When I was a really young bride and mother, my father used to stop by my place on his day off every week for lunch. I used to make him a Bologna and Cheese Toastie. He loved them.  Sometimes, if I had them, I would insert a couple of blades of fresh chives into the sandwich. He really loved that!

A toastie is basically the name that the British use for a grilled/toasted sandwich. They would not call a Grilled Cheese a Grilled Cheese for example, it would be known as a Cheese Toastie.

I don't know about you, but I think the word "Toastie" automatically makes something taste better.  We are such suggestive creatures.

My father has been in hospital for a week now, so dinners have been very simple these days. Much of our time is being spent with him in the hospital. He's not enjoying any toasties of course, but as soon as we can get him home, I am sure we will be treating him to one! (Hopefully more sooner than later!)

 

This Ham and Cheese Toastie with its filling of delicious smoky Italian Deli Ham, creamy rich cheddar cheese and grainy mustard is a real favorite.  Add a cup of soup and you have a delicious lunch or light supper.  

I like to do my toasties in the air fryer these days. Not only do you get a lovely and buttery crisp finish, but they stay crisp, never soggy and you don't end up with smushed bread from having to press it down in a skillet.  The air circulates all around the buttered bread and bakes/brown it up nice and, well  . . .  toastie!

I do confess I used a bit of extra cheddar in this sandwich as I accidentally grated more, and I didn't want it to dry up or go to waste. Waste not, want not as they say.  Can there ever be too much cheese?  I think not!

 

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

TO MAKE

AIR FRYER HAM & CHEESE TOASTIE

There is nothing too complicated here.

• 2 thick slices of quality white bread
• 2 TBS butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (60g) hand grated strong cheddar cheese
• 4 thin slices deli ham
• 1/2 TBS grainy Dijon mustard

 

I used Dempster's Texas Toast White Sandwich Bread. It is nice and thick and toasts up very nicely. 

I only keep salted butter in the house, so that is what I used.

I love Coastal Cheddar Cheese.  It is made in Devon in the U.K. It has a beautiful flavor. You can find it at Costco, and I also buy it in Sobey's here in Canada. It's lovely.  In any case, use a good strong, well-flavored cheddar cheese.

I used Italian Deli ham from the deli-counter. Thinly sliced.  I used only four slices, but you use as much as you like! Less is more I find, however. You want the sandwich to hold together.

I used French's grainy Dijon mustard.

 

HOW TO MAKE

AN AIR FRYER HAM & CHEESE TOASTIE

Quick, easy and delicious, these come out perfectly toasted each and every time. I do confess, I probably added a bit more cheese to this one. I had it grated and didn't want to waste it.

1. Preheat your air fryer to 400*F/200*C if necessary.
2. Butter both slices of bread liberally on both sides. Place one slice of bread into the tray of your air fryer. Spread with the grainy mustard. (The butter helps things to stick better.)
3. Reserve 3 TBS of the cheese to put on top of the sandwich. Sprinkle 1/2 of the rest on top of the mustard spread slice of bread in the air fryer. (Divide the cheese up so there is some both on top and bottom of the ham so that it sticks and stays in the sandwich better.)
4. Lay the slices of ham evenly over top of the cheese. Scatter the remaining cheese on top. Then place the other slice of bread over top, butter side up.
5. Air fry for 4 minutes at 400*F/200*C. Remove from the air fryer basket, carefully flip over and return to the basket. Scatter the reserved cheddar cheese on top. (I try to pile most of it near the center of the bread.)
6. Return to the air fryer and continue to air fry for 4 to 5 minutes longer at 400*F/200*C until the cheese on top is how you know you will enjoy it, and the cheese inside has melted. (I like mine nice and melty.)
7. Remove from the air fryer basket, cut in half and serve immediately. Enjoy! (I do like it to sit for a few minutes to avoid cheese burn on my tongue and mouth.)

 

WHAT TO SERVE

WITH

AN AIR FRYER HAM & CHEESE TOASTIE

On this occasion I enjoyed my sandwich with an assortment of raw veggies. Fresh cherry tomatoes from my sister's garden and some sliced baby cucumbers. Fresh, crisp and they went beautifully on the side.

You could also serve this tasty sandwich with a hot cup of soup. Pick your favorite, but I believe cream soups go best, such as tomato, mushroom or even celery.

If you are feeling especially indulgent you could serve a side of potato chips with this sandwich. I would go for plain ones myself, but sour cream and onion would also be very nice. Heck!  Who am I kidding, any kind of potato chip would be nice!  (Or crisps as they are known in the U.K.)

For a dinner or heartier meal, you could serve this sandwich with some oven chips and a salad. I don't think anyone would complain.

