Sambal Cheese Toastie
A crisp, buttery toastie packed with mature Cheddar, spring onion and a hot streak of sambal.
Made with Sambal oelek (chilli sambal). Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time15 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £1.93 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Mix the cheese with the spring onions in a bowl.
- 2
Butter one side of each slice of bread. Turn four slices butter side down and spread with your ready made sambal oelek (see the base recipe).
- 3
Top with the tomato slices, then the cheese mixture, then the remaining slices, butter side up.
- 4
Heat a large frying pan over a medium low heat. Cook the toasties two at a time for 3 to 4 minutes per side, pressing down gently, until golden and the cheese is melted.
7 min - 5
Rest for 1 minute, cut in half and serve hot.
Tips
- Keep the heat medium low. A fierce heat browns the bread before the cheese melts.
- Grate the cheese yourself. It melts better than pre grated cheese.
- Spread the sambal thinly. A little goes a long way against rich cheese.
Storing and freezing
Best eaten straight away. Leftover toasties keep 1 day in the fridge once cooled within 2 hours and reheat in a hot pan until steaming hot all the way through.
Questions
Can I make it vegan?
Yes. Use dairy free spread, a good melting vegan cheese and vegan bread. The sambal is vegan already.
Can I use an air fryer or toastie machine?
Yes. A toastie machine takes 3 to 4 minutes. In an air fryer cook at 180 degrees C for 6 to 8 minutes, turning once.
How hot is it?
Medium hot, but the cheese softens it a lot. Use 20 g sambal for a milder toastie.
More made with sambal oelek (chilli sambal)
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.