Recipes Lunch Sandwiches & Wraps Hot Sandwiches Grilled Chile-Cheese Toasts This version of the favorite South Asian snack is ooey, gooey, and perfectly spiced. By Suvir Saran Suvir Saran Suvir Saran is culinary director of Bastian Hospitality Group and oversees restaurants like Goa's Jolene By The Sea. He has authored three cookbooks: Indian Home Cooking, American Masala, and Masala Farm. Born in New Delhi, Saran was chef at New York City's Devi, the first Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in the U.S. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines and Stephanie Lyness Updated on July 7, 2025 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Sally McKay / Prop Styling by Abby Armstrong Total Time: 30 mins Servings: 4 Jump to recipe Chile-cheese toast, a delicious South Asian comfort food, adds a twist to the cheese-on-toast format with fresh spices and bright, spicy green chiles. In this version, chef Suvir Saran and cookbook author Stephanie Lyness use hearty whole-wheat bread to add some heft. Make these toasts for a mid-afternoon snack or serve them with a mixed green salad for a satisfying light lunch. Frequently Asked Questions What is chile-cheese toast? Chile-cheese toast (often spelled "chilli" in Indian and British English) bears little resemblance to the similar-sounding Tex-Mex combo of meaty chili and cheese. Instead, this simple and beloved preparation has its roots in India, where it's a favorite street food, school lunch, or quick snack. Said to have been invented in Mumbai around 1970, it's kind of a spiced-up play on Welsh rarebit, often also including onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, cilantro, and masala. The South Asian ingredients of choice are often Amul, a domestic processed cheese, with local green chiles; here, we swap in mozzarella (with mayonnaise for added creaminess) as well as diced jalapeño. Do you toast the bread first when making this cheese toast? Yes — pre-toasting the slices of bread slightly before adding the other (wetter) ingredients on top maximizes this recipe's crispy texture. Saran and Lyness toast the bread on one side, then flip them, spreading the cheese-vegetable-mayonnaise mixture on the other side and broiling until it's lightly browned and starting to bubble. Even as the cheese melts and the mayonnaise becomes oily, the toasted bread will stand up well against the threat of sogginess. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen In addition to pre-toasting the bread, there are a few more ways to prevent the gooey loaded toasts from becoming soggy. Instead of using a fresh ball of soft mozzarella or burrata, which will have a relatively high water content, go for a low-moisture mozzarella that you can easily shred — or buy pre-shredded cheese to save a bit of time. Saran and Lyness also suggest briefly draining the chopped tomatoes on paper towels before using them, which will help absorb some of the liquid. Keep Screen Awake Ingredients 1/2x 1x 2x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. This recipe was developed at its original yield. Ingredient amounts are automatically adjusted, but cooking times and steps remain unchanged. Note that not all recipes scale perfectly. Original recipe (1X) yields 4 servings 1 pound whole milk mozzarella, shredded 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1 medium tomato, finely chopped and drained on paper towels 2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped 1/2 cup chopped cilantro 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper Salt and freshly ground black pepper 12 (1/2-inch-thick) slices hearty whole wheat bread Directions Preheat the broiler. In a large bowl, mash together all of the ingredients except the bread. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and toast them until lightly browned. Let cool slightly, then turn the toasts over and spread the mozzarella cheese mixture on top. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until melted and lightly browned. Serve hot. Originally appeared: September 2001 Cook this recipe and more in the MyRecipes app. Get the App Save Rate Print Loading shell for RecipesUgcThreaded1 Vue component in Globe.