Gouda Chicken Grilled Cheese

This Gouda Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich is easy to make and perfect for lunch! It's made with Dijon mustard, tomato, spinach, and cheese.

A Grilled Cheese is a quintessential sandwich that can be dressed up any number of ways. This version is simple, but elevated with the addition of Dijon mustard, sliced tomato, spinach, in addition to Gouda and Havarti cheese.

Everyone loves a grilled cheese sandwich, right? It's a classic. The great thing about grilled cheese sandwiches is that they're super easy to make and can be customized any number of ways.

You are definitely not confined to just bread and cheese when making a grilled cheese sandwich. The bread and cheese work as a blank canvas for all kinds of additional ingredients - Meats, fresh vegetables, sauces and spreads.

I love to use a few different varieties of cheese for more depth of flavor, lighten it up with the addition of veggies, and add a tangy zip with a generous amount of Dijon mustard.

All of the components are layered onto slices of bread, slathered with butter, and toasted in a skillet on the stove top or a griddle until the cheese has melted. This sandwich is great for lunch served with some crunchy chips or paired with your favorite soup.

Jump to:

• What Makes A Good Grilled Cheese?
• Ingredients For Gouda Chicken Grilled Cheese
• Which Bread Is Best For Grilled Cheese?
• Which Cheese Is Best For Grilled Cheese?
• What Kind Of Chicken Should I Use?
• How To Make A Gouda Chicken Grilled Cheese
• What Kind Of Mustard Is Best?
• How Long Does A Grilled Cheese Take To Cook?
• What Else Can Be Added To Grilled Cheese?
• What To Serve With Gouda Chicken Grilled Cheese
• How Long Do Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Last?
• Gouda Chicken Grilled Cheese

What Makes A Good Grilled Cheese?

As mentioned, there is no 'one way' to make a grilled cheese. This sandwich can be prepared with any number of bread varieties, cheeses, meats, and spreads.

There are a few tips and tricks to achieve optimal results when preparing this most classic of sandwiches.

• Use a variety of bread that is better suited to toasting. It's best to use a sturdy bread that's not too thick, too soft, or too perforated (full of holes). Sourdough, white sandwich bread, French boule, or rustic Italian breads are all great choices.
• Thoroughly butter both slices of bread to achieve a golden brown exterior (and to ensure that the sandwich doesn't stick to the skillet).
• Choose a variety of cheese that melts nicely. If choosing a cheese that doesn't melt as well, make sure to pair it with one that does, such as mozzarella.
• Cook the grilled cheese over medium-low heat. It's better to cook it slowly, which ensures that all of the ingredients on the sandwich cook evenly and the bread doesn't burn.
• Don't overload the sandwich with ingredients (especially ones with a high water content) because this will cause the bread to become saturated and fall apart while cooking.

Ingredients For Gouda Chicken Grilled Cheese

Here's what you'll need to make it.

• 8 slices Gluten Free Deli Style Bread (or any sandwich bread if not gluten free)
• 1 package Gouda Cheese Slices
• 1 package Havarti Cheese Slices (or sliced cheese of choice)
• 1 package Deli Chicken (can use leftover roasted chicken, rotisserie chicken, sliced turkey, or leftover turkey)
• 4 Tbsp. Butter
• 4 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard (or mustard of choice)
• 1-2 Roma Tomatoes
• 2 cups Spinach

Which Bread Is Best For Grilled Cheese?

A variety of firm, but not hard bread that's not too thick, too soft, or too perforated is best for making grilled cheese sandwiches.

Some varieties of bread that are great for grilled cheese include sourdough, ciabatta, deli sandwich bread, French boule, or a rustic Italian loaf.

This recipe is gluten free and calls for gluten free sandwich bread, but you can opt for any variety that is best suited for grilled cheese if gluten is not an issue for you.

When it comes to gluten free bread, sometimes we have to take what we can get at our local supermarket. If possible, try to choose a variety of gluten free bread that is firm, not too perforated, not too dry, and wide enough to hold all of the fillings without falling apart.

There are a number of great gluten free bread options on the market, but many packaged gluten free breads are small, which results in tiny sandwiches.

If possible, try to find a variety of deli style gluten free sandwich bread. The slices tend to be wider, which makes for a bigger canvas. Schar, Udi's, BFree, and Katz all offer deli style sandwich breads.

You may need to look in the freezer section of your local grocery store to find them. Alternately, you can grab a loaf from a gluten free bakery if there is one near you.

Which Cheese Is Best For Grilled Cheese?

Technically, you can use any type of cheese to make a grilled cheese sandwich, but it's best to choose one (or more) varieties of cheese that melt nicely.

Using a couple different cheeses creates more depth of flavor and makes for a more interesting sandwich.

This recipe is made with Gouda cheese and paired with Havarti, but you can use customize the cheese choices to your liking. I love the nutty and caramel notes found in Gouda cheese.

When it comes to Gouda, it's best to use sliced Gouda because it melts better than aged or smoked Gouda. Alternately, if you choose aged or sliced Gouda, make sure to pair it with a cheese that melts better than it.

