This Discontinued Denny's Sandwich Could've Been A Hit

Many food lovers have that one delectable item that was discontinued at some point, to their absolute dismay, forcing them to either live without it forever or attempt to recreate it at home to the best of their abilities. Perhaps it's a flavor of ice cream that you can no longer find in the freezer aisle of the grocery store, or a particular seasonal Starbucks drink that defined the holiday season for you. Or, maybe it's the Denny's fried cheese melt sandwich.

The Denny's menu is packed with all sorts of items, from hearty breakfast options to savory entrees meant for later in the day, but it was a humble cheese sandwich that captured the public's attention when it was released in 2010 and was a top pick on the brand's value menu (via Eater). When it debuted over a decade ago, the sandwich consisted of two slices of sourdough bread, melted American cheese, and four fried mozzarella sticks. That's right — Denny's leveled up the simple grilled cheese sandwich by adding a few morsels of fried gooeyness into the mix, giving it extra cheesy goodness as well as some added crunch. The restaurant served the meal with some French fries and marinara sauce for dipping, and the entire dish came in at just $4 (although it was certainly not the best pick for calorie-conscious diners, as it contained 895 calories).

Denny's didn't make a big fuss about removing this particular sandwich from their menu, instead opting to quietly do so, hoping that fans of the cheesy treat wouldn't notice. Notice they did, though, with two fried cheese melt lovers actually creating a petition for the restaurant to bring the item back on the menu (via Change). In the comment section for the petition, one fan referred to the sandwich as "the most amazing thing on Earth" while another added, "there's nothing better to wrap up a great night than fried cheese melt at Denny's with my closest friends."

Back when the sandwich first debuted, a team at NPR decided to venture to an Illinois Denny's location to give the decadent dish a try for the outlet's "Sandwich Monday" feature. Their feature included photos of the sandwich from every angle, showing how it looked from above, what the quartet of fried mozzarella sticks looked like while encased in the sandwich, and even included a snap that featured a cheese pull worthy of a standing ovation. For fans who simply can't wait for Denny's to bring this sandwich back, it's luckily not too tough to recreate it at home. Basically, if you can make some boxed mozzarella sticks and a grilled cheese sandwich, you can make your version of the Denny's delight (via CopyKat). You could even mix up the cheese selection for a more elevated version, like swapping in gouda or brie.