Let’s face it; ordinary sandwiches can get boring. But it is surprising just how much turning it into a toastie changes the game.
The cheese melts. The rest of the ingredients are warm. The bread is crispy and so much nicer. It goes from a boring lunch reminding you of your primary school days, to a proper treat. Thankfully, if you have a dedicated toastie maker, you can rustle one up in minutes. (If not, then what are you waiting for?).
All you need to do is make them up like a sandwich, place in between the grill plates and keep an eye on them for a few minutes. You could also try this in your health grill, or simply in a frying pan. Here are some of our favourites to try, and they are all easy:
Our Favourite Toastie And Panini Ideas
Cuban Breakfast Sandwiches
- 1 panini
- 1 egg
- 4 pieces thinly sliced hard salami
- 2 slices deli ham
- 2 slices Swiss cheese
Fry the egg off just how you like it, and then layer the panini with the meats, cheese and top with the egg. Close the panini and grill for 2 minutes or until the bread is golden and cheese is melted. You can add some pickles if you’re a fan
Tomato, Basil and Grilled Cheese
- 2 slices sourdough bread
- 75g mozzarella
- 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
- 2 tbsp pesto
An old favourite. Spread the pesto over both slices of bread, and then layer with the cheese and tomato and close. Grill until the cheese is melting
Ham and Cheese Croissants
- 1 croissant, cut in half lengthways
- 2 slices Swiss cheese
- 2 slices ham
Don’t just stick to bread. Layer the croissant with the ham and cheese, ensuring none is sticking out of the edges which could burn onto the grill plates. Cook until cheese is melting
Beef Toastie
- 2 slices bread
- 2 slices beef (or sliced steak)
- 1 onion, fried
- 2 slices cheddar cheese
Pre-fry the onion, and cook off the beef or steak if needed (if you use a health grill, it’ll be healthier). Layer the cheese, beef and onion on the bread and grill until golden
Grilled Vegetable Panini
- 1 panini
- ½ onion
- ½ small courgette
- Handful of cherry tomatoes
- Handful of mushrooms
- ½ bell pepper
Slice the vegetables and layer on a baking tray. Drizzle over some oil and grill until they start to soften, then remove and layer on panini bread. Close sandwich and place on the grill again for a few minutes
Mushroom and Manchego
- 2 slices bread
- Handful of mushrooms
- ½ small onion
- 50g shaved Manchego cheese
Saute the onions and mushrooms in a frying pan or on the health grill until softened, then layer onto the bread. Top with the cheese and grill until it starts to melt. You can rub the top and bottom of the sandwich with a clove of garlic if you wish
Nutella, Strawberry and Banana Toastie
- 2 slices of bread
- 1 banana, slices
- Handful of strawberries, sliced
- Chocolate spread
Spread one slice of bread with a layer of chocolate and then top with the bananas and strawberries. Close the sandwich together and pop in the maker to toast
Tips:
Always coat the grill plate with some butter or spray oil to create a non-stick surface, as bread is one of the more difficult items to remove if it sticks
The beauty of grilled sandwiches is that you can use any type of bread or any filling you wish to make it your own (although adding cheese when you can really makes a difference!)
If you don’t own a health grill or dedicated sandwich maker, you can still achieve the same results by melting some butter in a skillet pan and pressing the sandwich until ready
