Ultimate Henderson’s Cheese Toastie

Ultimate Henderson’s Cheese Toastie

This is the toastie we genuinely make when we want to impress someone but also can't be bothered to do anything too complicated. Caramelised onions, smoky plant-based cheese, and a generous hit of Henderson's Relish all melted together between two perfectly golden slices of bread. It's rich, it's gooey, and it's got that deep umami thing going on that makes you go back for another bite before you've even finished the first. Honestly, if you've never used Henderson's in a toastie before, your life is about to change. Make this tonight, you won't regret it.

Cook: 25 min
Serves 1

Before You Start

  • Small saucepan with lid
  • Small bowl
  • Frying pan
  • Largest, heaviest pan (or sandwich iron) for pressing
  • Grater

Ingredients

  • 2 slices of sourdough
  • 3 tbsp melted plant-based butter
  • 1 tsp Henderson's Relish
  • 1 tbsp plant-based butter
  • 1 tbsp plant-based cream cheese
  • 60g smoked plant-based cheese
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp plant-based milk
  • 1 tbsp Henderson's Relish
  • salt
  • 2 red onions
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp Henderson's Relish
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • salt to taste

Method

1

Start with the caramelised onions

  • Peel and thinly slice the onions
  • Drizzle some olive oil in the small saucepan over a medium heat
  • Once warm, dd the sliced onions to the pan along with the balsamic vinegar, Henderson’s Relish, sugar and salt
  • Stir, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and put the lid on the pan
  • Cook until soft and gooey
2

Meanwhile, make the smoked cheese mix

  • Place the plant-based butter in a small saucepan over a low heat
  • Once melted, add the cream cheese, grated plant-based cheese, mustard, plant-based milk, Henderson’s Relish and a pinch of salt
  • Mix well until everything comes together and cook on a low heat until the cheese sauce becomes stingy and cheesy
3

Make the butter

  • In a small bowl, mix together the butter and Henderson’s relish until it comes together
4

Finish the sandwich

  • Put a frying pan over a medium heat and add the Henderson’s butter, ensuring it coats the base of the pan evenly
  • Lay 2 slices of bread in the pan
  • Spoon the caramelised onions on top of one slice of bread before topping with the cheese sauce
  • Lay the remaining bread slices on top
  • Use your biggest, heaviest pan or a sandwich iron to compress the sandwiches
  • Fry for 3–4 minutes, then remove the weight, very carefully flip the sandwiches over and replace the weight on top
  • Fry for another 3–4 minutes
  • Remove the sandwiches to a wooden board, cut in half and serve

Tips & Variations

  • Take your time with the onions: We know it's tempting to rush them on a higher heat, but trust us, low and slow is the move. You want them properly soft and jammy, not just translucent.
  • Henderson's swap: If you can't get hold of Henderson's Relish, Worcestershire sauce works in a pinch, though Henderson's is vegan and genuinely has its own thing going on so it's worth tracking down.
  • Cheese matters: Go for a plant-based smoked cheese if you can find one. The smokiness plays really well against the sweetness of the onions and makes the whole thing feel a bit more special.

Why This Works

The trick here is the Henderson's Relish in the caramelised onions. It adds this dark, savoury depth that you can't quite put your finger on but absolutely can't stop eating. We find the low and slow cook on the onions is worth every minute because that gooey sweetness is what holds the whole thing together.