 

WHY 

I LIKE TO

AIR FRY TOASTIE SANDWICHES!

Here are a few reasons why air frying is a great idea!

1. Food is healthier using little or no fat in many instances to cook.

2. Food cooks much more evenly due to the circulation of air around it.

3. Not a lot to clean up afterwards. Air fryer parts more often than not will go in the dishwasher.

4. No more smashed or soggy sandwiches.  Sandwiches stay nice and crisp.

5. Your kitchen stays nice and cool as compared to using the oven.

6. Well-suited to cooking for smaller families or individuals.

 

OTHER 

AIR FRYER TOASTIE RECIPES 

THAT YOU MIGHT ENJOY

If you enjoy using your air fryer, you might also enjoy using the following recipes. I guarantee they are delicious!  (I know I am a bit biased!) (They can also be done in the skillet for those who don't have an air fryer.)

AIR FRYER REUBEN SANDWICH - Everything you love about a Reuben Sandwich in a crisp and buttery toastie, done in the air fryer.  Crisp golden brown exterior, tangy kraut, smoked meat, cheese and a homemade Thousand Island Dressing. Buttery, crisp and generously filled. Easy and delicious.

AIR FRYER TUNA MELT - After making tuna melts in my air fryer, I will never make them any other way.  These are fabulous. The bread stays nice and crisp with a beautiful golden-brown buttery crust. The filling is delicious, but that bread practically melts in the mouth, with a generous tuna and cheese filling.

 

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Yield: One Sandwich

Author: Marie Rayner

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Air Fryer Ham & Cheese Toastie

Prep time: 2 MinCook time: 9 MinTotal time: 11 Min

Crisp and buttery golden brown with a rich layer of cheddar cheese gilding the top and a smoky ham, cheese and grainy mustard filling. Use the best cheddar you can buy for this tasty sandwich!

Ingredients

• 2 thick slices of quality white bread
• 2 TBS butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (60g) hand grated strong cheddar cheese
• 4 thin slices deli ham
• 1/2 TBS grainy Dijon mustard

Instructions

1. Preheat your air fryer to 400*F/200*C if necessary.
2. Butter both slices of bread liberally on both sides. Place one slice of bread into the tray of your air fryer. Spread with the grainy mustard.
3. Reserve 3 TBS of the cheese to put on top of the sandwich. Sprinkle 1/2 of the rest on top of the mustard spread slice of bread in the air fryer.
4. Lay the slices of ham evenly over top of the cheese. Scatter the remaining cheese on top. Then place the other slice of bread over top, butter side up.
5. Air fry for 4 minutes at 400*F/200*C. Remove from the air fryer basket, carefully flip over and return to the basket. Scatter the reserved cheddar cheese on top.
6. Return to the air fryer and continue to air fry for 4 to 5 minutes longer at 400*F/200*C until the cheese on top is how you know you will enjoy it, and the cheese inside has melted.
7. Remove from the air fryer basket, cut in half and serve immediately. Enjoy!

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Here I am again with my weekly Meals of the Week post. On Sundays I like to post a re-cap of all of the delicious thigs that I have enjoyed for my main meals over the past seven days.  This was a bit of an unusual week in that my father was taken to hospital on Monday and has been there ever since. All plans have gone out the window and dinners have been very much catch-as-I-can. I still think I managed to do pretty well, all things considered.

This is only my main meals of course.  Not my breakfasts or my lunch/suppers. Usually, I will eat my main meal in the early afternoon, but all plans aside this week, I ate my main meal whenever I could get it in, which more often than not was late afternoon. It's been a great blessing that I only have me to worry about and no family to feed. That would have made things a lot more difficult.

Dad is still in the hospital. He had a big procedure yesterday to check out his gall bladder. It is full of stones. They still have no real explanation for what is going on with him. Some sort of viral infection, but when you are almost 92 years old, that is all it takes sometimes to lay you out!

He won't be able to come home until he gets his strength back and can walk better on his own. Until that happens things will be a bit in the air as far as meals go, but I am doing my best!

I have done very poorly this week, having readymade muffins for my breakfast most days and toast in the evening when I have gotten home. Best laid plans and all that. I know you will forgive me. Lets just hope my waistline does!

So, without further waffling on, here is what I managed to eat for my main meals over the past seven days!  I hope you will be inspired by at least a few of these meals! I am really hoping that my father will be able to come home soon, so things can get back to normal, but for now, he is where he needs to be.

SUNDAY, August 24th - My Treat

My sister works so hard all of the time taking care of my dad and Dan, the house, etc. I thought I would give her a day off and treated us all to Mary Brown's Fried Chicken. It was such a worrisome day with the wildfires burning. There was ash and embers falling from the sky all day long. I think we were all worried we were going to be evacuated.  Dad couldn't even eat any supper, but something was going on with him that we didn't figure out til Monday.

