How to Make the Best Cheese Toastie

Is there anything better than a hot, melted, freshly grilled cheese toastie?
No. Not really.
The magical combination of perfectly toasted bread, the salty, stretchy cheese and the variety of combinations & topping options are hard to beat. *insert drooling emoji*

Here are five easy tips on how to make a good cheese toastie.

What Bread Should You Use?

The quality of bread that you use will determine the results of your toasted sandwich.
Thick crust or thin crust is really up to you.

Experiment – why not support your local bakery and purchase their loaf of the day.
Try whole grain and wheat bread varieties such as sourdough or rye.

Feeling posh? Why not make a gourmet grilled cheese and try toasting turkish, croissants or even the humble english muffin?

Tip: A century-old secret that is well guarded by chefs is that a day old bread or one that is about to go stale is ideal for making a grilled cheese. The heat and fat will bring it back to life.

Should You Pre-Butter Your Cheese Toastie?

To butter, or not to butter – that is the question.

The standard procedure when preparing cheese toastie is to apply butter on the outer surfaces of the bread then placing it in the toaster. Add more flavour to it by buttering both sides of the bread, that is, the outside and inside. The butter will also prevent the break from sticking and burning – however this will depend on the type of sandwich press you are using.

Want to try something different? Go butter free.

An open grill in the oven doesn’t require pre-buttering, however it is recommended to add baking paper to the try before grilling, to prevent it from sticking.

Try mayo!

Mayonnaise is also a great alternative to butter, especially if you prefer making cheese toasties using brown bread. You can also use both, apply butter on the outside (the toasting side) and mayo on the inside & get a good taste of both worlds.

Consider Pre-Toasting the Bread for your Grilled Cheese Sandwich

The process of preparing a grilled cheese toastie should be fuss-free, and pre-toasting the bread is a step that you should never skip if you want to make the best cheese toastie.

Briefly toast both sides until they turn golden brown. Pre-toasting will add flavour to your grilled cheese sandwich, as well as giving it that extra ‘crunch’.
Don’t skip this step. Nobody likes an under toasted, soggy grilled cheese.

Use the Right Cheese Variety For Your Cheese Sandwich

Most people are accustomed to using classic American cheese – but there is no harm in trying other cheese varieties in the market, such as Gruyere, young cheddars, and Taleggio. Fresh cheese will not melt, but you can add more flavour to the toastie by combining it with your preferred melting cheese.

Bonus Tip

Make sure that you use the right amount of cheese to get the best results. The sandwich should be sufficiently cheesy, but not much that it spills out of the sides. Consequently, the amount of cheese you use depends on the size of the bread.
Thin slices can better than thicker slices, due to the bread – cheese ratio & added crunch.
Grated cheese is also a quicker alternative to cheese slices, when melting.