Classic Cheese Sandwich

There’s nothing more British than a plain cold cheese sandwich, and here I’ll show you the best way to make it!

Did anyone else grow up on these sandwiches, or just me? For those of you who have never had a cheese sandwich before, it’s pretty much exactly what it says on the tin. However, you know by now how much I love to dissect a simple sandwich, to make it the best way possible 😛

The Cheese

Whilst ‘cheese sandwich’ sounds pretty open-ended, I say with confidence, that it’s not 😉

What kind of cheese to use?

Straight off the bat, the traditional option is Cheddar. Go mature, go mild, but for heaven’s sake go cheddar. Now, each to their own, but I do like a second option in there too, and that’s Red Leicester. This not only offers a different pop of colour, but it also adds a slightly different flavour dynamic too. If you do want to go off the beaten track a little and add a second cheese with the Cheddar, make sure it’s a hard cheese and preferably something in the same sort of flavour family.

Grated or sliced?

Neither. Hear me out… Slicing the cheese always results in uneven slices, and usually also ends up in a game of Tetris when trying to layer it in the sandwich. Grated cheese works if there’s another filling to help glue it in and prevent it from falling out of the sandwich. Because there’s a fair amount of cheese here, unless you squish down the bread (and consequently ruin the texture of the bread), it’s likely to spill out. As such, I recommend shaving the cheese with a vegetable/potato peeler. It’s quick, easy and gives you a layered texture inside the sandwich!

The Bread

Traditionally cheese sarnies are made for school lunches, lazy lunches, picnics or parties, none of which require fancy bread. Put away the sourdough and crack out the soft sandwich bread. Yes, the kind of stuff that sticks to the roof of your mouth with every bite.

You want thick slices, just to really ensure you get indigestion, and make sure it’s not seeded. Seeds are distracting, focus on the cheese!

Making a Cheese Sandwich

I won’t patronise you too much here, although I fear it may already be too late for that 🤣 Just a couple of things to consider…

Let there be butter!

This is a fairly dry sandwich, so for crying out loud butter the bread into oblivion and don’t look back. Both slices, and make sure it’s real butter (Lurpack slightly salted for me).

Rectangles or triangles?

I did have an unnecessarily heated debate with my hubby about this one, but I’m team rectangles. My argument was that the cheese is less likely to fall out (think of the loose corners of a triangular sandwich 😱) but he wasn’t having any of it.

Serving a Cheese Sandwich

What else could I add to a cheese sandwich?

What me and hubby did agree on however was the one addition allowed in a cheese sandwich – crisps. Yep, crisps are allowed in the sandwich it’s still called a cheese sandwich, it’s just the rules. Salt & vinegar for me, please!

Of course, you could add different fillings to a cheese sandwich if you wanted. Here are some classic examples:

• Cheese and Pickle Sandwich
• Cheese and Onion Sandwich
• Cheese and Ham Sandwich
• Cheese and Marmite Sandwich

Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this cheese sandwich shall we?!

How to make a Cheese Sandwich (Full Recipe & Video)

Classic Cheese Sandwich

There's nothing more British than a plain cold cheese sandwich, and here I'll show you the best way to make it!

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Course: lunch

Cuisine: British

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Servings (click & slide): 1 sandwich

Calories per serving: 664kcal

Author: Chris

Cost per serving: £2.50 / $3

Equipment

• Chopping Board & Bread Knife
• Potato/Vegetable Peeler
• Butter Knife

Ingredients

• 2 slices of Thick Soft White Sandwich Bread
• 3.5oz / 100g Cheese, shaved with a potato peeler (see notes)
• Butter, as needed
• 1 packet of Crisps (optional)

Instructions

• Liberally butter one side of each slice of bread.
• Top one side with cheese. Add crisps if using.
• Add second slice on top butter-side-down, gently press to secure the filling, then slice in half and enjoy!

Quick Demo

Notes

a) Cheese - Classic option is Cheddar, but I love a 50/50 combination of Cheddar and Red Leicester. If you want to steer off the track a little, just keep it a British hard cheese like Double Gloucester, White Cheshire or Shropshire Red. 

b) Can I turn this into a toastie? - Yep, just butter the outside of the bread and fry both sides in a non-stick pan over medium heat for a few mins each side, or until golden & crispy with the cheese melted in the centre. If you're doing this I recommend a more firm loaf of bread, as opposed to soft white sandwich bread. Check out all my Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for more inspo!

c) Other cheese variations - Of course you can add different fillings to a cheese sandwich. Here's some classic examples:

• Cheese and Pickle Sandwich
• Cheese and Onion Sandwich
• Cheese and Ham Sandwich
• Cheese and Marmite Sandwich

d) Calories - Per sandwich assuming 1 tbsp salted butter and no crisps.

Your Private Notes:

Click here to add your own private notes or reminders about this recipe.

Nutrition:

Nutrition Facts

Classic Cheese Sandwich

Amount Per Serving

Calories 664 Calories from Fat 424

% Daily Value*

Fat 47.07g72%

Saturated Fat 26.926g168%

Trans Fat 1.651g

Polyunsaturated Fat 2.815g

Monounsaturated Fat 11.705g

Cholesterol 132mg44%

Sodium 1024mg45%

Potassium 154mg4%

Carbohydrates 30.98g10%

Fiber 1.6g7%

Sugar 3.69g4%

Protein 29.28g59%

Vitamin A 1342IU27%

Calcium 759mg76%

Iron 2.33mg13%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*Nutrition is based on the absence of salt unless stated as a measurement in the ingredients. Cost is worked out based on ingredients bought from UK supermarkets, then divided by the number of servings. In both instances these values are just for guidance. Please check out my FAQ Page for more info.

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