National Cheese Toast Day – September 15, 2022, history, significance, quotes, FAQS
National Cheese Toast Day is celebrated every year on September 15. This flavorful combination born in California is a favorite around the world. It is so simple and very filling. You can even add some toppings to it if you want, but even a simple good old piece of cheese toast works the trick and is the key to many people’s hearts.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL CHEESE TOAST DAY
When we think of cheese toast, our mouths instantly start salivating and the hunger pangs come out in full force. Cheese toast is a tasty treat that is prepared using a single slice of bread that is toasted with melted cheese on top.
This food delight was created by Del Johnson in 1958 when he opened his first Sizzler restaurant. Obviously, it became an instant success and a fan favorite. The original cheese toast was created using egg bread topped with a parmesan cheese mixture.
Later, the chefs started using white egg-based bread followed by French bread with a margarine base. The dish became so popular and now it is even enjoyed outside of the United States in Australia, China, Japan, and Thailand.
Tamra Scoggins, a chef at Sizzler even created a special lunch sandwich called “The Malibu Melt” for Cheese Toast fanatics. This dish combines a double portion of Sizzler’s signature Malibu Chicken between slices of crispy cheese toast. This is topped with pickles and a special Honey Malibu Sauce.
Over the years, there have been variations to the classic recipe, however, the core of it remains the same. It is so versatile that it can be eaten as an appetizer or with soup or salad or as a main course. In 2015, to honor the success of this dish, Sizzler USA founded National Cheese Toast Day.
To celebrate this day, Sizzler restaurants typically give out free cheese toast at several locations. You can also head to one of their restaurants to try out the original cheese toast or simply make your own.
NATIONAL CHEESE TOAST DAY TIMELINE
1725
First Welsh Rarebit
The Welsh rarebit or Welsh rabbit, a form of cheese toast, first appears as a dish.
1958
Home of Cheese Toast
Del Johnson opens Sizzler restaurant where he creates cheese toast.
2010
World’s Largest Cheese on toast
The world’s largest cheese on toast is made in Leicester, United Kingdom.
2015
Free Cheese Toast
Sizzler restaurants serve free cheese toast to the public to honor National Cheese Toast Day.
NATIONAL CHEESE TOAST DAY ACTIVITIES
Eat cheese toast
Kick off National Cheese Toast Day by eating this food item for breakfast. You can even use some leftovers and eat them for lunch or dinner. Allow yourself to binge on cheese toast for this one day.
Pack cheese toast for your child’s snack
Pack some cheese toast for your child to take to school and eat during recess. They will surely enjoy the cheesy meal and can even share it with their friends as well.
Experiment with the cheese toast
A cheesy toast is best eaten the simple way, with butter and cheese on a crisp piece of toast. However, you can experiment with the seasoning and add some oregano, chilly flakes, pepper, and so forth for that extra flavor punch. Or you can even try your hand at making the U.K. specialty, Welsh rarebit.
5 CHEESY FACTS ABOUT CHEESE TOAST
Type of cheese used
For cheese on toast, the most commonly used type is cheddar cheese.
Grilled cheese vs. cheese toast
While grilled cheese is prepared with two pieces of bread and looks like a sandwich, cheese toast is a single slice of bread with a cheese topping.
Made in the oven
Unlike grilled cheese, cheese toast is made in the oven.
Different buttering
In a grilled cheese, both pieces and sides of the bread are buttered, while in cheese toast, only one side is buttered.
Popularity
Cheese on toast is popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and African countries.
WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL CHEESE TOAST DAY
It’s a delicious snack
Cheese toast is a mouthwatering snack and the cheesy goodness just melts in your mouth. It is quite satisfying and makes the perfect accompaniment for outdoor picnics or hikes.
It’s easy to make
You can perfect cheese toast in three to four easy steps. Even the ingredients required are so easily available in grocery stores that it’s hardly a fuss to serve up some cheese toast.
It’s super popular
Cheese toast is so popular that it has its own recipe in the U.K. and is also eaten for breakfast. Children or adults, everyone across all age groups enjoys this humble cheesy item.
