Grilled Cheese Vs English Toastie: Is There A Difference?

To the untrained eye, a classic English toastie and an iconic grilled cheese sandwich — the latter a little taste of Americana and a staple on tables all over the United States — might seem indistinguishable at first. But gaze a little longer and you'll see that, for all they have in common, each also retains its own identity.

Both the mere mention of a toastie or a grilled cheese will evoke cozy notions of childhood, early home cooking efforts, or post-pub snacks, depending on who you're reminiscing with. Each is also very versatile, easy to spice up, pack with protein, or brighten with a few slices of apple or pear. They can both be found in the most casual of settings, or dressed up in finer environments. But, personal preference, family recipe quirks, and other variables aside, their standard preparation is what most distinguishes a toastie from a grilled cheese. A toastie's interior must be buttered, while a grilled cheese requires an outer layer of fat, which is typically butter, though using mayo makes your grilled cheese taste like heaven. That critical ingredient distribution is also what makes the grilled cheese able to stand up to a skillet, while a toastie fares better in a dedicated sandwich toaster. As with many beloved foodstuffs, however, you will see some overlap, and sundry opinions about what really makes each unique and what makes them similar.

Your ingredients will typically be the same: bread, butter, and cheese. And you already know that a toastie's center-facing bread will be slathered to meet the dairy, while the grilled cheese's outside surfaces will be coated. From there, your tools diverge. For a toastie, you will need the aforementioned sandwich toaster, which simultaneously heats the item's top and bottom with a bit of pressure to really mingle the ingredients. For a grilled cheese, you'll want to fire up the old frying pan and flip that baby a few times for its characteristically greasy, golden brown finish and gooey center. Each has its merits. The toastie will be a little easier to handle, while the grilled cheese crisps up beautifully for a satisfying, ASMR crunch.

You could also alter either into endless iterations without ever repeating a single result. Add easy, oven-made bacon for some savory crunch, swap your standard butter with a garlic compound, or pair your grilled cheese or toastie with a sweet fruit compote to keep them ever interesting.