Student Special - Tasty Toasties

The start of the new academic year is upon us, and as we speak a new generation of students will be leaving home, settling down in grim Northern cities, and starting the transition into adult life. Although many freshers will be staying in catered halls, they find the meals unappeizing - or simply feel that their time is better spent in the pub. And of course, there's always the need for post beer snacks. So I thought I'd share some wisdom with the younger generation.

The sandwich toaster is a wonderful thing. Small, cheap, and capable of producing delicious hot "parcels" of whatever molten contents your heart desires - no student should be without one. And at this price, there is simply no excuse for not owning one.

Cheese is obviously the classic filling, and baked bean is also popular amongst the more forward thinking students. But I think we can do better. However, we must remember that students in halls often have no real cooking facilities, so no pre-cooking of fillings will be possible. And of course, preference should be given to fillings which are cheap and cheerful...

Meatball

Tinned meatballs in tomato sauce make a great toastie filling, and they're pretty cheap. They do taste a bit crap, but a layer of cheese really helps, along with some pepper. Be careful not to over-fill the sandwich...

Curry

Takeaways are a luxury for a student - after all, a takeaway curry with trimmings probably costs about the same as 6 pints from the student union. But we all need our treats now and again. I like to mix my leftover curry together (rice, veg, everything) for later consumption. Perfect in a toastie for a hungover Saturday lunch.

Hawaiian Pizza

Ask any Italian what their favourite pizza topping is, and you'll always get the same answer - Hawaiiiiian. The combination of tropical fruit and fine charcuterie is a firm favourite from Naples to Milan. Here I've recreated this slice of Italy with a dollop of pasta sauce, topped with cheese, ham, and pineapple. Sprinkled with a little dried oregano for the gourmet student. Like-a-mama-used-to-make-a.

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Needless to say, the curry filling was my favourite, but I can heartily recommend any of these to today's struggling students. There are endless filthy fillings just waiting to be discovered.

Taste

Classification