Cheese toastie ideas and top tips

So we’ve rounded up a host of easy tips for perfecting the cheese toastie - as well as answering the following questions about this god among sandwiches…

• What is a cheese toastie?
• What cheese is best for a cheese toastie?
• What bread is best for a cheese toastie?
• Is grated or sliced cheese better for toastie?
• Is a cheese toastie the same as a grilled cheese?

Now onto the answers and tips...

What is a cheese toastie?

A cheese toastie is a buttered cheese sandwich that has been toasted until the cheese melts, creating a gooey centre.

It may also include other fillings, such as meat, vegetables or falafel, and can be cooked in a toastie maker, a traditional toaster or a frying pan. The key to a toastie is the sealed edges of the bread, preventing the melted cheese from leaking out.

Cheese toastie tip!

Butter both sides of each slice of bread when making your toastie - it adds a golden crunch to the exterior and a salty richness to the interior.

Cheese toastie tip!

Add extra flavour to your cheese filling by mixing in some minced garlic or finely diced onion. It’ll give it that little kick!

What cheese is best for a cheese toastie?

Cheddar is the best cheese for a classic cheese toastie, as it has a tangy, robust flavour that contrasts well with the crunchy bread and rich butter, and it melts well.

Gruyere and gouda are also good options for the same reasons. If you are making a cheese toastie that includes other fillings you will want a less overpowering cheese, but one that is still full-fat so that it melts well - mozzarella is the perfect choice.

Cheese toastie tip!

Filling leakage is the enemy of the cheese toastie - avoid this by leaving a small amount of space by the edge of the bread when placing your cheese on it, so when the sandwich is flattened none of it spills out.

Cheese toastie tip!

If making your cheese toastie in a frying pan, use beef dripping or cured pork fat instead of oil or butter in the pan to give your toastie a moreish quality.

What bread is best for a cheese toastie?

Sourdough or thick white sandwich bread is best for a cheese toastie.

Sourdough is very sturdy for containing fillings, and has a slightly chewy texture that works well with the stringy melted cheese.

White sandwich bread has thick crusts that provide a good seal for the cheese and soft white dough that allows the cheesy flavour to shine through.

Cheese toastie tip!

Add a pinch of paprika, dried chilli flakes or cayenne pepper to your toastie for a subtle spicy flavour, and/or a touch of honey for a sweetness to compliment tangy cheese.

Allergy alert

Bread, cheese and butter are all main ingredients in a cheese toastie, and all of these contain allergens. Bread, unless a speciality gluten-free bread, is made with a Cereal containing Gluten such as wheat or rye, and both cheese and butter are derived from Milk.

Cereals containing Gluten and Milk are both among the 14 major food allergens.

Cheese toastie tip!

Use slightly stale sourdough for your toastie - about a day old - it will have a marginally stronger flavour, and the loss of moisture will mean its surface crisps up more easily.

Is grated or sliced cheese better for toastie?

Grated cheese is better for a cheese toastie - ideally freshly grated and not cheese that has come pre-grated.

Grated cheese melts more easily and will avoid the bread being over-toasted when achieving the gooey filling. The cheese should be room temperature and not straight from the fridge.

Cheese toastie tip!

If frying or grilling your toastie in a pan or skillet, sprinkle a small amount of water around (but not touching) the toastie while cooking, then place foil or a lid over the top and continue to heat for another couple of minutes. This will encourage the cheese to melt without the filling going soggy.

Cheese toastie tip!

Avoid putting vegetables that contain lots of water - such as cucumbers or tomatoes - in your toastie. When toasting the sandwich the water will be released and make the toastie soggy.

Is a cheese toastie the same as a grilled cheese?

A cheese toastie is sometimes the same as a grilled cheese, it depends on how it has been cooked. Both are cheese sandwiches that have been heated until the cheese filling melts and the bread becomes crispy, but a grilled cheese is made by frying the sandwich in a pan, whilst a cheese toastie can be made that way or by toasting in a toaster or a toastie maker.

Americans typically use mayonnaise in their sandwiches over butter, so a grilled cheese may also contain mayonnaise in addition to being fried in butter.

Cheese toastie tip!

Serve your cheese toastie with mango chutney, chilli jam, or piccalilli - all give a complementary kick to the cheese toastie and are perfect for dipping the sandwich in.

Cheese toastie tip!

Before assembling your toastie, coat the bread in whisked egg, and fry the finished toastie in a frying pan for a delicious, savoury take on French toast.