This Australian Version Of Grilled Cheese Is A Perfect On-The-Go Lunch

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Everyone has their way to make a perfect grilled cheese sandwich, from the unexpected step that gives the crispiest results, to embracing your inner lunch lady and using the oven. Americans aren't the only ones who love to stuff their faces with that tasty combo of bread 'n' cheese. I grew up in England, where it was called a cheese toastie, but Down Under they've got a bit more imagination, so to Australians, it's the nattily named jaffle. What sets it apart from the United States' grilled cheese is that a jaffle is a sealed unit; no spills or waste, and it's all thanks to the machine used to make it.

Invented by Dr Earnest Smithers in 1949, the Jaffle "pressure toaster" looks a little like the holy grail of waffle irons, with two hinged, metal pans that clamp together to cook and seal the bread inside. You could take your sando anywhere without worrying about melted cheese dripping down your arms or onto your clothes. News articles from the period claimed the Jaffle was "useful for everyday cooking as well as parties." They were such a hit, when one 1950 home cook's went missing, they posted a want-ad in the hope of getting it back! Of course other brands wanted a slice of that action, but it took until 1974 for Breville to come up with their own version, the Snack 'n' Sandwich Toaster, which sealed the cheese sandwich into two golden, connected triangles.

Although the original Jaffle machine didn't really make it outside Australia, Breville's Snack 'n' Sandwich Toaster did. It became wildly popular, although like many Brits, ours would emerge from the cupboard only sporadically. For a few glorious days, the family would go cheese toastie mad; spreading butter on the outside of the bread, piling each slice high with cheese, before clamping the top down, and only remembering the volcanically hot filling with the first bite. It was never long before it was scuttled back to the cupboard. Not so for our tougher Aussie cousins, where the jaffle still reigns supreme.

As well as being mess-free and 100% portable, the generous shape of the Jaffle machine means your toastie can be filled with lots of other goodies, not just cheese. They are a brilliant way to use up any leftovers in the fridge (think yesterday's curry, or cold chicken with a smear of iconic Australian food Vegemite), or you can transform British breakfast staple beans on toast into the ultimate on-the-go dinner. Nor are jaffles limited to savory options; sliced banana with a splat of hazelnut spread is divine, or you can swap the bread for this sweet alternative to take a traditional PB&J to the next level. The foodie possibilities are endless, just make sure to wait until it's cooled a little before eating. The roof of your mouth will thank you!