10 Delicious Grilled Cheese Dips (That Aren't Tomato Soup)

A grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup. Is there anything more comforting? Honestly, we're not sure. This combination has been providing solace while sating hunger for generations, and since the early-to-mid-20th century onward, it's been a staple in people's kitchens. It doesn't take a genius to figure out why, with the pairing of salty, smooth, creamy cheese and bright, sharp soup awakening the taste buds and reminding people of home.

However, we're in 2026 now, people, and it's time to look to the future. Sure, there's something unbelievably nostalgic about the pairing, but by only opting for tomato soup at the expense of any other dips, you're missing out on so much potential. Grilled cheeses can be combined with a host of other things, which can transform the sandwich's flavors in ways that you might have never thought of. Plus, most of these alternatives are just as easy to dish up as tomato soup. Let's unlock the potential of your grilled cheese and check out some dips that you're probably forgetting about.

It's probably no secret to a lot of people that grilled cheese and aioli go together. In fact, in the last few years, it's become a lot of people's not-so-secret ingredient within a grilled cheese sandwich itself. We can understand why. The sprightly, aromatic, smooth flavor of aioli, with all of its sharp garlic notes, helps to give the cheese in the sandwich just a bit more depth while playing into its inherent savoriness. Its texture, meanwhile, is creamy and rich, much like the sandwich's central ingredient.

However, we think it's time to stop putting aioli in your sandwich, and time to start serving it on the side. When you pair your grilled cheese with a garlic aioli dip, you create much more contrast, and you can control the level of flavor you receive. In one mouthful, you might just want a hint, allowing the cheese to take center stage; in another, you might want to go hard on the garlic notes, giving the sandwich more intensity. Plus, aioli is very receptive to other flavors, and by mixing in other ingredients like lime juice, zest, or sriracha, you can give it even more brightness. The world's your oyster with this dip.

Out of tomato soup? Marinara sauce is the next best thing — and it might be even better. Marinara sauce can be used as a tomato soup substitute, but it can also be a great dip in its own right. Unlike most tomato soups, it's slightly chunkier and sharper, with less creaminess but more acidity and a more pronounced herbal note. This creates a greater flavor difference between the sandwich and the dip, and that contrast is where the magic lies.

Plus, marinara sauces can often feel a bit lighter and fresher — and when you're dealing with a lot of cheese, that's no bad thing. With tomato soup, its creaminess can feel too close to the creaminess of the cheese itself, and this can make the whole affair dense and heavy. What we also love about marinara sauce is that you can quickly make it feel even brighter by adding herbs like basil or parsley, which will make your grilled cheese feel almost like a pizza when you dip it in. You could add some freshly crushed garlic, too, for a touch of heat. Conversely, you can keep things simple and whip up a classic marinara sauce. It'll be just as good with your sandwich.

What better to combine grilled cheese with than more cheese? That's our philosophy, anyway — but if you're going for a cheese-based dip, you'll want to make sure that the cheese you use feels distinct and exciting. That's why blue cheese dressing is the perfect choice. The tangy, funky, sour notes of blue cheese ring through here, giving the milder cheese in the sandwich additional nuance without taking things too left-field. The sour cream and mayonnaise in blue cheese dressing, meanwhile, help to mellow out the cheese's stronger flavors, while any additional seasonings you throw in will give it more depth.

What we love about using blue cheese dressing as a dip is that while it works well with a standard grilled cheese, it really holds its own against amped-up versions, like a Buffalo chicken grilled cheese. By combining it with spice, the sandwich will inform the dressing, making it taste even more intense and full. Just remember that blue cheese has an incredibly strong flavor, so you may need to use it in moderation here.

The problem with grilled cheeses is that they're heavy. Okay, that's not really a problem — the whole point of these sandwiches is that they're substantial and filling — but now and again, they can err on the side of too much. While tomato soup can lighten them somewhat, its creaminess, combined with its fairly one-note flavor, doesn't give much by way of freshness or herbaceousness, which is really what you need to stop a grilled cheese from becoming overwhelming by the end of your meal.

That's where pesto comes in. Pesto adds a gorgeous herbal note to a grilled cheese sandwich, and a fattiness that feels lighter than the dense richness that you get from the cheese in your sandwich. Keeping it outside of the grilled cheese lets the dip's flavors breathe, instead of getting swallowed up by the cheese and soaking into the bread.

The possibilities with pesto as a dip are pretty vast, too. You can use a simple, classic garlic and basil pesto, or you can opt for a sun-dried tomato version, which can make it reminiscent of the tomato soup you'd normally use. You can also make a creamy pesto dip, which brings it a little closer to the flavor of the grilled cheese, but still feels individual.

Most grilled cheeses are better with a little spice, and hot sauce is our favorite way to introduce it. While there are literally hundreds (if not thousands) of hot sauces to choose from, sriracha has to be our favorite. This Thai hot sauce immediately adds flavor and heat to any grilled cheese, and although it can work within a grilled cheese, keeping it as a dip creates way more intensity and flavor in every mouthful. The garlicky, vinegary, sugary notes in the sauce complement flavors that aren't in high quantity in classic grilled cheeses, introducing new notes that make the sandwich pop.

