Clem's Sizzler Style Cheese Bread (toast)
When we first
moved to Sydney from Perth in 1991, we ate out for about two
weeks before we moved into a house and setup a kitchen. One of
the new things (not seen in Perth) we discovered in Campbelltown
(where we settled down next to the university where I took up an
academic position), was the Sizzler Restaurant.
The Sizzler Restaurant at Campbelltown, Sydney
The original Sizzler hailed from Culver City, California as an affordable steak house. Apart from steak, the Sizzler chain is known for its unlimited salad bar and its cheese bread (that's what they call it although we would use the term "toast"), which were handed out free to diners.
Alas, Sizzler closed own all its restaurants in Australia due to COVID-19, the Campbelltown outlet being the last to go in November 2020 (the building is still there at the corner of Harbord and Campbelltown Roads).
For a nostalgic
organoleptic experience, I decided to make Sizzler bread
tonight. The recipe is simplicity itself (after having obtained
the ingredients).
Here is how most recipes agree it is made:
INGREDIENTS
- 50 g
butter (softened).
- 50 g
parmesan cheese (grated from a block).
Use parmigiano reggiano if you want to be extravagant.
Try not to use pre-shredded cheese as this has additives (to prevent sticking) which interfere with good melting).
- A dash of
garlic powder (to taste)
- 3 - 4
slices of bread (number depends on how much butter/cheese
mix you use for each slice):
- Leave the crust on,
- Sliced thicker than sandwich bread (more like toast bread thickness) so that the interior is still soft after frying.
- Choose a
bread with dense structure (as opposed to open with air
spaces) so that soft mushy cheese does not end up inside the
bread.
You could use a Vienna Loaf, a Crusty Cob bread (seen at Woolies), or you could quickly make your own Dutch Oven bread:
(http://clemkuek.com/photoalbum/photo_696_6e.html)
METHOD
- Grate the
parmesan cheese.
- Mix the
butter and grated cheese together well.
- Spread a
good helping of the butter/cheese mix onto the slices of
bread.
Press down hard on the mix to ensure that it sticks to the bread well.
- Put a
non-stick fry pan on medium heat.
- Place a
slice of buttered bread on the pan, buttered side down.
As the slice fries, you will see melted butter being released.
If you see that there is a lot of melted butter, it is a sign that you could alter the mix ratio for the next time (use less butter).
- At first,
the slice will stick to the pan but as the cheese browns, it
will begin to free itself (with some aid from you moving the
slice).
Keep checking the slice as towards the end (and perhaps even before the slice has freed itself), the cheese will turn overly brown very quickly (OK if you like a darker coloured end result but the classic Sizzler bread is not dark brown).
- Remember:
Sizzler bread is only fried on ONE side of the slice - the
buttered side. The other side is left alone.
- When done,
remove the slice and place on a serving plate, buttered side
up, to cool down.
The buttered cheese side will crisp up as the slice cools down from frying temperature.
The classic Sizzler bread is crispy on the fried side and soft on the other side.
Serve while still warm.
Clem's Sizzler Style Cheese Bread
ENJOY!!
14 October
2026
Cooking by Clem:
https://clemkuek.com/photoalbum/photo696.html
Video presentations can be found here:
Earlier Days: https://youtu.be/BWyHY1h9Y5s
Recent Past: https://youtu.be/PL9wWSI_Dfw
More Recently: https://youtu.be/nk6O2tGJ5pk
Created by Clem Kuek
