Is it a grilled cheese sandwich? Is it a toastie? What matters most is what's inside...
Paper thin apple slices (trust me on this), a smear of chilli jam, your favourite cheese(s) (I like a strong cheddar or applewood smoked, gouda or gruyere for melting points) and a sprinkling of fresh thyme, pressed between sourdough.
Tips on the best cheese, bread and skills at the bottom.
Total time to make : 15 minutes
Time to prep : 5 minutes
Time to cook : 10 minutes
Servings : 1
Ingredients
2 slices bread*
2 tbsp butter
50g cheese, freshly grated*
1/4 crisp green apple, such as granny smith, finely sliced
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves plucked
1 tbsp chilli jam or chutney
Method
Prepare all of your ingredients and then heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, low and slow is best for a grilled cheese sandwich
Butter both sides of bread (1 tbsp per slice) and place one piece in the frying pan. Sprinkle over the grated cheese first, top with the thyme leaves and apple slices in a single layer. Smear chilli jam or chutney over one-side of the remaining piece of bread and place this, chilli-side down, to top the sandwich
Press down onto the sandwich with a spatula or cheese slice, this pressure will help the base of the sandwich toast more evenly. I like to put a spare saucepan lid on top of the sandwich to weigh it down, it also creates steam which helps the cheese melt
After 4 - 5 minutes, use a cheese slice to lift up the base of the sandwich slightly and check if it's ready to flip over. Gently flip, applying pressure again for a further 4 - 5 minutes or until golden and crispy outside
Remove from the heat and serve, cut in half
Nutritional Information
(per serving)
698 calories
38g fat, 65g carbs, 23g protein
Good to know:
It's important to try to use freshly grated cheese. Cheese bought pre-grated is tossed in starch to stop it clumping together in the bag, which also makes it more difficult to melt. Cheese freezes really well, so grate a whole block to save time and fridge/freeze any extras
Use whatever cheese you prefer, the best melting cheeses are cheddar, mozzarella, gruyere, fontina, gouda, Monterey Jack
I think the best bread is sourdough, it doesn't have to be fresh from a bakery. Day-old fresh bread or supermarket sourdough is fine. White bread works best or any wholemeal without seeds (they tend to burn), thick sliced is best
Butter inside and out helps achieve a crispy, golden toast. I've heard rumours that mayonnaise spread on the outside does an even better job (I don't like mayonnaise so, I'll never know)
Layering is important, by putting the cheese on first and closest to the heat, it has more chance to melt. This is also helped by creating trapped steam with a spare saucepan lid placed as a weight on top of the sandwich whilst it's toasting