You can keep things simple and just squirt your favorite sriracha into a bowl — doing this will keep things spicy and intense — or you can cut your sriracha with other ingredients. Mayo is a classic option, but sour cream may be more interesting, as its tanginess keeps things light while creating another layer of flavor in the dip. You can even use another cheese: Try blending sriracha with goat cheese and roasted red peppers for a funky, briny, smoky, spicy dip that's perfect with the sandwich's milder notes. Thank us later.

It's no secret that mustard is fabulous in a grilled cheese. The condiment's sour, salty, fiery flavors complement the cheese perfectly, and give the sandwich just so much more to shout about. That's why it also works so well as a dip: When it coats the outside of your grilled cheese instead of the inside, the cheese works as an undertone and a softening note, while the mustard stands out in full force. It creates a wonderful harmony that is punchier and bolder than when you use a simple smear of it on your bread.

We're very happy to opt for classic yellow mustard as a dip with a grilled cheese. It has so much more going on in it than a lot of people give it credit for, while remaining easygoing and not overly sharp or spicy. However, if you want to mix things up, then nothing's stopping you. Honey mustard sauce is a classic option that gives you a lot of bang for your flavor buck, while adding garlic or herbs gives your mustard more fragrance. A shake of Worcestershire sauce in any mustard will also add some much-needed umami, without being too distracting in the dip itself.

Cheese and chutney are a match made in heaven. When they come together, they have the perfect balance of sweetness, savoriness, sourness, and salt. If you ask us, though, you don't have to reserve your cheese and chutney for popping on top of crackers. Chutney works just as well with a grilled cheese — and sure, you can spread it in the sandwich, but why not let the chutney stand out on its own as a dip? Doing this allows you to retain its texture more clearly, and that syrupiness is delightful on the outside of the sandwich, in contrast to the crunch of the bread.

Generally speaking, most chutneys will go with most cheeses, so whether you're using up that mango chutney in your fridge or whipping up a peach and nectarine chutney from scratch, don't be afraid of the results. They'll likely be pretty darn good. Having said this, spicier, more complicated chutneys tend to work better with more easygoing cheeses, while simpler chutneys come to life when paired with funkier, more mature dairy. Want our top tip? Pair your grilled cheese with several different chutneys, so you can take full advantage of the different nuances in your dips.

Tomato soup with grilled cheese is out, guys — and potato soup is in. There's just a letter difference between the two soups, but with a simple tweak, a world of new flavor is unlocked. Potato soup can feel bland, but its smooth, savory, mellow notes are exactly what make it work so well with this sandwich. It acts as an intensifier for the flavors in the grilled cheese without being too intrusive, while its creaminess coats the sandwich beautifully, improving its mouthfeel (just as it does with tomato soup). Plus, you don't have any of the acidity of tomato soup, which can sometimes be too much if you're using an especially sharp cheese.

Don't be fooled into thinking that you can only pair a simple, white potato soup with grilled cheese, either. Sweet potato soup is also a delightful option here, and can work well both with regular and more advanced sandwiches, with aged cheeses and additional ingredients like grilled onions or herbs. The soup's sweetness is a little like tomato soup, but there's an earthiness to it that makes it just that bit more interesting.

Hot honey is the condiment to beat these days, which makes a lot of sense to us. Its spicy, sweet, sharp, and sour notes act as an intensifier to anything you're serving it with. This is especially true with grilled cheese, where the contrast from hot honey makes the sandwich taste creamier and fuller. All those flavors don't get in the way of the sandwich; instead, they bolster it. Its syrupiness, meanwhile, adds a new textural element to the outside of your sandwich, making it an adventure to eat.

If you have a bottle of hot honey in your pantry somewhere, then just squeeze a bit out and go to town — but don't forget that it's super easy to make at home, too. All you need is your favorite honey, some red pepper flakes (or chiles of your choosing), and some vinegar. After bringing all of the ingredients to a gentle simmer, you leave them for about 15 minutes, strain, and dip to your heart's content. You can then stash it in a jar in your fridge until your next grilled cheese moment.

Tzatziki is, in our opinion, an underrated dip in every aspect — but especially when it comes to grilled cheese. The smooth, yet slightly sharp flavors of tzatziki come alive wonderfully when paired with the sandwich, and it can also provide your grilled cheese with a freshness that stops it from being too stodgy or rich. Simultaneously, its slightly knobbled texture gives the outside of your sandwich a little bit more intrigue, and the cooling pops of cucumber in every mouthful keep things light.

We're also big advocates of thinking about how you can change up your grilled cheese to match your dip, and with tzatziki, there are loads of tweaks you can make to create more harmony. Try putting together a spanakopita-inspired grilled cheese, stuffed with feta, spinach, and onion. Or, you can make homemade tzatziki that has a little more going for it, with jalapeños and feta cheese mixed into the dip. Just a few changes can make things really special.