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| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Slicedbread,cheese, sometimesbutter |
Cheese on toast is made by placing sliced or gratedcheese ontoasted bread and melting it under agrill. It is popular in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean, United States, and in African countries.
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Cheese on toast consists of toast (toasted on both sides or just one side), with cheese placed on it and then grilled. Further toppings are optional; the most basic being choppedonions (raw or grilled with the cheese),brown sauce orketchup. Pickledcucumber,Branston pickle, friedtomatoes, fried eggs,Worcestershire sauce andbaked beans are also common.[1][2]
Recipe books and internet articles tend to elaborate on the basics, adding ingredients and specifying accompaniments to make more interesting reading. Consequently, published recipes seldom deal with the most basic form of the dish and frequently refer to the similar dish ofWelsh rarebit as "posh cheese on toast".[3]
Cheddar cheese is most commonly used for cheese on toast, as it is a particularly good cheese for toasting.[citation needed] Lancashire dairies, in conjunction with a "National Cheese Toast Day", have promotedLancashire cheese as the best cheese to use.[4]
The cheese dream is anopen-faced version of the Americangrilled cheese sandwich made withbread andcheese; it is cooked with eitheroil,margarine, orbutter. Other ingredients such asbacon,avocado,pineapple,eggs, or slicedtomato can be optionally added to the open-faced sandwich as well.[5] James Beard wrote about cheese dreams in his book “James Beard’s Simple Foods”, describing the sandwich as "a slice of tomato on bread, covered with American cheese which was melted under the broiler and then graced with crisp bacon".[6]
It can be cooked in a pan or skillet on the stove top, under abroiler or using a pan in the oven. In its simplest form, it consists of a slice of bread, topped withAmerican cheese, and broiled until the cheese puffs up and browns.[7]
The cheese dream may have originated during theGreat Depression, as "an inexpensive company supper dish"[5][8] and an inexpensive option for feeding friends and family atSunday supper.[9] Additions of slicedtomatoes,ham andbacon could be used, and they were often accompanied byolives andpickles.[9] A 1932San Jose News story, "Cheese Dream New Favorite Sandwich," suggested sprinkling the cheese "very sparingly" with a bit ofmustard,cayenne "and a little minced red sweet pepper"; the sandwich was browned on both sides and served with "very hot, rich tomato sauce."[10] The sandwiches may predate the Depression, however, as a 1918Good Housekeeping issue mentions Cheese Dreams as a luncheon dish, "our teahouse friend."[11]
Cheese dreams were advertised in 1957 as a 55-cent (equivalent to $6.16 in 2024) luncheonette lenten special inDaytona Beach,Florida'sSunday News Journal.[12]
The term Cheese Dream has also been used to describe grilled cheese sandwiches, and, in one instance, tocroque monsieur.[13][14][15][16]
During the Depression, when Sunday Night Suppers became a popular way to entertain, thecheese dream began to appear on dining tables from coast to coast.
