Quick Answer
A good cheese toastie needs sliced bread (sourdough cut thin), a mature melting cheese such as Cheddar, fat spread on the outside, and a pan on medium heat with something heavy on top. Cook roughly 3 minutes a side, then rest it briefly, because the filling is scorching. Chefs split on butter versus mayonnaise and on bread, so that part is taste.
Key Takeaways
- Nearly every chef we read agrees on three things: fat on the outside, mature cheese inside, and gentle heat with some weight pressing the sandwich down.
- Butter against mayonnaise is a real disagreement, not a mistake. Mayonnaise spreads without tearing the bread; butter is the more common choice.
- You do not need a machine. A heavy frying pan and a plate do the job, and no oven-only method with reliable times turned up in our reading.
Why a cheese toastie is harder than it looks
A cheese toastie is two things at once: bread that should be crisp and cheese that should be molten. Get the heat wrong and you have either a burnt crust around cold cheese or a pale, soggy sandwich.
This guide goes through the bread, the cheese, the cooking method, the extras and the usual mistakes. It is based on published recipes and chef advice, not on our own cooking trials, so it reports where cooks agree and where they argue. Where they argue, the sandwich is yours to decide.
The bread
Soft, sliced white bread is the quiet favourite. The Spectator’s guide names soft white sliced as its first choice, with bloomers, granary and ciabatta as alternatives. Jamie Oliver, as reported by Good to Know, uses a white bloomer cut into 1cm slices, and says sourdough also works.
Chefs listed by Stylist lean towards sourdough: Tom Kerridge wants thick-sliced, Meera Sodha finger-thick, Mathew Carver a loaf with a fairly tight crumb. Nigella Lawson accepts ordinary sliced white or sourdough.
Sourdough cheese toastie recipe: what to watch
The catch with a sourdough cheese toastie recipe is the crust and the chew. The Spectator warns that sourdough’s crust can be too crusty and its crumb too chewy for a toastie, and suggests slicing it thinner if you use it. Snowdonia Cheese does the opposite and uses thick-cut sourdough, pressed in the pan. Both can work, which tells you the pressing matters more than the loaf.
If you use a sandwich maker, Dualit’s Paulene Enigboken (quoted by SheerLuxe) suggests drier supermarket own-brand bread, or day-old medium-sliced, and thin sourdough so it fits.
Cheese that melts
Best cheese for cheese toastie: mature Cheddar, usually
The Spectator calls sharp, mature Cheddar its default. Stylist’s chefs back that up: Meera Sodha names extra mature Cheddar such as Lincolnshire Poacher or Black Bomber, Juliet Sear a sharp Cheddar such as Keen’s or Black Bomber, and Snowdonia Cheese uses its own Black Bomber.
Strong cheese carries more flavour through bread and fat, which is the usual reasoning. That is an interpretation, not a tested result.
Best cheese blend for toasties
Most of the interesting cooks use two cheeses, one for flavour and one for stretch. Examples from the sources:
- Jamie Oliver: grated Cheddar and Red Leicester (Good to Know).
- Tom Kerridge: strong Cheddar with Gruyère or Emmental, plus Parmesan on top (Stylist).
- Waitrose: 75g mature Cheddar with 75g of a soft washed-rind cheese such as Taleggio or reblochon, for two sandwiches.
- Nigella Lawson: Cheddar and Red Leicester, or Taleggio or Brie (Stylist).
Grate hard cheese. Jamie Oliver uses a box grater, and Waitrose says to grate the Cheddar coarsely and slice the soft cheese.
Cheese toastie ingredients
The shopping list is short, which is part of the appeal:
- Bread: 4 slices makes 2 sandwiches.
- Cheese: Waitrose uses 150g in total for two sandwiches (75g of each of two cheeses), and Snowdonia Cheese uses 75g for one.
- Butter or mayonnaise: about 1 tablespoon for the outside, per Waitrose.
- Optional: chutney, mustard, or a second cheese for the pan.
Quantities vary a lot by recipe, so treat them as a starting point.
Pan, grill or toastie machine
| Method | What the sources say | Typical timing |
| Frying pan | Medium heat, heavy or non-stick pan, press down | 3 to 4 minutes a side (Waitrose, Good to Know, Rupert Willday via SheerLuxe) |
| Sandwich toaster | Quick and compressed | 7 minutes for a loaded savoury version (Candice Brown via SheerLuxe) |
| Grill | Used to finish or toast bread first | 3 to 5 minutes to bubble a topped toastie (Paul Robinson via SheerLuxe) |
| Oven | No full method found | Not given |
How to make a cheese toastie in a pan
This is the pan fried cheese sandwich route and the one the sources agree on most. It is also the stovetop cheese toastie method most readers need. Steps combine the Waitrose and Good to Know recipes:
- Spread soft butter (or mayonnaise) on the outside of both slices.
- Pile grated cheese on one slice and close the sandwich.
- Warm a non-stick frying pan over a low to medium heat.
- Put the sandwich in and press it down with a spatula, or weigh it down with a plate or something heavy.
- Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes a side, until golden. Cook in batches in a small pan.
- Rest it for a minute on a board, then cut. The filling is very hot.
The Spectator describes the goal as compression and sustained heat. Its Yorkshire Cheddar and red onion version uses medium heat with a lid on for about 2 minutes a side, then longer until golden and melted.
