First of all, you might or might not be wondering, “Why in the world are we debating about the stupidest thing ever? Well, we're here to prove people wrong (looking at you, Mr Cardone…) that a grilled cheese is, in fact, a sandwich. So, without further ado, LET’S DIVE IN! (By the way, “yes” is the right answer!)

Have you ever sat in your room wondering, “Hey, is grilled cheese really a sandwich?” after your gym teacher said, “No, it’s not!”? 

I (Karolina) personally believe grilled cheese is a sandwich because if you think of the term ‘being sandwiched together,’ it’s basically two items with something inside smushed together, hence, a sandwich.

ELA teacher Mr Kraft claims, “Yes, I do believe grilled cheese is a sandwich because I define a sandwich as two pieces of bread with some sort of filling in the middle. I believe grilled cheese meets that standard.”

Meriam-Webster defines a sandwich as “two or more slices of bread or a split roll having a filling in between.” Dictionary.com also has proof that a grilled cheese is a sandwich. It says, “two or more slices of bread with a layer of meat, fish, cheese, etc., between them.”

However, physical education teacher Mr. Cardone disagrees. He claims, “There is basically nothing inside the two pieces of bread. It's just cheese!”

I can’t help but disagree. Cheese has value!

On October 15, we asked 39 members of the Wolfpack the titular question. Of that sample, 36 agreed that grilled cheese is a sandwich, while 3 disagreed. Therefore, about 1 in 13 people disagreed, and 12 agreed. The majority wins!

Even Karolina’s mom agrees. “Grilled cheese is convenient for vegetarians because grilled cheese has no meat,” she says.

When we searched up, “Why might people disagree and claim that grilled cheese is not a sandwich?” on Copilot, we got, “Cooking Method: Unlike most sandwiches, which are served cold or at room temperature, grilled cheese is cooked—often fried in a pan with butter or oil. This leads some to classify it more like toast or even a fried dish.” But the temperature it’s served at does not matter. If we are talking about whether it's a sandwich or not, temperature is not relevant because the sandwich part is all about the structure: two pieces of bread with filling in the middle. Plus, many sandwiches are toasted or grilled. Like, hamburgers, Philly Cheese Steaks, and Tuna Melts.

Therefore, grilled cheese is a sandwich. No matter how much you deny it, Mr. Cardone, it’s a sandwich. We have so much proof that it’s impossible to think it's not.  

Published to the Wolfpack Press: October 21, 2025.