It’s wonderful that the South Island has such an iconic dish to claim as their own: Southland Cheese Rolls.
Now, Cheese Rolls come as a slight surprise to some tourists who order it in a cafe for the first time. Expecting a roll with cheese in it (think: long roll, bap etc), no – out comes a rolled up piece of grilled white sandwich bread with oozy cheese filling. After the initial ‘oh I wasn’t expecting that’ they soon become converted…who wouldn’t, they are decadent and delicious.
Deep-fried Battered Cheese Rolls (aka ‘Southern Sushi’) has been in the news of late, a phenomenon in Dunedin…..sacré bleu, cry the traditionalists!
This Southland Cheese Roll recipe however is pretty traditional and often baked, grilled or pan-fried to perfection. This recipe is from a pretty iconic Southlander too, Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt (recipe from Love Food Hate Waste).
They are filling and cheap to make if you are wanting to feed a small army with bare pantry essentials.
Use your loaf: If you have a loaf of sliced bread, fresh or stale, this is the perfect tummy-filling recipe. TIP: if the bread is even slightly stale, microwave it for a few seconds first to help it soften. Soft bread certainly helps when rolling your Cheese Roll without it cracking in odd places. Keep the crusts on.
Evaporated Milk: If you have never heard of this before, you won’t be the first. It’s possibly the only time in your life when you will need a can! It’s a strange one – similar to watery reduced cream but the colour of condensed milk. Regardless, it seems in all the recipes I have turned to, be an essential ingredient so don’t skip it. You’ll find it by the ‘long life’ milks in your local supermarket.
Worcestershire Sauce: [pronounced ‘wooster-sher’] You may not have this in your pantry, but it’s worth getting. Thin in texture but packing mighty flavour, it’s awesome on a grilled cheese toasty or dolloping into casseroles and stews. One bottle will last you ages and it won’t go off if stored in the fridge once opened
Southland Cheese Rolls
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Makes: 20+
Ingredients
- 1 tin evaporated milk
- 1 packet onion soup powder
- 1 tsp Coleman’s dry mustard
- 3 cups of grated cheese
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 loaf sandwich bread
- 50g butter, melted
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Over a medium heat combine evaporated milk, soup powder and mustard in a saucepan. Whisk well until it has thickened into a creamy sauce.
- Add cheese, Worcestershire sauce and onion and stir until the cheese has melted into a gooey mess.
- Spread 1 tablespoon of cheesy mix over 3/4 of a slice of bread, then roll. The mix will spread as you roll (hence the warning not to completely cover it in filling in the first place as it will otherwise ooze out).
- Brush the exposed top of each roll with melted butter, then bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.
TIP: You can make the cheese rolls (unbaked) and freeze them until you need them. Handy.
