For our daughter’s birthday, we made made-to-order grilled cheese sandwiches for the family. Wanting to make it memorable, we skipped the pre-sliced cheese and headed over to the deli section for the good stuff. No slight against the humble grilled cheese, but if this was the birthday girl’s meal, we were making five-star grilled cheeses complete with cheddar, Gruyere, mozzarella, ham, prosciutto, tomato, and garlic aioli. Making this meal special made me realize that you can transform even the most straightforward meal into something extraordinary with the right ingredients. 

Two years ago, we went to England for my brother’s wedding, and that is when my husband fell in love with toasties. Toasties—the across the pond equivalent of grilled cheese—became his obsession. We’ve tried out different variations during our travels but it’s something we haven’t thought to replicate before, until our grilled cheese revelation. I mean, it’s melted cheese on toast—how can you go wrong? 

But oh, you can. What I’ve learned through the great grilled cheese experiment is that not all cheese is created equal. What tastes divine in pieces alongside crackers or charcuterie is surprisingly not good heated. Two factors come into play when crafting the perfect toastie: meltability and pullability.

You want a nice even layer of cheese melted along the top of the bread, covering it as if you were spreading the cheese like butter. You want to wrap every inch of bread and any other ingredients you choose to use in a creamy, flavorful blanket. 

Pullability? I measure success on this front in the length one can PULL the cheese once it’s melted.

For this recipe, I’m using Wood River Creamery cheeses, which are our base for making the perfect toasties. Wood River Creamery cheeses are a great fusion of cheddar and Gruyere. You get the bold flavor of a cheddar combined with the buttery flavor of Gruyere. Each are excellent kinds of cheese that have both the meltability and pullability required for this meal. Wood River Creamery cheeses can be found in the specialty cheese case at your local grocery store or online.

Toasties are THE ultimate comfort food. If you are going to make them, make them WELL, and be sure not to skimp on the ingredients. 

• Bread: I prefer a wide, soft baguette for toasties. I tend to slice my bread on the thicker side (but not too thick) since the bread is the vehicle for the cheese, not the other way around. 
• Cheese: Moisture is what you want in an excellent melty cheese. Ooey, gooey, cheesy deliciousness that will stretch and melt straight out of a commercial. Gruyere and cheddar are my favorite types of cheese to use for this recipe. They deliver big, bold flavors that won’t overpower but rather complement other ingredients. Wood River Creamery has some fantastic flavor combinations perfect for a toastie or to nibble independently. For this recipe, I’m using Chipotle Garlic, Original, and Black Truffle.

These are a few of my favorite pairings to make my version of an open-faced toastie:

Ham and Cheese (with Wood River Creamery Original Cheddar Gruyere)

Tomato, Cheese, and Olive Oil (with Wood River Creamery Chipotle Garlic Cheddar Gruyere)

Tuna Melt (with Wood River Creamery Black Truffle Cheddar Gruyere)

The possibilities for flavor combinations are endless. 

Toasties are an incredibly low-maintenance meal for any time of day, and they look (and taste) amazing. 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Generously butter or coat one side of your bread with olive oil.
3. Top with the ingredients of your choice.
4. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Let cool and enjoy.

Choose the right ingredients and even the easiest of meals can become extraordinary.

Editor’s Note: This post was sponsored by Wood River Creamery. The compensation we receive in exchange for placement on Wit & Delight is used to purchase props, hire a photographer, write/edit the blog post, and support the larger team behind Wit & Delight.

While compensation was received in exchange for coverage, all thoughts and opinions are always my own. Sponsored posts like these allow us to continue to develop dynamic unsponsored content. Thank you for supporting our partners!

Kate Arends

Kate is the founder of Wit & Delight. She is currently learning how to play tennis and is forever testing the boundaries of her creative muscle. Follow her on Instagram at @witanddelight_.