In the place of the fried chicken I am sharing my recipe for Oven Fried Chicken. It is delicious. You coat it with crushed potato chips. You can use any flavor you enjoy as well, so double the deliciousness! 

I elected to go meatless and made myself a delicious crustless vegetable quiche. Eggs make a great supper every now and then. I love quiche, but I don't always want to eat pastry.  (Well, perhaps need is a better word to use than want.  I always want pastry, but it should only be a once in a blue moon treat!)

This also makes a quick and easy supper for two. Crispy tender vegetables are popped into the bottom of a buttered dish and topped with some onion and grated cheddar. A rich egg custard is poured over top and then the casserole is simply baked until nicely puffed and golden brown. Delicious served with some oven chips, or a salad. (I had a salad on this occasion.)

TUESDAY, August 26th - Greek Chicken with Cucumber Salad

I spent all afternoon and evening at the hospital. I made myself some of this grilled chicken in the morning so I would have something to pick at for a few days. It is a delicious recipe I adapted from the NYTimes for a chicken supper that is keto, low carb and diabetic friendly.  

Downsized for two people, you have incredibly tasty marinated, and flavor filled chicken thighs that I grill on my indoor grill, accompanied with a fresh and delicious cucumber, tomato and feta cheese salad. The two things served together are an amazing combination of flavors and textures.

WEDNESDAY, August 27th - Crock Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup

I threw something into the crock pot before I went to the hospital on Wednesday.  There is no better time to use a crock pot than when you know you are going to be too busy to cook. There was no need for browning or precooking any of the ingredients. You simply just chopped everything and then threw it into the slow cooker, walking away to let it get on with its business.

4 to 6 hours later you add some cheese and cream and walk away again until the cheese melts and heats through.  There is no need to puree anything, its a lovely chunky, rich and creamy soup that is no fuss, no muss and incredibly delicious!

This was perfect with some crackers and butter. I really enjoyed it.

THURSDAY, August 28th - BBQ Chicken Tostadas

I used some of the chicken leftover from Tuesday and made myself some BBQ Chicken Tostadas for my supper. They are basically a mixture of leftover shredded cooked/rotisserie chicken, BBQ sauce and the chipotle chili paste. You pop this onto the charred tortillas, top with cheese and bake. When done you drizzle with some BBQ Sauce and sprinkle on chopped spring onions.

Quick and easy was the order of the day as I spent, one more, most of the day at the hospital with my sister, and the rest of the day I was helping out at my friend Jacqueline's house as Dan was cleaning her siding off and cleaning her garage.  It was a super busy day!

FRIDAY, August 29th - Flat Meatballs & Gravy

I had a bit of a respite on Friday as my dad was taken into Halifax to have some tests done there. My sister went in and back with him, it was a full day, so no visits as they got back rather late for that.  

I made myself Flat Meatballs & Gravy.  These have long been a family favorite of mine.  These are the shape of little, tiny ground beef patties, like flattened meatballs, flavored simply with grated onion, garlic and a few seasonings.  Browned and then baked in a creamy mushroom gravy.

These are fabulously delicious and so simple to make.  They also freeze very well. You can enjoy them with rice, or pasta, mashed potatoes, etc.  Your family is sure to enjoy them! I promise!

I enjoyed some of these with some rice and broccoli on the side.  It was a delicious meal!

SATURDAY, August 30th - Fish Fingers, Chips & Beans

Another quick and easy meal due to hospital visits, etc.  Baked beans, doctored up, along with some frozen fish fingers and chips.

This is a favorite supper for many people in the U.K. and no small wonder. It is quick, easy and delicious, especially if you do the beans like I do. I add a few extra bits to make their flavor really sparkle.  I did the chips in the air fryer this time.  Not as tasty as takeaway chips, but not as fatty either!  

This was a delicious supper. If you are really feeling cheeky you can enjoy a slice of buttered white bread with this and make yourself a chip butty. Oh, so good. I resisted this time and just thought about it.

And there you have it, my meals of the week for the past seven days.  I think/hope you will agree that I ate very well, despite being super busy and not having a lot of time for cooking! There was nothing really expensive or outrageous there! Simple food done well.  That's my promise to you always.

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I love gingerbread. It is, simply put, one of my favorite choices when it comes to choosing a comforting dessert or teatime treat. I know I am not alone in that because all of the gingerbread cake recipes on my page remain eternally popular. 

Gingerbread flavors, they never go out of style.  Moist and delicious, they hearken back to an older period in time.  Sweet, spicy, warm and slightly smoky from the molasses. This just never gets old.

