Reheat: 10 Ways To Make A Toastie Sandwich
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
Today we are at the Food Republic Test Kitchen, busy creating recipes and maybe drinking punch at some point. So here's one of our favorite lunch columns from the past year.
Everyone really seemed to like the recipe for a classic Indian toastie sandwich I posted over the weekend. It really is an awesome sandwich — it's spicy, creamy, sweet, savory and, cheese and butter aside, pretty healthy. When was the last time you saw sprouted mung beans in a successful sandwich?
So I'm back into the toastie maker. It's the kind of kitchen gadget that's so space-efficient it's easy to forget it's there, costs $20 or less, is non-stick and has a handle for easy portability if you're the type of person who carries around a toastie maker. Plus, it makes a grilled cheese (or anything else) without using a pan or spatula. The machine's locking press mechanism forms a crispy, cheesy, delicious seal at the edges of the sandwich, so in the five minutes it takes, things get nice and molten. I'm going to assume at this point you're already on Amazon ordering one.
Downside: you can only use a limited amount of sandwich filling. Everything has to fit fairly flush between two pieces of regular-sized sandwich bread or it'll squeeze out of the sides and burn (but that's okay because the machine's non-stick!) With this in mind, I'd like to make some other-than-grilled-cheese suggestions for your new toy.
-
A sandwich on raisin bread. The hot surface caramelizes the raisins without burning them so you get the occasional explosive sweet bite. Try this with PB&J with or without bananas and you just might find yourself Elvising out on a regular basis. - Ham, cheese and, wait for it, pineapple
- Medianoche/Cubano
-
Pimento cheese. That counts under "other-than-grilled-cheese," as does... -
England's famous cheese and pickle, and - any sandwich involving cheese and fruit
There are many kitchen gadgets I intend to invent in my lifetime. But close to the top is the "giant toastie maker," which accomodates any of what I like to call the "monster" sandwiches: giant Jewish deli Reubens stuffed with fries, the morning after Thanksgiving sandwich, tortas from taco trucks that make your stupid evening gown split open at the zipper, you know.
More toasted sandwich goodness on Food Republic: