Rich ham and cheese toastie

Name: Rich ham and cheese toastie
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 300ml whole milk; 30g unsalted butter; 30g plain flour; 2 tsp dijon mustard; 200g mature cheddar, grated; 4 sourdough bread slices; Olive oil to drizzle; 100g parma ham slices; Worcestershire sauce or hot chilli sauce to finish

By: Monica Galetti

Published: 29 Sep 22
Updated: 23 Apr 24

Test kitchen approved

Monica Galetti’s rich ham and cheese toastie is a classic taken to the max: grilled sourdough with cheesy béchamel, extra melted cheddar and parma ham.

Monica Galetti was the first-ever female senior sous chef at Michel Roux Jr’s restaurant Le Gavroche. She later rose to fame as a judge on MasterChef: The Professionals. Monica is a judge on the Platinum Pudding competition for The Queen’s Jubilee, and with her husband David runs the acclaimed Mere restaurant in London.

Serves 4
Hands-on time 25 min

Visit deliciousmagazine.co.uk to save recipe

Ingredients

300ml whole milk
30g unsalted butter
30g plain flour
2 tsp dijon mustard
200g mature cheddar, grated
4 sourdough bread slices
Olive oil to drizzle
100g parma ham slices
Worcestershire sauce or hot chilli sauce to finish

Method

Heat the milk in a saucepan. In a separate saucepan, melt the butter, then whisk in the flour. Whisk in the hot milk and continue whisking as the sauce comes to the boil, then cook over a medium heat for 2 minutes to cook out the flour (removing the flour’s raw taste for a nuttier flavour). Take off the heat, then stir in the mustard and most of the cheddar, reserving about 70g.
Heat the grill to high. Drizzle the sourdough with olive oil and arrange on a large baking sheet. Toast under the grill on one side until golden. Turn over, spread some of the cheese sauce over the sourdough, then add a layer of ham. Cover with the remaining sauce, then sprinkle over the reserved cheddar.
Put back under the grill to melt the cheese. Drizzle with a little Worcestershire sauce or chilli sauce – whichever you prefer – then serve immediately

Recipe from April 2022 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 561kcals
Fat: 35.6g (18.4g saturated)
Protein: 26.6g
Carbohydrates: 32.7g (4.1g sugars)
Fibre: 1.8g
Salt: 2.8g

delicious. tips

You can make the cheese sauce (step 1) 1-2 days ahead. Cool, then cover and store in the fridge until ready to assemble. The sauce will thicken to a spreading consistency when chilled but will loosen up when heated under the grill.

Fancy getting a copy in print?

Subscribe to our magazine

Rich ham and cheese toastie

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition

delicious. tips

Manchego and chorizo toasties

Smoked mackerel toasties

Mozzarella and pesto toasties

Cheddar, pickled mushroom and wild garlic toastie

Croque madame

Gochujang mac-and-cheese toastie

More to discover

Rich ham and cheese toastie

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition

delicious. tips

Or, how about...?

Manchego and chorizo toasties

Smoked mackerel toasties

Mozzarella and pesto toasties

Cheddar, pickled mushroom and wild garlic toastie

Croque madame

Gochujang mac-and-cheese toastie

More to discover