Here are some great cheese options to pair with Gouda:

• Havarti
• Fontina
• Mozzarella
• Sharp Cheddar
• White Cheddar
• Monterrey Jack
• Colby
• Swiss
• Provolone
• Brie
• Gruyere
• Muenster

What Kind Of Chicken Should I Use?

To make this sandwich more of a 'meal', I like to add some chicken to it. Feel free to omit the chicken if you'd like to keep it vegetarian.

I used sliced deli chicken, but you can use any type of chicken you have on hand. Alternately, you can used sliced deli turkey or any variety of turkey you have on hand.

Feel free to use any leftover roasted or grilled chicken, rotisserie chicken, or leftover turkey in place of sliced chicken.

Packaged sliced chicken or turkey or sliced chicken or turkey from your local deli are all great options (make sure to choose a variety that is gluten free if gluten is an issue for you.

How To Make A Gouda Chicken Grilled Cheese

This sandwich is incredibly easy to make and can be prepared quickly, making it a great choice for lunch or dinner paired with your favorite side dish.

1. Start by cutting 1-2 tomatoes into slices. Feel free to place the sliced tomatoes onto paper towels to help soak up any excess water if needed.
2. Spread a generous amount of softened butter onto one side of each slice of bread.
3. Spread a generous amount of Dijon mustard (or mustard of choice) onto one (or both) slices of bread (the side that is not buttered).
4. Add some spinach leaves (or greens of choice) on top of the mustard.
5. Place desired amount of sliced chicken (or turkey) on top of the spinach.
6. Add a few slices of cheese on top of the chicken (feel free to adjust the amount and varieties of cheese to your liking).
7. Place the sliced tomatoes on top of the cheese.

What Kind Of Mustard Is Best?

Just like all of the other components of this sandwich, you can customize the type of mustard used to your liking.

I love Dijon mustard, but you can use grainy country mustard, honey mustard, spicy brown mustard, or horseradish mustard if you prefer.

How Long Does A Grilled Cheese Take To Cook?

This recipe yields 4 grilled cheese sandwiches, but you can adjust it as needed, depending on how many sandwiches you'd like to make.

I like to use a cast iron skillet when making grilled cheese, because it distributes heat evenly, but you can use a nonstick skillet or any type of large skillet.

1. To make the sandwiches, place a large skillet on the stove top and heat to medium-low. Make sure the skillet is thoroughly heated before adding the sandwiches.
2. Only add as many sandwiches as fit comfortably in the skillet. Overcrowding the pan makes it difficult to flip the sandwiches.
3. Cook the sandwiches on one side for 5-8 minutes, or until the cheese has started to melt and the bread is golden brown.
4. Flip and cook for another 5-8 minutes.
5. Repeat with the remainder of the sandwiches.

Cooking times may vary depending on the variety of bread used, the skillet, and the heat level of the stove top.

The sandwich is finished cooking when both sides are golden brown, the cheese has completely melted, and all of the elements are heated through.

What Else Can Be Added To Grilled Cheese?

Grilled cheese sandwiches can be dressed up any number of ways, so long as they are not overloaded with ingredients. Adding too many toppings can saturate the bread, causing it to fall apart as it cooks.

If you'd like to add even more flavor to this Gouda Chicken Grilled Cheese, feel free to customize the toppings to your liking.

Here are some great options to upgrade your sandwich:

• Pickled Veggies
• Sliced Pepperoncini
• Caramelized Onions
• Bacon Jam
• Pepper Jelly
• Fig Spread
• Marinated Artichokes
• Olives
• Sautéed Mushrooms
• Sundried Tomatoes
• Roasted Red Peppers

What To Serve With Gouda Chicken Grilled Cheese

A grilled cheese sandwich is one of those things that can be enjoyed on its own or with your favorite crispy chips.

Alternately, it can be paired with a bowl of soup for dipping or served alongside a bright and tangy side salad.

When it comes to soups, you can't beat a classic pairing like tomato soup or tomato bisque.

Pureed soups like this roasted carrot soup, root vegetable soup, or potato cauliflower leek soup are perfect for dipping. Sandwiches are also great with veggie soups like this harvest vegetable soup, vegetable orzo soup, or hearty lentil soup.

Sandwiches are great with salads like this pickled beet feta salad, Italian green bean salad, or crunchy pea salad.

Deli sides like coleslaw or potato salad are also great pairings.

How Long Do Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Last?

This is one of those things that is best enjoyed right away, but any leftovers should last 1-2 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Make sure to allow the sandwiches to cool completely before transferring them to the fridge for storage and keep in mind that they soften the longer they're stored in the refrigerator.

Love sandwiches? Check out these recipes!

• Italian Mozzarella Grilled Cheese
• Corned Beef Reuben Sandwich
• Rachel Sandwich
• BLT with Lemon Basil Mayo
• Chipotle Chicken Panini

Looking For More Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipes? Don't Miss These!

Chicken Caprese Sandwich

Smoked Salmon Dill Panini

Air Fryer Grilled Cheese