Main ingredients | Cheese, bread |
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Variations | Grilled cheese, cheese dream, cheese toastie |
A cheese sandwich is a sandwich made with cheese on bread. Typically semi-hard cheeses are used for the filling, such as Cheddar, Red Leicester, or Double Gloucester. A Guardian article called the cheese sandwich a "British lunchtime staple". [1] Using a pie iron or frying pan can transform the cheese sandwich into a cheese toastie.
When a meat sandwich is prepared, the cheese becomes the accompaniment, and the sandwich is known by other names such as ham sandwich, tuna sandwich, etc. If the cheese is melted on such a sandwich, the term melt sandwich is used.
While the original invention of the cheese sandwich is not known to be documented, some interpretations of William Shakespeare's 1602 play, The Merry Wives of Windsor , report that the line "I love not the humour of bread and cheese" was the first written reference to a cheese sandwich. [2] [3] [4]
In January 1889, in Greenville, Pennsylvania, Henry Hoffman, George Smith and Teddy Atkins took part in a cheese sandwich eating contest. Hoffman won the contest, eating 16 sandwiches in 15 minutes. [5]
Popular British variants include the cheese and pickle sandwich, the cheese and tomato sandwich and the cheese and onion sandwich. [6] [7]
Grilled cheese is a popular American cheese sandwich, in which the sandwich is heated until the cheese melts. [8] In the southern United States, the pimento cheese sandwich is a traditional favorite. [9]
An Italian variation is the carrozza, a mozzarella cheese sandwich coated in egg and flour and fried. [10]
By 2014 the cheese sandwich was declining in popularity in the United Kingdom. A survey of 2,000 adults' eating habits by YouGov in December 2014 found that 55% of British adults had not eaten a cheese sandwich during the previous week. [11] [12] In response, in 2015 Anchor Cheddar launched a campaign, using a bus designed to look like a cheese sandwich, to encourage the consumption of this type of food. [13] [14]
In 2017, a survey by YouGov found that 36% of British people said that cheese is their favourite sandwich filling, [15] and in 2018, a survey of 2000 British people, found that a plain cheese sandwich was the most popular type of sandwich. [16] By 2020 however, a similar study showed that the plain cheese sandwich had become less popular and the bacon sandwich was the favourite. [17]
In 2008, the Food Standards Agency warned that one cheese sandwich contains more than half the recommended daily amount of saturated fat. [18]
In 2012, Action on Salt campaigned for cheese sandwiches to come with a health warning. The group reported, that the high quantities of salt, contained in the main ingredients of a cheese sandwich, could lead to children consuming an excessive amount. [19] [20] In response, the Dairy Council said that it was wrong to say that cheese sandwiches are not good for you. [21] Action on Salt later withdrew the press release, citing an error. [22]
A study by Len Fisher at the University of Bristol in 2003 found that the optimum thickness for the filling in a cheese sandwich is dependent on the type of cheese used, and that the sandwich should be made with a light spread of butter or margarine to enhance the flavour of the cheese. [23] [24] This research has drawn criticism for being "frivolous". [25]
The 1903 British short silent documentary film, called The Cheese Mites , features a man making a cheese sandwich and examining it with a magnifying glass as its main storyline. [26] [27]
A hamburger, or simply a burger, is a dish consisting of fillings—usually a patty of ground meat, typically beef—placed inside a sliced bun or bread roll. The patties are often served with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon or chilis with condiments such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, relish or a "special sauce", often a variation of Thousand Island dressing and are frequently placed on sesame seed buns. A hamburger patty topped with cheese is called a cheeseburger.
A cheesesteak is a sandwich made from thinly sliced pieces of beefsteak and melted cheese in a long hoagie roll. A popular regional fast food, it has its roots in the U.S. city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
A quesadilla is a Mexican dish consisting of a tortilla that is filled primarily with cheese, and sometimes meats, spices, and other fillings, and then cooked on a griddle or stove. Traditionally, a corn tortilla is used, but it can also be made with a flour tortilla.
The grilled cheese is a hot cheese sandwich typically prepared by heating slices of cheese between slices of bread with a cooking fat such as butter or mayonnaise on a frying pan, griddle, or sandwich toaster, until the bread browns and the cheese melts.
Cheese fries or cheesy chips is a dish consisting of French fries covered in cheese, with the possible addition of various other toppings. Cheese fries are generally served as a lunch or dinner dish. They can be found in fast-food locations, diners, and grills mainly in English speaking countries.
A melt sandwich is a type of hot sandwich containing a suitable meltable cheese and a filling of meat or fish. The sandwich is grilled on the stovetop until the cheese melts and the bread is toasted, or heated in an oven.
American cheese is a type of processed cheese made from cheddar, Colby, or similar cheeses, in conjunction with sodium citrate, which permits the cheese to be pasteurized without its components separating. It is mild with a creamy and salty flavor, has a medium-firm consistency, and has a low melting point. It is typically yellow or white in color; yellow American cheese is seasoned and colored with annatto.
Colby-Jack, or Co-jack/Cojack, is an American marble cheese made from Colby and Monterey Jack. It is classified as semi-hard in texture and is mild due to its two-week aging process. It is generally sold in a full-moon or a half-moon shape when it is young. The flavor of Colby-Jack is mild to mellow. Colby-Jack cheese is mainly produced in the states of Wisconsin and California. It is used in various dishes or as a topping to be melted. These dishes include burgers, pasta bakes, macaroni and cheese, casseroles and so on. It is predominantly used in the United States, and is not readily available internationally.
Pimento cheese is a spread typically made of cheese, mayonnaise, and pimentos and is typically served on crackers and vegetables or in sandwiches.
The ham sandwich is a common type of sandwich. The bread may be fresh or toasted, and it can be made with a variety of toppings including cheese and vegetables like lettuce, tomato, onion or pickle slices. Various kinds of mustard and mayonnaise are also common.
Cheese on toast is made by placing sliced or grated cheese on toasted bread and melting it under a grill. It is popular in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean, and in African countries.
A Gatsby is a South African submarine sandwich consisting of a bread roll filled with chips and a choice of fillings and sauces. It originated in Cape Town and is popular throughout the Western Cape province. The sandwich is typically large and shared by several people.
The cheese dream is an open-faced version of the American grilled cheese sandwich made with bread and cheese; it is cooked with either oil, margarine, or butter. Other ingredients such as bacon, avocado, pineapple, eggs, or sliced tomato can be optionally added to the open-faced sandwich as well.
A cheese and pickle sandwich is a British sandwich. As its name suggests, it consists of sliced or grated cheese and pickled chutney, sandwiched between two slices of bread. The bread may be spread with butter or margarine, and the sandwich may include salad items such as lettuce and rocket.
The cuisine of St. Louis is largely influenced by the city’s German, Irish, Italian, Mexican, Chinese, and Vietnamese immigrant population and African Americans who migrated from the Southern United States.
A sailor sandwich is a hot meat and cheese sandwich popular at Jewish delis in Richmond, Virginia, area restaurants. Its core ingredients are hot pastrami, grilled knackwurst, melted Swiss cheese and hot mustard on rye bread.
During the Depression, when Sunday Night Suppers became a popular way to entertain, the cheese dream began to appear on dining tables from coast to coast.