Cranberry and cheese toastie recipe

Who doesn’t love a little cheese toastie? These delicious sandwiches combine sweet cranberry jelly with salty Parma ham and Cheddar for the perfect balance of flavours. Ideal for using up Christmas leftovers, we think these cheese toasties are good enough to warrant a whole trip to the shops just for their ingredients at any other time of the year. The key to getting a beautiful crisp outside on your cheese toastie is coating the whole thing in butter, which will ensure it forms a delicious crust on the bread while it cooks. The pan you use is also key – using a heavy-bottomed frying pan will ensure an even fry for a beautifully golden finish and that signature burnt butter flavour. The beauty of cheese toasties is that you can use up any odds and ends of cheese you have, we’ve gone for Cheddar but these would be delicious with brie or goat’s cheese – experiment to find your favourite combination. If you don’t have cranberry jelly you could always swap in a chutney, or even a jam if you’re feeling adventurous. These delicious cheese toasties are best eaten warm, so make sure to get everything ready before you begin, leaving you with just the task of cutting it into pieces and eating it once it’s ready – a challenge, but one we’re sure you’ll rise to!

Ingredients

• 200g Cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 x 80g pack Parma ham
• 2tbsp Cranberry jelly
• 8 slices good-quality sourdough bread
• 50g butter

Method

1. Bring a large heavy-bottomed frying pan to a medium heat.
2. Divide the cheese, Parma ham and cranberry jelly between four slices of bread. Top with the remaining bread and press down firmly. Spread the outside of each side, of each toastie with the butter.
3. Cook the toasties for 3-5 mins on each side, pushing down with a fish slice, until the cheese is melted and the outside is golden. Remove from the pan, slice and serve.