Cheese & Pickle Toastie
Sharp cheddar and tangy pickles in a butter-crisped sandwich — Britain's pub lunch, griddled.
Ingredients
- 4 slices Bread
- 120 g Cheddar cheese
- 4 Dill pickles
- 25 g Butter
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)
Method
- Slice the pickles thinly lengthwise with a sharp knife.
- Pat the pickle slices completely dry with paper towels — wet pickles steam the bread.
- Spread a thin layer of mustard over half the bread slices.
- Build each sandwich: a layer of cheddar, the pickle slices, then more cheddar, and close with the remaining bread.
- Butter the outside of each sandwich on both faces.
- Griddle the sandwiches in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until the first side is deep gold, about 4 minutes, pressing gently.
- Flip the sandwiches and griddle until the second side is deep gold and the cheese is molten, 4 more minutes.
- Halve the toasties and serve them hot, with extra pickles on the side.
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About Cheese & Pickle Toastie
The cheese and pickle toastie is a cornerstone of British pub and cafe lunch culture, a griddled sandwich that turns the classic ploughman's pairing of sharp cheddar and tangy pickle into something hot and molten. What defines it is the contrast: keen, mature cheddar against the acidic bite of dill pickle, all sealed inside bread that has been butter-crisped to a deep gold. A thin swipe of Dijon underneath deepens the savoury edge without overwhelming the cheese. It is honest, unfussy food, and it comes together in about twelve minutes.
The pleasure here is textural as much as anything: a shatteringly crisp exterior giving way to a stretchy, oozing centre, punctuated by the cool sharpness of the pickle. The key move in this version is drying the pickle slices thoroughly before building the sandwich, since wet pickles release steam that softens the bread and stops it crisping. Griddling in a dry skillet over medium-low heat, with a gentle press, gives the butter time to render the crust evenly while the cheese melts through. Serve it hot and whole, with crisps and more pickle alongside, or cut it corner-to-corner for a quick lunch, late supper, or the kind of snack that eats like a full meal.
Cheese & Pickle Toastie: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Cheese & Pickle Toastie?
A serving has about 486 calories — 19.4g protein, 29.2g carbs, 32.7g fat, 2.1g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Cheese & Pickle Toastie gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Bread. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
Is Cheese & Pickle Toastie dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Cheddar cheese, Butter. Swapping those for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
Do I need every ingredient to make Cheese & Pickle Toastie?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out dijon mustard — it's optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Cheese & Pickle Toastie make?
This recipe makes 2 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.