How to celebrate National Cheese Toast Day
Enjoying this day has everything to do with putting cheese on buttery bread, toasting it and then browning it in the oven until it’s golden and delicious. Try these ideas for celebrating the day:
Enjoy Cheese Toast at Sizzler
Perhaps it would be a good idea to go back to the beginning where it all began. Try to find a Sizzler nearby where their famous cheese toast can be ordered and enjoyed. Don’t forget to ask if they have a special discount in honor of National Cheese Toast Day! While at the restaurant, be sure to take a cheese toast selfie and share it with friends.
Try Making Cheese Toast at Home
Probably just as easy as going to Sizzler, cheese toast is possibly the easiest thing that a person can make at home in their own kitchen. All it takes to make it at home is to spread butter or margarine on it. To get a little fancier, go ahead and put herbs in the butter also. It’s possible to get as creative with it as you want, but putting it in the oven and making the toast toasty is what matters!
Once it is made, Cheese Toast can be eaten for a snack, enjoyed as an appetizer, or used as a side dish to sop up extra pasta sauce. Try it dipped in tomato soup or eat it with a green salad to add some flavor and crunch.
Get Creative Making Cheese Toast
To really celebrate this day, try out some interesting cheese toast recipes that can be made at home. Depending on what mood strikes at the moment, it’s possible to go for almost any style. There are all different kinds of options for cheese, such as cheddar, Swiss, provolone, goat cheese, etc. In addition, a variety of bread options are available, including white, rye, wheat, French, Italian, or just any kind of bread.
The tastiest versions will be made with hearty, artisan breads. Some people like to add toppings such as roasted peppers, salami, avocado, spinach leaves, and so much more. The options are virtually endless when it comes to National Cheese Toast Day.
Consider these interesting, unique options for Cheese Toast, or come up with your own:
Welsh Rarebit Cheese Toast. Turn that boring cheese toast into something delicious by creating a cheesy bechamel sauce and mixing it with canned asparagus. Pour on top of the toast and serve (before it gets soggy!).
Bacon and Raisin Cheddar Toast. This delightful treat tastes like its invention may have been a happy accident when the creator had run out of normal bread.
Place cheddar cheese slices and bacon slices on buttered Raisin Bread and bake in the oven until toasty.
Onion Apple Cheese Toast. This one also sounds a little strange, but it’s delicious. Simply grill some onions until soft and golden while pre-toasting slices of Rye Bread in the oven. Pile onions, apple slices and sliced Gruyere cheese, then broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Cheese Toast and Toasted Cheese: Know the Difference
With the purity of the day at risk, it is important to understand that this is National Cheese Toast Day and not a day for a “toasted cheese” or a “cheese toastie”. Although they do sound similar, a toasted cheese/cheese toastie is a sandwich–the same one that is also sometimes called “grilled cheese”.
Toasted cheese is different from Cheese Toast in two ways. First, a toasted cheese is two pieces of bread stacked together with cheese and other ingredients in the middle. Cheese Toast only has one piece of bread.
Second, the sandwich is made on the stovetop by grilling it in a pan–leaving the cheese gooey. Cheese Toast is made by broiling the open-face bread on a pan in the oven, which leaves the cheese golden and delicious.
Whether plain and simple or fancy and gourmet, just eating cheese toast sounds good, doesn’t it? Sometimes the simplest recipe is the best way to go.
NATIONAL CHEESE TOAST DAY FAQS
What is cheese on toast called in the U.K.?
In the U.K., cheese on toast is called a Welsh rarebit. It is a specialty recipe for cheese on toast and also a popular British breakfast item.
What do you eat with cheese toast?
You can eat just plain cheese toast as breakfast or a snack. Otherwise, you can have cheese toast with soup, salads, or some fruit.
How do you make cheese toast?
You can make cheese toast in three easy steps. All you have to do is put butter on one side of the bread, blend butter, garlic, and cheese until it’s smooth, and spread the mixture over the non-buttery side, and bake it. Sit back and enjoy your delicious cheese on toast!
