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Hot pickle cheese toast

Name: Hot pickle cheese toast
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 8 min
Yield: 2 substantial slices, serving 1–2
Ingredients: 2 thick slices sturdy bread; 100 g cheddar, grated; 80 g dill pickles, drained and finely diced; 1 spring onion, finely sliced; 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill; 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Thick toast with bubbling cheddar, finely chopped dill pickles and spring onion: a quick lunch with a crisp underside.

By PickleRadio editorialUpdated 18 September 2026

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Two thick toasts with bubbling cheddar, diced pickles, dill and spring onion.

In this guide5 sections

Toast the bread before adding the topping

Yield: 2 substantial slices, serving 1–2. Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 8 minutes.

Pickles cut through the richness of melted cheddar, but their liquid can also soak the bread. A first toast on both sides gives the base a head start. Then the oven grill (broiler) only needs to melt the cheese and colour the top.

Choose bread with enough structure to lift in one piece. A thick slice of sourdough or a sturdy brown loaf works better than a very soft, thin sandwich slice. This is an open toast, so the topping should stay within the crust rather than forming a mound above it.

Prepare the pickles

Drain and dice the pickles, then blot them before mixing. Fine pieces sit between the grated cheese instead of rolling off the bread. Slice the spring onion thinly, including the tender green part, and keep any tough outer leaf out of the bowl.

Use a jar you enjoy eating cold; a very sweet pickle will make a noticeably sweeter toast. For a straightforward starting jar, try refrigerator cucumber pickles.

Diced dill pickles on a clean chopping board beside a knife and bowl.

Ingredients

2 thick slices sturdy bread
100 g cheddar, grated
80 g dill pickles, drained and finely diced
1 spring onion, finely sliced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Method

Heat the oven grill (broiler) to medium-high. Put bread on a broiler-safe tray and toast lightly on both sides, watching closely.
Mix cheddar, dried-off pickles, spring onion, dill and pepper in a bowl.
Mix the chopped pickles evenly through the grated cheese.
Spread 1 teaspoon mustard over each toast, close to the crust.
Divide the cheese mixture between them and spread into an even layer rather than leaving a thick centre.
Spread the topping evenly rather than leaving a thick centre.
Cook under the oven grill (broiler) for about 3–5 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling, with golden patches. Move the tray lower if the bread edges darken too quickly.
Watch for melted cheese with golden patches and protect the bread edges.
Rest for a minute before cutting and serving; melted cheese holds heat.

Make it a plate of lunch

A few salad leaves or raw vegetable sticks alongside give you something fresh between bites. There is no need to put another wet sauce on the toast. If the cheese is salty, leave the salt cellar aside until you have tasted the finished topping.

For a more portable warm lunch with the filling enclosed, make pickle quesadillas. Or put these toasts beside fresh cucumber and dill-pickle salad when two people are sharing.