From queso to poutine to deep-fried spaghetti, ham, and mozzarella fritters, these dishes highlight cheese in its best form: melted. To the dairy-averse, this is our official warning to avert your eyes.
A decadent mixture of Gruyère, garlic, wine, and kirsch is scooped onto bread rounds and fried until golden and crisp outside, gooey inside. Penny De Los Santos
Most stromboli recipes call for pizza dough, but the secret to the crispy crust on this baked roll is Italian bread dough—and plenty of the gooey stuff. Ingalls Photography
With both serrano chiles and jalapeños, the dip has a bright spiciness that cuts through the richness of two cheeses. The tangy sour cream added at the end brings it over the top. Photography by Matt Taylor-Gross
An unabashedly savory collage of french-fried potatoes, beef gravy, and squeaky-fresh cheese curds, poutine is perhaps the ultimate late-night snack. Maxime Iattoni
Requeson (Mexican ricotta) and a variety of other Mexican cheeses to make these craveable croquettes. Serve them with a sweet and smoky chipotle-honey salsa. Matt Taylor-Gross
Simply bread your chicken (you could use veal or eggplant instead), fry it, layer with some easy homemade red sauce and mozzarella, and bake. Farideh Sadeghin
This Wisconsin-inspired soup has been traded and tweaked over the years into its current state: a thick, cheddar-based soup cut through with piquant Gorgonzola. Matt Taylor-Gross
This simple, comforting root vegetable gratin is perfumed with fragrant thyme and bay leaves before being baked with a bubbly Gruyère crust Photography by Anders Schonnemann
Ddukbokki, or spicy rice cakes, gets an oh-so-American layer of melted cheddar for a stroke of fusion brilliance that recalls nachos as much as Korean cooking. Matt Taylor Gross
This signature pizza of both Naples’ Starita and New York City’s Don Antonio pizzerias is at first fried, then slathered in marinara before it is quickly baked to melt the mozzarella. Todd Coleman
