How To Make The Ultimate Cheese Toastie
Candice Brown: Breville
“For something festive, try a pigs-in-blankets and brie toastie served with cranberry sauce. Spread 1 tbsp of mayonnaise onto one side of each of your slices of bread. Turn on the sandwich toaster. Slice the pigs-in-blankets length ways so you have four halves. Place the pigs in blankets onto one slice of bread and top with three slices of brie. Spread some red onion chutney onto the other slice of bread and sandwich the two slices together. Place the toasties into sandwich toaster and toast for 7 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the toasties and leave to cool for one minute before serving – with a dollop of cranberry sauce to dip into.
“For a banoffee version, spread 2 tbsp of caramel sauce onto one side of brioche bread or half a croissant. Top with slices of banana and 2 tbsp of chocolate chips. Crumble over 1 digestive biscuit and top with the second slice of brioche or other half of the croissant. Place your toastie on the sandwich plate and close the lid. Toast for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the toastie from the sandwich toaster and leave to cool for one minute before serving with whipped cream.”
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Ligia Lugo: The Daring Kitchen
“If you don’t have a toastie maker, you can use a large griddle pan over a medium heat, or a frying pan – although the latter might mean you’ll need to cook the toasties in batches. To assemble, butter one side of each slice of bread. Place two of the slices butter-side down on a large griddle pan over a medium heat. On each piece of bread, I like to place one slice of cheese, one slice of tomato and a few slices of chilli, the sprinkle dried basil and salt and pepper to taste. Top each sandwich with a slice of buttered bread, butter-side up. Pan-fry the sandwiches until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes on each side. An ideal lunch.”
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Paulene Enigboken: Dualit
“Always use a low-fat cheese – like gouda, mozzarella, edam or emmental – either sliced or grated. If you’re adding cheese to say a chicken or bacon toastie, then any of these soft cheeses will work well and add a different taste dimension. Surprisingly – and believe me, there’s been lots of testing – it’s always the own-brand supermarket bread which makes the best toasties. These loaves tend to be a little drier and so toast exceptionally well. Alternatively, use a couple of day-old slices of bread and always go for medium sliced thickness. For something fancier, opt for sourdough. Just make sure to slice it thinly to enable both slices to fit into your sandwich maker’s cage.”
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Rupert Willday, Charlie Bigham’s
“For the ultimate toastie, spread a thin layer of mustard onto sourdough or rye bread. Layer the bread with slices of emmental cheese and spread evenly with 2 tbsp of sauerkraut. Finally, add 2 sliced gherkins and top with the other slice of bread. In a heavy bottom frying pan, heat 15g of butter over a medium heat. Once melted and beginning to bubble, add the sandwich and press down well with a spatula. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until crisp and golden, flip over, add another 15g of butter and repeat on the other side. Once cooked remove from the pan and leave to stand for 1 minute so you don’t burn your mouth.”
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Paul Robinson, Yorkshire Creamery
“For a festive spin on a classic cheese toastie, preheat a grill to a medium to high heat then toast the bread on one side until golden, before buttering the bread generously on both sides right to the edges. On the toasted side of one slice of bread, place 50g of extra strong cheddar, top generously with cold chicken or turkey meat, then season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Next finely grate a little orange zest over the meat, add some stuffing, then top with another 25g of cheese. On the other slice of bread, spread some cranberry sauce on the toasted side, then place on top of the sandwich. Heat a non-stick frying pan to a low to medium heat. Meanwhile, pre-heat your grill to its highest setting. Place the sandwich in the frying pan and toast for about 3 minutes before carefully flipping the sandwich over using a spatula. Continue to toast the sandwich for a further 3 minutes. When the bread is sufficiently toasted and the cheese has started to melt, place the sandwich on a baking tray and scatter the top with more grated cheddar and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Place the sandwich under a hot grill until the cheese is bubbling and you can see the cheese is starting to ooze out of the sandwich, around 3 to 5 minutes. Let the toastie cool for a few minutes before slicing in half. Serve with extra cranberry sauce.”
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Lucy Birkbeck, Jason’s Sourdough
“Made with sourdough, and layered with honey roasted ham, oozing cheddar cheese and a homemade rarebit sauce, this is the perfect recipe for a speedy and warming lunch, or a comforting dinner to enjoy on a cosy evening in. To make the rarebit, melt 1 tbsp of butter in a saucepan on a medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of flour and stir repeatedly for around 2 minutes. Gradually stir in 1 tbsp of ale or stout, until a smooth sauce forms. Remove the pan from the heat and place on a heatproof mat. Stir in 150g of grated cheddar, 1 tsp of mustard, 3 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce and 1 tsp of yeast extract. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper and set aside. Toast and butter two slices of sourdough and lay them on a baking tray. Top the toast with 2 slices of honey roasted ham, pour over the cheesy sauce and layer with more grated cheese. Place under the grill, and cook until the cheese is melted and the rarebit is browned and bubbling.”
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Johnny Drain, Pilgrims Choice
“When making toasties, there’s one method that works every time. With a kitchen towel, wipe a little vegetable oil across the surface of a frying pan and place over a medium heat. Place your toastie in the pan and cook on a medium heat. While it’s cooking, place a plate on top and push down gently. Cook for approximately 4 minutes or until the cheese has sufficiently melted. Remove the plate and flip the toastie over, before putting the plate back on and pressing down firmly. This will maximise the crunch and meltiness. Cook for a further four minutes until golden brown all over. Remove the plate and cut your toastie into halves or quarters. Stack on your plate and top with the garnishes of your chosen recipe and serve while piping hot. Top tip: for extra melted-ness, instead of grating your cheese, you could simply cut 1-centimetre-thick slices and heat them in a frying pan until they have melted. Then, scrape the melted cheese onto your bread, add the toppings and cook the toastie as per the steps above. My favourite filling combinations? Either kimchi and chive; fig, granola and crème fraiche as a breakfast option; or a Bloody Mary twist, using pickled celery and hot tomato sauce.”
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Paul Robinson, Yorkshire Gourmet
“Here’s my take on a Hawaiian. Heat a large frying pan over medium to high heat. Spread butter onto one side of each slice of bread. Place up to 4 of the slices of bread, butter-side down in the pan. Top each piece with one slice of red cheese, a slice of ham and about 2 tbsp of chopped pineapple. Place the remaining slices of bread on top with the butter side up. When the bottom of the sandwich is golden brown, flip the sandwiches, and cook until browned on the other side, about 2-3 minutes.
"I also love a ‘Mac & Yorkshire Cheese’ toastie. In a saucepan, cook 6g of plain flour and 6g of butter until golden brown. Add 75g of milk in stages, stirring constantly for around 5 minutes. Add 35g of grated cheddar and stir until its melted and bubbly. Cook 35g of macaroni for 2 minutes less than stated on the pack, then drain and stir into the cheese sauce. Heat your toastie machine or frying pan. Butter each slice of bread on one side. Place a slice of bread, butter side down, and add a large spoonful of macaroni cheese. Top with another slice of bread, butter side up, and close the toastie machine. Cook until the bread is well cooked and golden brown, around 5 minutes. Take care – as well as being totally delicious, the filling will be very hot.”
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