Whether you enjoy it as a dessert with ice cream, or whipped cream, or as a savory spread with butter, this never fails to go down a real treat. 

This version is for the smaller family and cuts perfectly into four squares or two slabs (depending on your appetite.) It's quick and easy to make and is moist and delicious!  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a small baking dish. Mine is 5 by 7 inches in size. A 5 by 5-inch dish will also work. Set aside.
2. Whisk the flour, soda, salt, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom together in a small bowl. Set aside. (Whisking the dry ingredients together first will make sure that everything is evenly distributed.)
3. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk until thoroughly incorporated. Mix in the molasses, once again, until thoroughly incorporated. (Creaming the butter and sugar makes sure that the sugar melts properly into the batter.)
4. Stir in the dry ingredients just to combine. (Overmixing will toughen the batter. Mix only until there are no longer any dry streaks of flour.)
5. Slowly whisk in the hot water until the batter is smooth and evenly mixed. Pour this into the prepared dish, spreading it out evenly. (I use the back of a metal spoon to spread it out.)
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Cool slightly before serving.

THIS WILL KEEP FOR SEVERAL DAYS, TIGHTLY COVERED. YOU CAN ALSO FREEZE THIS CAKE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, WRAPPED AND STORED IN AN AIRTIGHT CONTAINER.

 

HINTS AND TIPS

TO ENSURE SUCCESS WHEN BAKING

THIS CAKE

• Have all of your ingredients ready before you begin and at room temperature.
• Use the right sized baking dish. Mine is five by seven inches. A five-inch square dish also works well as will two 10-ounce ramekins.
• Butter your baking dish really well so as to prevent sticking. I use non-stick low-fat cooking spray.
• Preheat your oven thoroughly before beginning.
• Don't overmix the batter. This will toughen the crumb of the finished cake. Mix only to combine thoroughly with no dry streaks remaining.

 

WHAT CAN I SERVE 

WITH 

GINGERBREAD CAKE FOR TWO

While this cake is delicious all on its own, there are a few things which go very well with it and lift the flavors of this tasty cake to a top-level dessert!

1. Top with a dollop of softly whipped cream, or a squirty of squirty cream. A dollop of clotted cream or creme fraiche would also be very nice.

2. Lemon curd. Gently warm some lemon curd and spoon over top.

3. Vanilla Ice Cream. A scoop of cold vanilla ice cream would go very nicely with this cake.

4. Caramel Sauce.  A drizzle of caramel sauce (found in the dessert section of the shops) is lovely spooned over top.

5. Lemon Sauce. The spiced lemon sauce from this recipe is lovely spooned over top.

 

A FEW OTHER

GINGER CAKE RECIPES

FOR YOU TO ENJOY

We love gingerbread in this house. Here are a few other favorites of ours.

SQUIDGY GINGERBREAD 

When you dip your fork into this delicious gingerbread you realize what a treat it really is. Squidgy, damp, melt in the mouth ginger deliciousness. When you sink your teeth into its deliciously squidgy moistness . . . you realize that this is truly a Gingerbread to fall in love with. I enjoy its split and filled with lemon curd. This is the Cadillac of gingerbread cakes!

STICKY TOPPED GINGERBREAD 

Think of this sort of as a gingerbread flavored sticky toffee pudding. No dates, just a warm spicy gingerbread cake, topped with a lovely caramel like sticky toffee sauce. Delicious as is with no embellishments, but whipped cream or clotted cream on top is also really rather good.

 

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Yield: 2 servings with leftovers

Author: Marie Rayner

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Mini Gingerbread Cake

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 15 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

Perfectly sized and beautifully spiced, this moist dense gingerbread cake makes a fabulous dessert. Serve warm with whipped cream, ice cream, lemon curd, etc. I like it served warm and spread with butter.

Ingredients

• 2 TBS granulated sugar
• 2 TBS butter, at room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/4 cup (88g) molasses (in the U.K. use half golden syrup and half dark treacle)
• 2/3 cup (83g) unsifted all-purpose plain flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup (60ml) hot water

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a small baking dish. Mine is 5 by 7 inches in size. A 5 by 5-inch dish will also work. Set aside.
2. Whisk the flour, soda, salt, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom together in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk until thoroughly incorporated. Mix in the molasses, once again, until thoroughly incorporated.
4. Stir in the dry ingredients just to combine.
5. Slowly whisk in the hot water until the batter is smooth and evenly mixed. Pour this into the prepared dish, spreading it out evenly.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Cool slightly before serving.

All rights reserved The English Kitchen

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @marierayner5530 on instagram and hashtag it #TheEnglishKitchen

This content, written and photography, is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.

 

Thanks for visiting! Do come again!! 

 If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing/following me on Grow. You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right-hand side of the screen.