Denny’s Fried Cheese Melt Recipe
Denny’s Fried Cheese Melt shows up on the menu only now and then, which has turned it into something of a cult favorite among cheese lovers. It’s a buttery sourdough grilled cheese with crispy fried mozzarella sticks tucked between layers of melted American cheese. Making it at home means you don’t have to wait for it to reappear on the menu, and you control exactly how gooey and crispy it turns out. The whole sandwich comes together in about 20 minutes, making it an easy lunch or late-night snack.
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This Denny’s Fried Cheese Melt recipe is a grilled cheese sandwich built for serious cheese cravings. Buttered sourdough bread gets layered with American cheese, then crispy fried mozzarella sticks go in the middle before the whole thing is grilled until golden and gooey.
It’s a small recipe by design, built for one sandwich, so it comes together fast without a lot of ingredients or steps. Serve it with warm marinara sauce for dipping, the same way Denny’s does.
Why This Recipe Works
The genius lies in the combination of textures and cheese experiences. The melted American cheese provides a creamy, mild flavor that binds everything together, while the fried mozzarella sticks add a satisfying crunch and stretchy cheese pulls. The sourdough bread creates the perfect sturdy foundation to handle all this cheesy goodness without falling apart.
Ingredients
Bread Foundation:
- Sourdough bread slices – Provide a sturdy, tangy base that complements the rich cheese and holds up to grilling
- Butter – Creates a golden, crispy exterior and adds rich flavor when softened for easy spreading
Cheese Components:
- American cheese slices – Melt smoothly and provide a creamy, mild flavor that binds all elements together
- Frozen mozzarella sticks – Add crispy texture contrast and stretchy cheese pulls for ultimate indulgence
Accompaniment:
- Marinara sauce – Provides an acidic contrast to cut through the rich cheese and adds classic pizza flavors
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preparing Components
- Cook frozen mozzarella sticks according to package directions until golden brown and crispy. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Warm marinara sauce in microwave or small saucepan for serving.
- Soften butter to room temperature for easy spreading.
Building the Sandwich
- Heat skillet over low to medium heat to ensure even browning without burning.
- Butter one slice of sourdough bread on one side and place butter-side down in the heated skillet.
- Layer American cheese over the bread in the skillet, breaking slices as needed to cover the entire surface evenly.
Adding the Fried Elements
- Arrange cooked mozzarella sticks evenly across the cheese layer, spacing them for balanced distribution.
- Top with remaining American cheese slices, ensuring complete coverage over the mozzarella sticks.
- Butter the second slice of bread and place butter-side up on the cheese layers.
Grilling to Perfection
- Cook the first side for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and cheese begins melting.
- Flip carefully using a wide spatula, keeping all components intact.
- Cook the second side for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and the cheese is fully melted.
- Press gently with a spatula to help the cheese meld together.
Final Presentation
- Remove from heat and let rest 1-2 minutes to allow cheese to set slightly.
- Cut in half (or diagonally) if desired and serve immediately with warm marinara sauce.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Immediate Consumption: Best enjoyed immediately while cheese is hot and stretchy for optimal experience.
- Short-Term Storage: Can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 24 hours, though texture will change significantly.
- Reheating Method: Reheat in covered skillet over low heat for 2-3 minutes per side, or in toaster oven at 350°F for 5-7 minutes.
More Denny’s copycat recipes
- Blueberry Pancake Puppies
- Chicken Fajita Breakfast Skillet
- Denny’s French Toast
- Moons over My Hammy Sandwich
- Pancake Puppies
Check out more of my easy sandwich recipes to make for lunch or dinner.
Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
Denny’s Copycat Fried Cheese Melt
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 slices sourdough bread
- 2 teaspoons butter softened
- 4 slices American cheese (Kraft Deli Deluxe American Cheese Slices are recommended)
- 3 frozen fried cheese sticks prepared according to package directions
- marinara sauce for serving
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over low to medium heat.
- Butter one slice of sourdough bread and place it butter-side down in the skillet.
- Layer American cheese over the bread, breaking slices as needed to cover the surface evenly.
- Arrange the cooked mozzarella sticks evenly across the cheese layer.
- Top with the remaining American cheese, covering the mozzarella sticks completely.
- Butter the second slice of bread and place it butter-side up on top.
- Cook the first side for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown and the cheese begins melting.
- Flip carefully with a wide spatula, keeping the layers intact.
- Cook the second side for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown and the cheese is fully melted. Press gently with the spatula to help the layers meld together.
- Remove from heat and let rest 1 to 2 minutes so the cheese sets slightly. Cut in half or diagonally and serve immediately with the warm marinara sauce.
Notes
- Keep the heat at low to medium. A hot skillet browns the bread before the cheese inside has time to fully melt.
- Break the American cheese slices to patch any gaps rather than leaving bare bread showing through, so the melted layer holds the sandwich together.
- Space the mozzarella sticks evenly so every bite gets some of that stretchy pull, instead of clustering them in the middle.
- Letting the sandwich rest for a minute or two before cutting keeps the cheese from spilling out the sides.
Love the idea of serving this with Marinara sauce.
Try using Mayo in place of butter. It browns the same and taste great.
Thank you for this! I referred to this page when I made these tonight =)
God I’m craving that
actually the Denny’s recipe calls for 4 cheese sticks
and aslo the way it is prepared is the sourdough is buttered.. both pieces laid on the grill with 1 slice american on both pieces.. once the cheese is melted and bread is golden you put the 4 cheese sticks on to one of the slices.. flip the other slice on top served with ur side and marinara sauce
I could only fit 3 of those on that bread 😉
This sandwich is very cheesy but if they take it off the menu, I for one will PROTEST. It is the bomb and worth giving yourself a treat every now and then, even once a month!
I hope you let Denny’s know how you felt about this one!
https://www.facebook.com/FriedChesse4ever
How real is it gonna get
How do we save these recipes to our computer. I tried ‘save as’ but no luck
Sandi
You would need to copy and paste the text into the program of your choice and then do a save as. I don’t believe there is a way to do it directly.
I have to confess, we loved this.
Diane, yes. It looks as though you put two slices of cheese down, beautiful, beautiful cheese, then the cheese sticks… and then another two slices of cheese. 😀