people can stay in their own backyard.

We get it. Burgers are great. (Hey, they’re classics for a reason.) But every once in a summer you want to throw something different on the grill – something unexpected. Here are five easy outdoor grill recipes that AREN’T burgers.

16. Tex-Mex Stuffed Chicken Breast

Chicken breasts get a Tex-Mex profile and stunt for the grill when butterflied and stuffed with a duo of peppers and Cooper^® cheese.  If you want your chicken spicier, opt for jalapeños. Cooper^® Sharp helps balance out the heat.

17. Cheese Corn on the Cob

Sweet corn is one of those perfect summer grilling foods. The way its sweet, buttery goodness melts in your mouth … there’s nothing quite like it.  

And you can really kick it up a notch when you get a little creative with your add-ons. Like topping your corn with Cooper^® Sharp Black Pepper cheese to give it just a bit of a street corn edge. Per the photo, serve with extra butter for dipping. It might just make you the hero of your next cookout.

18. Mediterranean Grilled Pizza

In the canon of summer cookout ideas, the pizza is often overlooked.  And yet, it’s exactly the kind of not-your-everyday grill recipe that’s destined to impress. Our Mediterranean grilled pizza recipe punches up the pepperoni with extra flavor layers like Kalamata olives, banana peppers, and a sprinkle of feta.

19. Philly Cheesesteak Foil Packs

The Philly cheesesteak is so much more than a sandwich. It’s like the heavyweight champion of the hoagie universe. And when you’ve got something that special on your hands, you want to enjoy it every way you can. Like in the summer, outside, on the grill.

Serve these up on your favorite hoagie bun or skip the bread and eat these cheesesteaks right out of the pouch!

20. Cheese Coney

Of course, no summer grilling season would be complete without a hot dog. The Cheese Coney starts off strong with a natural-casing hot dog, amps up the flavor with chili, and then tops it all off with lots and lots of Cooper^® cheese. When you’re ready to step up your hot dog game, this is the recipe for you.

So you know the thing about grilled cheese is that most of them aren’t actually made on the grill. (Yep, we’re calling you out grilled cheese. Liar, liar bread on fire.)

Statistically speaking* 87% of grilled cheese sandwiches are made on a griddle or frying pan, 10% get simultaneous top-and-bottom toasting in a panini press, and 2.5% are made in a dorm room with the hand-me-down iron someone’s mother gave them. (Because moms are smart. They know you saw this in a movie once and you’re going to try it. Brand new irons are for full-fledged grownups who cook with legit kitchen equipment.) 

That means only 0.5% of grilled cheese sandwiches ever see a backyard grill. Only the rare, precious few will know the pleasure of grill marks and a subtle smoky flavor. And that, dear grillmeisters, is a great sadness.

Be the grilled cheese change we need with these recipes:

*All grilled cheese stats wholly fabricated, but probably true

21. Cooper^® Classic Grilled Cheese

The original. The king of comfort foods. The stuff memories are made of. Do it a kindness and take it outside. It works. We promise.

22. Cinnamon Raisin Grilled Cheese

When you’ve made the classic and you’re ready for grilled-on-the-grill cheese sandwiches 2.0, try the cinnamon raisin grilled cheese. It’s the sweet and savory cousin of the french toast grilled cheese, the waffle grilled cheese, and the pancake grilled cheese. Because these are all infinitely good things.

And there you have it. That’s our summer grilling round up. Make these 22 summer grill recipes your “grill-to” choice when things heat up.

Wise grillologists (aka grill gurus) know that summer grilling doesn’t have to be complicated. A simple burger recipe is a great place to start. Add an unexpected ingredient or two and some Cooper^® cheese, and your grill is ready to make a statement.