Change this ingredient in your toasted cheese sandwich and you’ll never look back

THE toasted cheese sandwich, also known as the ‘cheese toastie’ and ‘grilled cheese’, is the most deeply comforting, warmly familiar of foods.

While at its heart it’s simply bread, buttered on the outside, filled with cheese and toasted until golden and melty, it’s a generations-spanning classic that’s as perfect for a snack as it is a whole meal.

And while the classic bread/cheese combination is unbeatable in its simplicity, most of us have experimented with extra ingredients at one time or another.

Tomato is a common intruder, as are mushrooms. Some like to add a slice of ham or salami, while others manage to squeeze a deli-full of olives, roasted capsicum and other antipasto delights in among the cheese.

Perhaps you like a sprinkle of chilli flakes or a dash of Worcestershire sauce, or you’ve Frankensteined a mad fusion of toasted cheese and garlic bread by adding crushed garlic and parsley.

However you like to fill your personal toasty creation, one thing is probably certain: you use butter on the outside of the bread to keep it from sticking, to help it brown and crisp, and to add a bit of extra flavour.