Probably the best toasted sandwich ever, and I’m not biased in the slightest. Totally.
The secret is you have to fry it – no pannini press to squish the hell out of it, no toasting under the grill, no putting in a jaffle maker, even though they have their place.
No, for this sandwich, it has to be fried in butter. I’m sorry.
Once upon a time I was so over being underweight I decided to go on a reverse diet. My doctor said I needed to eat more calories than I burned, so I researched for weeks on what foods were calorie-dense and tried to incorporate them into my diet. I ate til I was absolutely stuffed. I was fed up with people making unwanted comments on my weight – something it appeared I had absolutely no control over, and felt awful about, so I thought if I could do something, I would.
This included making a sandwich like this, frying it in butter, then covering it in mayonnaise.
I’m not going to suggest that this time, but ohmygod it was good.
I don’t do sandwiches, usually. I ate so many of them growing up I got thoroughly sick of them. I find them so unappetising now… unless they’re toasted! I usually buy quite dense bread and I don’t like sandwiches made like that. So if I can transmogrify the bread into something toasty and delicious, with a melty inside, I’m more likely to eat it.
I usually fill this sandwich with all the gorgeous things the deli counter has to offer, sandwich together with at least two types of cheese, and a lil something extra – in this case avocado, but pesto is perfect. Feel free to pack it with whatever you fancy, but promise me you’ll fry it. Promise.
Ingredients:
2 slices crusty sourdough
vintage cheese
feta cheese
avocado
semi-dried tomatoes
fresh basil leaves
salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Spread butter on one side of the sourdough slices.
2. On the non-buttered side (I find it helps if I put the buttered sides together and pile the stuff on top before assembling the sandwich in the pan!), spread avocado and sprinkle with salt. Then add cheese, semi-dried tomatoes, feta and basil. Grind pepper over.
3. Place bottom of sandwich in a buttered frying pan on medium. Place top on sandwich, buttered-side up and cook until the underside is golden and cheese is beginning to melt.
4.Flip and cook until the other side is golden brown.
Honestly, if you don't fry it in butter – what is the point?! You might as well just buy a t-shirt that says yes. I have given up on life.
This is the ONLY way I do toasted sandwiches. They are so good. And hey, what's the harm if the butter is on the outside rather than the inside?!
Or one that says “I don't care if my sandwiches taste like shit”.
I ALWAYS put it on both sides.
Oh YUM! I am totally going to make this right now. But you know, with what I have here. I have some grape tomatoes, no avacado, but I have cheese =D <---cheese, I haz it.
Oh hello, you've got a new look. Apologies if it's old news now, but I haven't been 'on the blogging circuit' for a couple of weeks now and I'm only just seeing you. I like it – a bit vintage, a bit pretty, a bit study and trustworthy. All you. x
PS – I don't like avocado. Yeah, I know, what's wrong with me and all that… it's just green and sort of slimey and a little bit melt-in-your-mouth which I reserve soley for sweets.
That is why I love you.
Hello! It's only been a couple of days, don't worry! I'm pleased you said all those things, because I was thinking if people didn't like it, at least they would probably get used to it… so it's good to know someone does!
I like avocado, but I HATE cooked avocado. I don't usually put it on toasted sandwiches, but it was safe this time. cooked avocado is horrifically disgusting xx
And now I need to go fry a sandwich. Gah.
mmmmmmm! yum!
I don't 'do' sandwiches very often either, but yours sounds divine!
Feta cheese should be avoided by pregnant woman as the unborn child could be put at risk of Listeria…
I love sangas done like this, and I would love so much to go back to the days when I was too skinny and HAD to add extra butter. Now I do it for ahem, 'other' reasons.
I'm not telling any pregnant women to eat it!
I do it for any reason I can think of haha xx
I've gotta make it awesome before I can eat it!
I thought about this at midnight. I needed a fried sandwich so bad!
yum yum yum <3
I would've done it when I was preggers, because it's been heated, thus killing any germs. My kids survived.
Oh boy. so true.
Whoa!! That looks AMAZING!! Must…try… xx
It's crazy good!