Friday 6 January 2012

British Stuffs Review: Cheese and Onion Filling

Happy New Year and all of that... Blah blah...

I really can't spend much time on a New Year's post this year because a) they are boring and usually filled with promises I will never keep and b) I have something much more important to talk about - cheese and onion filling

Sadly, I don't remember the first time I had a cheese and onion sandwich, although I have a feeling it was at the Co-op by my office for lunch one day in September of 2009, at least we'll say it was. I probably thought it was a bit strange to have grated cheese in a sandwich since all my past cheese sandwich experiences had been either grilled or with sliced cheese. Even if I found it odd, as I am a lover all things cheese, I am certain it didn't take much convincing to get me to try it.
Cheese and Onion Sandwich
For those not in the know:  a typical British cheese and onion sandwich is grated cheese (usually red Leicester and British cheddar), finely chopped onion, mayonnaise and sometimes spring onion or chives all mixed together to make a spreadable goop which is spread between two slices of white bread (of course you can use wheat, but white is best!)  It makes your breath smell bad, but tastes so good!  Oh and top tip: put crisps (potato chips) inside your sandwich for special occasion lunching or if you've had a very bad morning and need an extra smile.

Just the good stuff!
But enough about sandwiches.  There is more to cheese and onion filling than sandwiches!  Recently, I've been on a carb-cutting mission and while looking for non-carby things to stuff in my face, I came across the filling of a cheese and onion sandwich in a tub all by itself. Not thinking of how I was going to eat the delicious goop without the bread, I happily snatched it up.  I have since found a multitude of ways to eat cheese and onion filling without bread and I fear I have developed an addiction.  I won't share my culinary discoveries with you since honestly, some of them sound quite gross, but I would like to recommend everyone eats cheese and onion filling in some form this weekend - especially if you've never had it before.  It's a British institution, if you ask me, and definitely my first favourite thing of 2012!


British Stuff Rating: 5/5 Paddington Bears



Sandwich photo Credit: www.thekitchn.com

9 comments:

  1. This sounds wonderful, how about a recipe so those of us in the U.S. can try it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love the Paddington Bear rating concept!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Recipe as requested. YUM YUM http://www.thekitchn.com/redirected-111162

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think I'd prefer a British cheese and onion pasty to a sandwich at the moment! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. gosh, please tell me you found a way to fry the cheese n onion goop to make little fritter-type things?? i cant even imagine how good that would be!! i wonder if the co-op's still open....

    ReplyDelete
  6. @emily jessica - I have not done that b/c you'd have to bread or coat them somehow, wouldnt you?? Sounds delicious though! Do let me know if you manage it!

    ReplyDelete
  7. And if you're in Gregg's and see a sandwich or roll called 'cheese savoury'... this is what it is!

    ReplyDelete
  8. As ridiculous as it might sound, I am addicted to cheese and onion sandwiches/filling for about 6 months now. But only the Tescos ones. I eat them for breakfast and lunch. Sometimes for dinner as well. Surely they have some sort of E's in them which make you crave for them. If you find a way of curing your addiction, please let us know. Haha

    ReplyDelete
  9. Haha... I found your blog when I was looking for yorkshire pudding recipes. I am British and my girlfriend lives in America. We've been exploring the strange and curious differences between culture (our current topic: British people like pubs; we don't care on the occasion; funeral wakes, wedding parties, dates, catchups, after work, lunch...)

    I have to say that corndogs, cornbread and root beer freezes are my favourite American things. I tried explaining a yorkshire pudding and prawn cocktail sandwiches to my girlfriend, but she cannot quite grasp the concept. She also seems to believe a Sunday Roast is the same as a pot roast. Oh - but she does insist I bring five boxes of jaffa cakes with me every time I visit ;-)

    ReplyDelete