Air fryer cheese toastie

How can you tell someone has just started using an air fryer? They won't stop talking about it. Kind of like CrossFit or being a vegan - no shade there, been there, done it, guilty of all.

I LOVE cheese toasties. Actually, I think EVERYONE loves cheese toasties. What's not to love. I used to make them in a sandwich press...but after looking everywhere for one to no avail (I live in Bali and some things we take for granted in the west become serious first world problems) I sat and thought as I looked at my air fryer..."I wonder....."

And I'm glad I wondered, because it turned out better than I could have hoped.

You can do the exact same thing on the fry pan, so if you don't have an air fryer no problem - although you should probably get one.

Prep time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

Serves: 1

Ingredients

2 slices of bread of your choice

20g Cheddar cheese, shredded

20g Mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 tbsp salted butter, softened

10g grated Parmesan cheese

Method

1. Mix the butter with the Parmesan cheese until evenly mixed.

2. Mix together the shredded cheeses.

3. Separate the two slices of bread (ideally they were sliced next to each other so they fit on top one another perfectly) and put the cheese mixture on top of one of the slices.

4. Place the other slice of bread and press down.

5. Take half the butter mixture and spread evenly on the outside of the top slice, then flip over and do the same to the bottom slice.

6. Cooking in a frypan: If cooking on a fry pan, do not butter the bottom slice. Place the buttered side on a hot fry pan, and put a heavy weight (such as a saucepan) on top of the sandwich until grilled and browned on the bottom side. Once it has browned, remove the weight, use the second half of the butter mix to butter the top slice of bread then flip over and repeat.

7. Cooking in an air fryer: If cooking in an air fryer, place the buttered sandwich inside, turn the temperature to 190 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes, flipping half way.

8. Take the toastie out and cut in half. Best served with soup.

Notes

• Choose whatever cheeses you best like. I chose the ones in the ingredients section for their combination of sharpness, umami and gooey stretchiness.

• Add dried herbs in the butter mix - totally up to you. Definitely adds fragrance.

• Parmesan in the butter mix was to add a bit of extra crust, but honestly, the butter makes it super crisp regardless, so another optional addition there.