12 recipes of Christmas: How to make Ripe’s cheese toastie

Christmas is a time for getting together with friends and family, which comes with the joy of indulging in a hearty meal or having a few drinks. For some, these celebrations can trigger heartburn or indigestion, but thanks to Gaviscon, you can enjoy this delicious time without hesitation. In celebration, we’ve partnered with Gaviscon to bring to you the 12 recipes of Christmas by some of our favourite Aussie chefs. See all 12 recipes here.

Ahh, the humble cheese toastie – a much-loved snack, a quick-and-easy dinner option for those nights you can’t be bothered cooking, and mainstay of cafés around the country. There’s just something special that happens when you combine bread, cheese and copious amounts of butter, right?

Someone who couldn’t agree more is Hakim Halim, founder and cheesemonger at Ripe – an artisanal cheese shop located at Queen Victoria Market. Despite being lactose intolerant, he’s been at the helm of this delectable emporium (which only stocks Australian cheeses) since 2019, and after years of making toasties for himself and his staff, decided to add them to the menu. Fast forward to now, and these oozy, dripping sandwiches of goodness have developed what can only be described as a cult-like following.

“I started giving them out to other traders and to my friends, and they all started asking when I was going to sell them,” explains Halim. “And after that, I thought ‘maybe I have a knack for making cheese toasties!’”

Halim then went on to establish what he refers to as his "philosophy of the toastie" – which is a list of the essential elements required.

“It needs to have the ooze, and it needs to have sharpness. It also needs acid, funk and crispiness. These five factors were very much in play when I created my toastie.”

According to Halim, the funk comes from the smear of blue cheese, the ooze from the mozzarella, the sharpness from the cheddar, the acid from the pickles and caramelised leeks and the crunch from the toasted stale sourdough. And yes, you did read caramelised leeks in that last sentence – this secret (and surprising!) ingredient also happens to be one of the main pressure points.

“The leeks are a labour of love,” says Halim. “You can’t leave them for longer than 15 minutes or they will burn, so you need to be constantly stirring, stirring, stirring.”

The other component that has the potential to make or break this dish is the toasting method. Halim doesn’t think the average sandwich press is up to the challenge (“I do not like them at all – I don't think they get hot enough), and instead prefers to cook over the stove. 

“The trick is to put a sheet of baking paper over the toastie, and then use a smaller frying pan to act as a weight on top. This allows the cheese to melt really nicely in the centre, but also crisp up the bread.

“But again, if you just leave it and don’t watch it, it will burn.”

A cheese toastie isn’t exactly your usual Christmas lunch fare but when it comes to a cheeky Boxing Day snack, it really does hit the spot. Plus, it helps take care of the age-old quandary: what to do with all the leftover meat. Halim suggests adding ham, turkey, smoked salmon or even a condiment like cranberry sauce to his recipe to create the ultimate brunch feast. And best of all, it will help “soak up all the alcohol you had the night before”.

So, will Halim be on toastie duty this festive season? Maybe, but only if his family asks. With international travel restrictions easing, he will be flying home to Singapore for two weeks to spend time with his loved ones – whom he hasn’t seen in three years.

“I’m just looking forward to Christmas and getting back home to my family,” says Halim. “Nothing else really matters at this point.”

Cheese Toastie

Ingredients

2 slices of stale/dried/day-old sourdough
60g grated sharp cheddar
3 slices of mozzarella 
A liberal or small spread of blue cheese
Some butter 
1 leek (green part only and cleaned)
2 tbs olive oil
Squeeze of lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Pickles of your choice
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Method

1. Chop leeks as fine as you can. Alternatively, use a food processor. 
2. Heat pan with olive oil over low heat. 
3. Once heated, add leeks and ½ tsp salt. Cook slowly until caramelised/brown (about 20 to 30 minutes). You must stir the leeks using a spatula every five minutes to prevent burning. 
4. Add a splash of water with a squeeze of lemon juice and scrape the fond off the bottom of the pan as that will add flavour to the leeks. Finish off with a bit of butter stirred through. Set aside and let cool. 
5. Spread butter liberally on one side of each slice of sourdough – make sure it goes to the edges. Place them on a board with buttered sides facing down.
6. Spread the blue cheese on one slice of sourdough, followed by two slices of mozzarella, 1 tsp of caramelised leeks, 60g of grated cheddar, one slice of mozzarella and finally the remaining top slice. 
7. To cook:
   a. Sandwich press – heat up the sandwich press to its highest setting (or about 235°C). Place the toastie in the press and let it cook for about six to eight minutes.
   b. On the stove – heat up a large frying pan on medium heat and then place the toastie in the pan. Place a sheet of baking paper and a smaller pan (or weighted tray) on top of the toastie to act like a press. After three to four minutes, flip over and cook for another two minutes. 
8. Serve hot with a side of pickles.

Heartburn an issue? Pick up Gaviscon from your local grocery store or pharmacy. Make it a Christmas to remember and win a $2,000 Visa Gift Card from Gaviscon to spend on summer entertaining – head to www.gaviscon.com.au/win to enter.