Mrs Beeton's famous household book, published in 1861, already included recipes for toasted cheese. Victorian cooks were melting cheese onto bread long before any of us owned a sandwich maker.
The electric sandwich toaster then swept into British kitchens in the 1970s. Suddenly a sealed, crisp, piping-hot parcel was possible in minutes, with no grill-watching required.
I love that such a humble gadget still earns its cupboard space today. Two slices of bread, a knob of butter and a hot pan can rescue almost any lunch.
The real fun starts once you look past the usual cheese slice. So what exactly deserves to go between your bread next time the hob is on?
1. Baked Beans and Smoked Cheese
Beans on toast already sounds sensible, so sealing it shut feels like a natural next step. The trick is stopping that sauce from soaking the bread.
Tip half a tin of beans into a small pan and simmer for three or four minutes. The sauce thickens and clings to the beans instead of pooling.
Let them cool slightly, then spoon them onto buttered bread with a handful of grated smoked cheddar. The smoky cheese gives the sweet tomato sauce some backbone and a bonfire-ish edge.
A sandwich toaster suits this filling best because it crimps the edges tight. Leave a small gap around the sides so nothing escapes. Bean filling stays scorching long after the bread feels ready, so wait a minute before biting in.
Your tongue will thank you, and the cheese will have set just enough to hold its shape when you cut through the middle.
2. Cheese and Onion
Crisp packets made this pairing a household name, but it tastes even better hot. Cheese and onion is the toastie most of us could make half asleep.
Grate your cheese rather than slicing it, because fine shreds melt evenly with no cold patches. A mix of mature cheddar and red Leicester gives you sharpness plus a cheerful orange colour.
For the onion, finely chopped white onion brings a sharp bite. Spring onions offer a milder, greener flavour if raw onion feels too fierce. You can soften chopped onion in a little butter for five minutes to make it sweeter.
Butter the outside of the bread, not the inside. Cook over a medium-low heat in a frying pan, pressing gently with a spatula. Low heat matters here, as it gives the cheese time to melt before the crust darkens.
Patience gets you an even golden shell with a molten centre.
3. Tuna Melt
Tinned tuna is a cupboard hero, and a toastie lets it shine without any fuss. The tuna melt is basically lunch rescued from the back shelf.
Drain the tuna really well, pressing the lid down to squeeze out liquid. Wet tuna equals limp bread, and nobody wants that.
Mix it with a spoonful of mayonnaise, finely diced red onion and a squeeze of lemon. Chopped sweetcorn or capers work nicely if you fancy extra pops of flavour.
Spread the tuna on the bread and top with grated cheddar, which helps glue the filling together. The cheese also acts as a seal, keeping the mayo from sinking into the crumb. Cook it gently so the mayonnaise warms without splitting into oily puddles.
A handful of salad leaves on the side cuts through the creaminess, and a few crisps add some welcome crunch.
4. Yeast Extract and Cheese
Few spreads split a room quite like yeast extract. Melted cheese, however, might bring a few doubters round.
Spread the yeast extract very thinly on the inside of both slices. It's intensely salty, and a heavy hand will flatten the other flavours.
Cream cheese softens that salty hit with a cool tang. It doesn't melt into strings, though, so mix it with grated mature cheddar for proper stretch. Leave the cream cheese out for ten minutes first, or it'll tear your bread when you spread it.
The result tastes rich and savoury, a bit like a cheese straw in sandwich form. Cut it into soldiers for dunking into a soft-boiled egg if you're feeling playful. Lovers of the spread will be thrilled, and fence-sitters may be surprised at how mellow the whole thing turns once heated through.
5. Sausage and Red Onion Chutney
Leftover sausages from breakfast deserve a second chance at glory. Tucked into a toastie, they get one.
Slice cold cooked sausages lengthways into thin strips. Flat pieces sit neatly and heat through faster than chunky rounds.
If they've been in the fridge, crisp the cut sides in a dry frying pan first. Leftover cooked meat should be piping hot all the way through before you eat it, so don't skip this step.
Spread red onion chutney on the inside of one slice. Its sticky sweetness and vinegary tang balance the rich, peppery pork. A layer of mild cheddar or Red Leicester helps everything stick, though it's optional.
Shop-bought chutney is perfectly fine here, and a jar will cover plenty of toasties. Serve this on a grey Saturday with a mug of tea and you'll feel thoroughly looked after.
6. Roast Chicken and Stuffing
Monday lunch has a habit of tasting better than Sunday dinner. Leftover roast chicken and stuffing make the strongest case for that idea.
Shred the chicken into small pieces so it lies flat. Crumble the sage and onion stuffing over it, adding a splash of stock if it's gone dry.
Use cooked chicken within two days of roasting, and keep it chilled until you build the toastie. Make sure the filling is steaming hot in the middle before serving.
A spoon of cranberry sauce adds sharp sweetness, though plain chicken and stuffing hold up fine on their own. Warm up some leftover gravy in a small pan and pour it into a ramekin. Dunk each corner as you go, and the Sunday roast lives on for one more glorious meal.
