Overview

I love a cheese toastie. The Simon Hopkinson fried cheese and ham sandwich is a frequent favourite.

Sometimes I want something a bit quicker, that doesn’t mess up a food processor and I had a jar of unopened mango habanero salsa so this seemed like an obvious combo.

This barely warrants an entry other than to say ‘Mix cheese, salsa, make toastie. Consume.’

Ingredients

  • 2 slices of soft-ish bread. Cheap white, or fancy white, brown, whatever takes your fancy. Avoid anything too chewy/crunchy to start.
  • Cheese. Sliced medium-thick. I used extra strong mature cheddar, but use whatever you have.
  • Mango habanero salsa. I had Mrs. Renfro’s Mango Habanero Salsa to hand. Available from Hot Headz or the Hot Sauce Emporium in the UK.
  • Butter, salted.

Method

  • Shake the salsa to distribute contents evenly
  • Spread a thin layer of salsa on one slice of bread
  • Top with slices of cheese
  • Top with second slice of bread
  • Melt a knob of butter in the pan over a low-medium heat
  • Carefully add the toastie to the pan
  • Turn every 2-3 minutes, add another knob of butter between the first flip
  • Total time will vary but 5-6 minutes

Notes

I like to make my toasties like a hipster douchebag in seasoned cast iron, I use the lid of the “forty-dollar pot” (aka The Lodge 3.2-Quart Cast Iron Combo Cooker). A few stockists have these in the UK/EU.

For bonus points, you can also add a nice cast iron steak weight/press, maybe throw on a Filson flannel shirt and cultivate a beard.

This Lime Pickle cheese toastie sounds like it would be a GREAT combo, too. Dan Toombs Lime Pickle recipe is very solid if you wanted a bash at making your own.

References