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It might seem obvious that butter belongs on a toastie, but it contains milk solids, which burn really easily when heated up, so the bread will cook at a faster rate than the cheese. What tends to happen is that people see the bread start to become smoky and take it off the heat, but the cheese will still be hard, while the bread will now be slightly burned. Instead, Julie Blanner an award-winning cook and former caterer, has shared the key to getting a crispier toastie is to stop making it with butter and use mayonnaise instead.

Julie said: “Did you know? Mayo is the secret to the best grilled cheese! It seals in delightful flavour, adds a delicious crisp to every bite, just before you sink your teeth into creamy, melted cheese!”

Butter has a low smoke point, which means the water inside it evaporates very quickly when heated, causing the milk proteins to start dissolving and producing smoke.

It will start burning before the cheese can melt, so you are often left with a toastie that is hard on the inside, while the outside will be really greasy as the butter will soak into the bread.

However, mayonnaise contains oils that can withstand high temperatures, so it is much easier to cook with and will crisp the bread evenly, so every part of the toastie is golden brown.

Tasoties will cook at a slower rate, so the cheese has time to melt, and you will have a melty and gooey sandwich that also has the perfect crisp exterior.

How to make tastier cheese toasties

You will need:

• Two slices of bread
• Two slices of cheese
• One tablespoon of full-fat mayonnaise

If you want to make the ultimate toastie, you should know that using two or more cheeses will often give you a better melt than using just one.

Cheddar is the classic choice for a toastie because it’s packed with flavour, but because it is aged for longer, it doesn’t always melt as smoothly and can become oily if you use too much.

For the best results, pair cheddar with a cheese that has a higher moisture content, such as mozzarella, Gruyère or Emmental, as the combination creates the perfect balance of flavour, creaminess and stretch, giving you a beautifully melty toastie.

You can also use more toppings, sauces or seasoning in your toastie if you wish, but be careful not to overpack as cheese will stretch as it melts and could spill out into the frying pan.

To begin, place a frying pan on a medium heat and let it heat up for one minute. You do not need to use olive oil or any cooking fat as mayonnaise will be enough to toast the bread.

Meanwhile, prepare the toastie by placing the cheese into the bread. Add any other toppings or seasonings if you wish but be careful not to overfill the sandwich otherwise the cheese might leak out white it is cooking.

Sandwich the bread together, then spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the outside of each slice, and then immediately place it in the pan.

Let it cook for roughly two minutes until the bread has become golden brown. Use a spatula to gently press on the sandwich as it will help make it crisper. Then flip the toastie over and cook the other side for two minutes as well.

Once it is ready, let the toastie rest on a plate for one minute as it helps the cheese thicken slightly so it will not spill out when you cut into it.