Cheese roll

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For the South American food sometimes translated as cheese rolls, see Cheese bun.

A cheese roll (occasionally known by the older name of Cheese roll-up) is a snack food similar to Welsh rarebit, but created by covering a slice of bread in grated or sliced cheese and then rolling it into a tube shape before toasting.

The food is very simple to prepare, involving at a minimum simply a slice of bread and cheese. Occasionally added ingredients are placed into the roll, such as onion, Worcestershire sauce, or even crushed pineapple or sweet corn^[1]. Some recipes also call for the cheese to be mixed with evaporated milk before spreading.

The bread is kept in a rolled shape either by breaking the crust so that the slice does not spring back into a flattened shape or by skewering the bread with toothpicks. The outer side of the roll is occasionally coated thinly in butter before toasting to add to the flavour and give the toasted roll a more golden appearance. The resulting roll has the advantages over simple cheese on toast of allowing for a more contrasting combination of a crisp outer surface with a soft interior (often with the cheese in a semi-liquid state), and its shape makes for easier eating.

Cheese rolls are a very popular food in the South Island of New Zealand, where they are commonly found as a menu item at cafeterias and similar food outlets.

Occasionally "Cheese roll fundraisers" are held, especially by schools, in much the same way that "sausage sizzles" or barbecues can be^[2]. Recent rises in the cost of dairy products have however made these fundraisers less profitable than they once were ^[3]