A delicious, grilled sandwich that's the best for late-night noshing or a midday snack. This recipe for Ham and Cheese Toasties was inspired by a pub lunch in Limerick, Ireland, a Delectable Destination.
Lay out the slices of white bread and butter the top sides of them. Set two of them aside.
Flip them over, and spread two of the slices with the mustard. Top each mustardy slice with one slice of cheddar cheese.
Divide the ham in half and pile it on top of the cheese. Top the ham with the diced sautéed onion divided between the two sandwiches.
If you are using beans, spoon the beans over the diced onion on both sandwiches.
Finally, divide the remaining slices of cheddar and place them over the fillings. Top each sandwich off with the two slices of bread you set aside, buttered sides up. (Both sides of the sandwich should have the buttered sides out.)
Toast the sandwiches
Heat up a medium skillet over medium-low heat. If you are using a sandwich press turn it on and heat it up, ideally using flat plates instead of grooved. Place the assembled sandwiches in the hot pan or press.
For a press: close the lid to compress and grill the sandwiches for 3-4 minutes until the bread is toasted on the outside and the cheese is melty. For a skillet: place something heavy on top of the sandwiches to compress them, like a small cast-iron skillet or like I did: a small cutting board weighted down by a jar of jam or a can of beans. Grill the sandwich for about 2 minutes until the bread is lightly browned. Flip it over, compress it, and grill for another 1-2 minutes. The cheese should be melted and the bread toasted on both sides.
Slice the sandwiches in half and serve them immediately. I suggest enjoying them with cold Irish beer and a side of Tayto Cheese & Onion chips.
Notes
You can quickly make diced, sautéed onion for this sandwich: finely dice some yellow onion, and heat up a little oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté and stir the onions for about 5 minutes until they are soft and turning translucent.