The best toasties
Our top cheese toastie recipes
The ultimate in comfort food, a toasted sandwich is so much more than the sum of its parts. Even a scraping of melted cheese — from tangy Cheddar or milky mozzarella to rich, creamy Stilton — can transform store cupboard ingredients, elevating your lunchtime sarnie into something special
Got a tin of tuna, a chunk of hard cheese and a salad onion? Make a classic tuna melt pepped up with a little Dijon mustard. Found some kale at the bottom of the veg drawer? Pair it with blue cheese and mushrooms, or caramelised onions and Comté. And when it comes to the bread, think beyond sliced white: wraps, naans, ciabatta, focaccia and even brioche can form the base for all manner of fillings. Here’s our pick of the bunch along with some expert tips from our food editors so you can make an indulgent toasted cheese sandwich with the ingredients you have to hand
Mushroom, cavolo and blue cheese toasties
Bubbling with blue cheese, these make a quick and comforting midweek lunch or supper. If you don’t have cavolo nero, try kale, Swiss chard or baby spinach
View recipe
Pickled cherry, Brie, ham & cavolo nero toastie
Creamy Brie and wafer-thin ham are taken to new heights with the addition of zingy pickled cherries. Frozen pitted cherries will work here if you can’t find fresh. Just leave time to defrost them before pickling.
View recipe
Mexican bean quesadillas
These quick and easy quesadillas can be made with mostly store cupboard ingredients. Use any combination of tinned beans — borlotti, black eyed, haricot or even chickpeas — if you can’t find the mixed bean salad; and tinned sweetcorn can replace frozen. Alternatively, substitute a pot of Waitrose Smokey Mixed Bean Salad for both.
Halloumi, figs and hazelnuts on toasted sourdough
Not strictly a toastie, this Mediterranean-influenced open sandwich balances salty halloumi with the sweetness of fresh figs. Sliced peaches, apricots or pears would also work well here, while almonds, walnuts or macadamias can be substituted for the toasted hazelnuts.
Toasted sourdough with chorizo & roasted red peppers
Roasting and skinning the peppers may seem a bit of a faff but it’s worth it. If you really can’t face it, reach for a jar of Peppadew roasted red peppers and skip the first stage. The mild flavour of ricotta is the perfect foil to spicy chorizo; if you can’t find it, mascarpone or soft cheese will work too.
Cook’s tips:
master the art of making toasties
- Don’t have a sandwich press or toastie maker? Use a heavy-based frying pan or grill instead. A cast-iron griddle will give you the classic grill lines and a slightly charred flavour.
- Always butter the outside of the bread before placing in the sandwich maker or frying pan. Keep a knob of butter at room temperature for easy spreading.
- If using a frying pan, make sure the heat isn’t too high — you want the inside to be melting and piping hot by the time the bread has toasted.
- Use a mix of cheeses for great flavour and a good melt, eg Cheddar with mozzarella, or Gruyère with Taleggio
- Cut back on calories by dry-frying wraps, quesadilla-style — there’s no need to add any oil.
- Toasties are a great way to use up leftovers so shred the last of the Sunday roast or scrape out the chutney or pesto jar.
Chilli cheese sourdough toasted sandwich
The addition of chilli places this simple toastie in the premier league; a pinch of chilli flakes can be used in place of fresh. Gruyère is a great melting cheese with a slightly salty, subtly nutty flavour; good alternatives include Emmental, Comté, Jarlsberg or raclette.
View recipe
Taleggio & fig melt
The fruity tang of creamy Taleggio pairs beautifully with fresh figs although Camembert is a good substitute. You can replace the figs with semi- or sun-dried tomatoes or even dried cherries.
View recipe
Gammon and cheese toasties with chilli pineapple relish
Love the retro combo of gammon and pineapple? Why not try it in a sandwich. These toasties are a great way to use up leftover gammon although any thick-sliced ham will do. You can make the chilli-spiked relish with tinned pineapple if you don’t have fresh.
View recipe
Herefordshire rarebit
No toasted sandwich round-up is complete without a classic rarebit. This one uses the usual ale, but you can use cider. The Worcestershire sauce, on the other hand, is non-negotiable.
View recipe
Toasted cheese and
pulled pork sandwiches
Best enjoyed with an ice-cold beer and hot pickled peppers, these full-blown sarnies are the perfect weekend indulgence. Any red chilli paste will do; use half the amount if you want to dial down the heat. To make them meat-free, use Linda McCartney’s Vegetarian Pulled Pork instead.
View recipe