7. Bacon, Brie and Cranberry
Christmas sandwich counters made this trio famous, but it's far too good to save for December. Salty, creamy and sharp, it hits several notes at once.
Grill or fry your bacon until crisp, then pat it dry on kitchen paper. Soft bacon goes chewy inside bread, so cook it slightly further than usual.
Slice the Brie and let it sit at room temperature for twenty minutes. It melts more readily that way and won't stay chalky in the middle.
Spread cranberry sauce thinly, as too much will seep and soften the bread. The fruit's tartness keeps the rich cheese and bacon from feeling heavy. Brie is a soft cheese, so pregnant readers should check NHS advice; cooking it until steaming hot is the usual guidance.
Cut it on the diagonal for that sandwich-shop look at home.
8. Spiced Potato and Paneer
Mumbai street vendors have long sold toasted sandwiches stuffed with spiced potato. This version adds paneer and peas for extra heft.
Mash a boiled potato with defrosted peas, a pinch of cumin, turmeric and garam masala. Chopped coriander and a little green chilli bring freshness and heat.
Paneer doesn't melt like cheddar, so it keeps its shape. Crumble it into the potato for soft, milky bites dotted through the filling.
Let the mixture cool before spreading it on the bread, or the steam will turn the slices soggy. Press it in firmly to the edges. A spoon of mint yoghurt or mango chutney on the side makes a fine dip.
It's filling, meat-free and a smart way to use up leftover boiled potatoes from last night's tea.
9. Caramelised Onion and Goats' Cheese
Proper caramelised onions refuse to be rushed. They need around 40 minutes over a low heat to turn soft, golden and jammy.
Slice red onions thinly and cook them slowly in butter and oil with a pinch of salt. Stir now and then so they don't catch on the bottom.
Make a big batch and keep it in a sealed tub in the fridge for a few days. Then this filling becomes a two-minute job.
Pair the sweet onions with goats' cheese, which softens in the heat without fully running away. A firmer log variety slices neatly and stays creamy. Add a few thyme leaves if you have them growing on a windowsill.
The sharp, tangy cheese against the sticky onions gives you a café-style toastie for very little cost.
10. Mushroom and Thyme
Chestnut mushrooms bring a deeper, nuttier flavour than white button ones, which suits a toastie perfectly. Cooking that water off is the key to a crisp toastie.
Slice chestnut mushrooms and fry them in a hot pan with a little oil. Don't crowd them, or they'll steam instead of browning.
Once golden, add fresh thyme leaves and a crushed garlic clove for the last minute. Season with salt and black pepper.
Take the pan off the heat and stir in a spoonful of crème fraîche. It adds a gentle tang and binds the mushrooms into a creamy filling. Let it cool a little before spreading.
Grated Gruyère or mozzarella can join in for extra stretch. Earthy, savoury and quick, it suits a rainy afternoon when the cupboard looks a little bare.
11. Warm Marie Rose Prawns
Prawns in pink Marie Rose sauce ruled the dinner-party starter menu in 1970s Britain. Heating it in a toastie sounds cheeky, yet it works surprisingly well.
Mix mayonnaise with tomato ketchup, a dash of Worcestershire sauce and a squeeze of lemon. That pink mixture is your Marie Rose sauce.
Use cooked, peeled prawns and pat them very dry with kitchen paper. If they're frozen, defrost them fully in the fridge first.
Fold the prawns through the sauce and add a little grated mild cheese to help hold it together. Cook the toastie just until the bread is golden and the filling is piping hot. Prawns are a shellfish allergen, so check with guests before serving.
A pinch of paprika on top gives a nod to the classic starter glass.
12. Apple, Stilton and Walnut
A cheeseboard usually comes with apple slices and a few nuts on the side. Squash the lot between bread and you've got this filling.
Stilton crumbles easily but melts nicely once heated. Its salty, tangy flavour is bold, so a moderate handful goes a long way.
Choose a crisp, sweet apple such as a Braeburn or Cox and slice it very thinly. Thin slices soften slightly while keeping a little bite.
Toast a few walnuts in a dry pan for two minutes to bring out their flavour. Chop them roughly and scatter over the cheese. Walnuts are a tree nut, so leave them out for anyone with an allergy.
A drizzle of honey adds sweetness if your Stilton is especially strong.
13. Chocolate and Orange
Chocolate oranges are a Christmas stocking staple across Britain. This pudding toastie borrows that flavour for any day of the year.
Break dark chocolate into small pieces and scatter them over buttered bread. Small pieces melt faster and more evenly than a whole slab.
Grate fresh orange zest straight over the chocolate, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath. The fragrant oils cut through the richness and brighten each mouthful.
Brioche or thick white bread works best, though brioche browns quickly because of its sugar content. Keep the heat low and watch it closely. Melted chocolate gets extremely hot, so let it rest for a minute before cutting.
A dusting of icing sugar or a spoon of crème fraîche finishes it off, and you'll wonder why sandwiches ever stopped at savoury.
