By Rhys Kendrick
2 commentsIs there anything more iconic than the humble British toastie? For cosy evenings in or a late-night snack, you’d be hard pressed to find a simpler comfort food. As firm toastie lovers here at Geepas, we use our toastie makers regularly during the winter months to keep hunger pangs at bay. We’ve put together our top toastie tips and a few tried and tested recipes so you can join in the fun.
Preparing your toastie:
Before addinganyother ingredients, the secret to a crispy golden brown toastie is how you prepare your bread.
Grab two slices of your favourite bread (we find white bread or bloomer works best), and spread a thin layer of butter on each. Turn the slices over so each one is butter-side down. We’ve tried and tested butteringbothsides of the bread, and it just goes a bit soggy. Stick to the one, and leave the plain side for the filling. This ensures that when your toastie goes into the toastie maker, the butter melts and forms that gorgeous gold colour and extra crunch.
Once you’ve turned your toastie maker on and it starts to heat up, you’re nearly ready to go. Simply look out for the indicator light that comes on when your toastie maker is hot enough to use.
In the meantime, you’re free to add your fillings…
Top five toastie recipes:
Cheese and beans
Ah, the most iconic of all toasties: the simple cheese and beans. The beauty of this toastie is that you don’t even have to heat up your beans beforehand. Grate or slice your cheddar and place it onto your slice of bread. Then simply open a can of your favourite variety (it has to be Heinz, right?), spoon a tablespoon of beans on top of the cheese and you’re ready to go.
Cheese and ham
A close second to our favourite cheese and beans, the cheese and ham toastie is a hearty dish that packs a protein punch. This sandwich might seem simple, but there are easy ways to make it extra scrumptious. Experiment between honey and smoked ham to find your favourite, and slice your ham extra thin so that it cooks well. Layer cheese on both sides of the ham for extra cheesy goodness - and a thin layer of Dijon mustard really makes this toastie pop.
Tuna melt
For those of you who love fish, a tuna melt is a wonderful filling lunchtime option. We tend to use ¾ of a can of tuna for this recipe, but if you’re sharing a can between you and a friend, you could go for half and top up with extra cheese. Not exactly a hardship…
To prepare your tuna melt, tip your tuna into a bowl, and combine with 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise and a handful of grated cheddar. Mix together so that the tuna flakes and the mayonnaise is fully incorporated. You could also add thin slices of spring onion or red onion for a little extra crunch and flavour.
Cheese and pickle
Another British staple - the humble cheese and pickle toastie is a winner in our books. The sharpness of the pickle provides a great contrast to the cheese. Cheddar is once again our go-to, but gouda or Red Leicester also makes for a lovely cheesy choice. Spread the pickle evenly over the cheese to ensure the flavour carries through the whole sandwich.
Hummus, roasted pepper, olives and spinach
For all our vegans (or just veg lovers) out there, this recipe is for you. The delicious combination of hummus and vegetables makes a great lunch or snack. Spread a thick layer of hummus on your bread, before layering up roasted pepper (straight from the jar works well, just be sure to drain them a little first to avoid the toastie being too soggy), thinly sliced olives and a thin layer of spinach.
How long to cook your toastie in a toastie maker?
Once you’ve placed your top slice of bread onto your filling to form a seal, you can pop your sandwich into the toastie maker. Be sure that you’ve got both your buttered sides facing outwards!
Push down the lid and let your toastie maker get to work. The average toastie takes 3-5 minutes, but this is usually to ensure the cheese has fully melted. If you’re using a vegan recipe, 3 minutes should be enough.
Note: There’s no need to flip your sandwich over if you’re using a toastie maker. Each plate is hot, meaning that the sandwich gets heated from both sides equally.
As soon as your toastie is golden brown and feels piping hot, you’re ready to serve!
Serve immediately and enjoy your delicious snack.
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Still looking for the perfect toastie maker? Our range of shapes and styles are perfect for all of your kitchen creations:
https://geepas.co.uk/collections/toastie-makers-grills