Cheese toastie machine
A cheese toastie machine, also called a sandwich toaster, presses and heats at once, which is why Jason Atherton uses a Breville (Stylist) and Candice Brown uses a Breville sandwich toaster with 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise on one side of each slice (SheerLuxe).
The trade-off is control. A machine seals the edges and keeps the filling in, but the crust is a different texture from a pan-fried one. We have not compared them side by side.
How to make a cheese toastie in the oven
We could not find a reliable oven-only method, and we are not going to invent temperatures. Stylist reports that Tommy Banks starts his in a dry pan and finishes it in the oven. SheerLuxe’s Paul Robinson toasts on a tray under a grill to bubble extra cheese on top.
If you want an oven-style finish, a grill is the best-supported route. Check the sandwich often, because bread and cheese colour fast.
How to make a cheese toastie without a toastie maker
A heavy frying pan and something to press with is all it takes. The Spectator suggests a thick-bottomed pan with a heavy weight on top. Jamie Oliver weighs his down with a bottle and a jar. Johnny Drain (via SheerLuxe) presses with a plate and flips once. Meera Sodha’s version is weighted down for about 3 minutes a side (Stylist).
Extras worth adding
Making a toastie with mayonnaise
The Spectator spreads mayonnaise on the outside instead of butter, saying it spreads more easily so the bread does not tear, and that it browns without burning as easily. Waitrose allows either butter or mayonnaise. Candice Brown also uses mayonnaise on her sandwich toaster. Butter fans include Nigella Lawson, Tom Kerridge and Jamie Oliver. Both work, so pick on taste.
Gourmet cheese toastie recipe ideas
A gourmet cheese toastie recipe mostly means better cheese and one sharp or sweet extra. From the sources:
- Chutney or pickle: mango chutney, red onion chutney, lime pickle (The Spectator, Waitrose).
- Mustard: Dijon (Juliet Sear), or mustard on the bread (Rupert Willday).
- Ham and cranberry (Mathew Carver).
- Cornichons or gherkins for crunch (Tommy Banks, Rupert Willday).
Robin Gill’s advice, as quoted by Stylist, is to “use the most luxurious ingredients you can get.”
Gourmet grilled cheese ideas and cheese toastie fillings combination
For gourmet grilled cheese ideas, the sources offer plenty. A few pairings that appear in them:
- Cheddar with red onion and chutney.
- Emmental with sauerkraut and gherkins.
- Cheddar with kimchi (Nigella Lawson, Johnny Drain).
- Brie with red onion chutney.
For a cheese toastie fillings combination that works, The Spectator’s rule is to balance salt with something sharp or sweet.
The cheese crown
Jamie Oliver’s trick is to scatter grated cheese in the pan and cook the sandwich on top so the escaping cheese crisps into a crust. His timings are about 1.5 minutes, then 30 seconds more. It is a showpiece rather than a necessity.
Mistakes to avoid
Crispy cheese toastie secrets turn out to be mostly the absence of mistakes:
- Bread that fights back. Very crusty or chewy bread makes a tough toastie; slice it thinner.
- Rushing. Tom Kerridge’s stated secret is “taking your time, not rushing it”, and Mathew Carver cooks low and slow (Stylist).
- No weight. Without pressing, the cheese does not meet the bread and the crust cooks unevenly.
- Overcrowding the pan. Cook in batches.
- Cutting straight away. Rest it for a minute or two. The Spectator warns that fillings can be scorching hot.
- Unbalanced fillings. Salty cheese and salty extras together need something sharp or sweet.
Where this guide comes from
Searches such as “ultimate cheese toastie bbc good food” lead to a recipe we could not open, so this guide does not draw on it. It uses the Spectator, Stylist, Waitrose, Snowdonia Cheese, SheerLuxe and Good to Know instead. We did not cook or taste anything for this article.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes the best cheese toastie?
Fat on the outside, a mature melting cheese inside, medium heat and weight on top. The published recipes agree on that much. After that it is taste: butter or mayonnaise, white bread or sourdough, one cheese or a blend.
Should I use butter or mayonnaise on a cheese toastie?
Both are used by credible cooks. The Spectator prefers mayonnaise because it spreads without tearing the bread and browns without burning as easily, while Waitrose allows either. Butter is the more common choice among the chefs we read.
How long does a cheese toastie take in a frying pan?
Most recipes we read give about 3 to 4 minutes a side on a low to medium heat, until golden. Rest it for a minute before cutting, because the cheese inside is very hot.
What is the best cheese for a cheese toastie?
Mature Cheddar is the most common recommendation. Many cooks blend it with a second cheese for stretch, such as Red Leicester, Gruyère, Emmental or Taleggio. Grating the hard cheese helps it melt evenly.
Is sourdough good for a cheese toastie?
It can be. Several chefs prefer it, but the Spectator warns that the crust can be too crusty and the crumb too chewy, and suggests thinner slices. Pressing it well in the pan helps whichever loaf you use.
Can I make a cheese toastie without a toastie maker?
Yes. Use a heavy or non-stick frying pan and press the sandwich with a spatula, plate or something heavy. A grill can finish a toastie topped with extra cheese. Turn it once and rest it before cutting.
