The 14 Cheesiest Recipes for When You've Had One of Those Days
Cheese! It! Up!
It's hard to deny the pleasure of melted cheese after a long day. It's one of the most traditional forms of comfort food.
If you’ve had one of those days where nothing seems to be going right, it can be a beautiful thing to eat your feelings. You’ll find no charcuterie here. This is about what feels right in your soul. Ahead lies the ooey, the gooey, the melty; the power of cheese.
1. Kimchi Grilled Cheese
There is of course nothing wrong with a traditional grilled cheese, but you’ve probably already got your favorite recipe in mind when it comes to that. We’re here to help you spice things up a bit, and kimchi is an ideal way to do it. Melty cheese and fermented crunch are quite a pairing.
Recipe: NYT Cooking
For more creative twists, check out our favorite ways to make an ordinary grilled cheese extraordinary.
2. Baked Ziti
I don’t believe in a lot, but I believe in baked ziti. The enchantment of saucy, cheesy pasta meets crusty, golden edges in the best way in this classic Italian-American dish. Hit it with a little parsley and eat it fresh out of the oven. Mama mia.
Recipe: Once Upon a Chef
3. Raclette-Gruyère Mac and Cheese with Pickled Shallots
Here’s another leveled-up classic. Kraft can definitely cure the blues, but probably not as well as the way the acid from the shallots cut through the unctuousness of the sharp cheeses used here. Sign me up.
Recipe: Food & Wine
For more great recipes, please sign up for our free newsletters.
4. Cheesy Hot Crab Dip
Crab dip never disappoints. This beautiful nectar is great for chip dipping, spreading on crostinis (crabby snacks, anybody?), and crudité. Go on, dip your feelings away.
Recipe: Valerie’s Kitchen
Related: The Funkiest Cheeses in the World
5. Taco Casserole
There aren’t many recipes in this world as comforting as a melty taco casserole. This is the type of recipe to get liberal with cheese; the meltier the better. Don’t forget to top with plenty of fresh avocado, and if you don’t have a bag of your favorite chips on hand for dipping, you’re doing it wrong.
Recipe: The Pioneer Woman
Related: Tacos, Pizza, and More Meals Masquerading as Easy, Cozy Casseroles
6. Creamy Baked Feta Dip
Though GenZ has claimed this concept as their own idea in a new TikTok food trend, hot feta dip has actually been around for quite some time. Roasty, bursting tomatoes and quality olive oil are the key here. When this comes together properly, there are few flavors as magical.
Recipe: Food by Maria
Related: Buffalo Chicken Dip, Reuben Dip, and 7 Other Extra-Easy Slow Cooker Dip Recipes
7. Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup
I’ve eaten a lot of broccoli cheddar soup in my day, and I’ve never found one that competes with Panera. Broccoli and cheese are barely even a pairing that I care about outside of this dish, but Panera's mastered it; here's a well-rated copycat recipe.
Recipe: The Girl Who Ate Everything
Related: 12 Hearty Chowder Recipes That Go Way Beyond New England Clam Chowder
8. Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup Dumplings
You’ll need a deep fryer, or at least a pot big enough to fully submerge these in oil. These are shockingly easy to make; I made them once for a party and they were a major hit, if I do say so myself. Just make sure you don’t try to get too cheffy with this. You need white bread (Wonder is best) and cheddar.
Recipe: KeyIngredient
Related: 15 Delicious Dumplings from Around the World
9. Cheesy Pumpkin Nuggets
I can’t say I’ve ever partaken in such a treat as a cheesy pumpkin nugget, but those are three of my favorite words and I’m highly intrigued. Like the dumplings, the more space you have to fry the better.
Recipe: Taste
10. Khachapuri
Making a traditional Georgian flatbread is no small undertaking, but if you’re a dough savant, here’s a fun one. Khachapuri is kind of like a cheesy, eggy pizza. And it’s highly Instagramable to boot.
Recipe: Simply Homecooked
Related: Iconic Foods to Try From 40 Countries Around the World
11. Saag Paneer
If you’ve got some Indian paneer cheese, there are few recipes more comforting than saag paneer to use it in. Indian cooking is about layering multiple levels of flavor, so be patient. It’s worth it.
Recipe: Cook With Manali
12. Grillades and Cheesy Grits
This classic Creole recipe is a great plate of food to drown your sorrows into. Cheesy grits can really heal the soul, and when you hit ‘em with tender top round, cooked low and slow…
My mind’s gone blank. All I can think about now is grillades and grits.
Recipe: Food & Wine
13. Cacio e Pepe
For a dish with only three ingredients, you’d be surprised how much technique is involved here. I’ve tried and failed a few times myself. Interested in mastering the Bourdain-beloved dish? There are few people better than Evan Funke, the pasta whisperer himself. Check out his recipe on USA Today below.
Recipe: USA Today
14. Fried Goat Cheese Balls
Friends, this ain’t rocket surgery. If you fry up a bunch of goat cheese, garnish it with red pepper, and dunk it in honey, it’s going to be delicious. So do that.
Recipe: Midwest Foodie
Related: 40 Cheap Air Fryer Recipes to Cut Calories Not Flavor