If you ever wanted a quick cheap lunch, or a filling midnight street food in the Dominican Republic, then you've certainly have tried a Derretido de queso (a Dominican cheese melt sandwich). A few minutes and as few ingredients and you'll be ready to enjoy one of these.
By - Reviewed: . Original: Oct 15, 2023
Why we ❤️ it
Derretido de queso dominicano is possibly the most humble of our Dominican sandwiches, but the crispy bread paired with oozing melted cheese is a universally loved combination, so try this one and see just how much you'll enjoy it.
What's a derretido?
Derretido means melted in Spanish, and if you step into one of our popular batidas and sandwich bars, you just need to say derretido for them to know exactly what you want.
El derretido de queso is typically made with sliced mold bread -- in my experience-- but what's inside will definitely depend on where you find yourself: It can be just queso danés, it can be mild Cheddar, or it can be combined with Mozzarella. Some add tomatoes (green or ripe), and some add ham to it, though that's going into Sandwich de jamon y queso territory, so it's up to you (some of the photos here do show it with ham).
Dominican cheese melt sandwich.
Serving suggestions
A derretido de queso is best paired with a batida de fruta con leche or a fruit juice like. Batida de lechosa, Batida de nispero, and Batida de zapote are very popular, as are Jugo de chinola, Jugo de tamarindo and Jugo de guayaba.
Other popular drinks with this sandwich are Morir soñando and Jugo de avena, and I absolutely love it with Batida de morir soñando de chinola.
Top tips
- Ham: Adding ham or not is entirely up to you.
- Cheese: Some commonly used cheeses are Cheddar, Danbo (queso danés), gouda, or other cheeses that melt well. Melting well is absolutely necessary. I used Cheddar for the photos you see.
- Tomatoes: My favorite sandwich stand made it with ripe tomatoes, some people use green tomatoes.
- Bread: Typically, this derretido de queso is made with sliced sandwich bread, but I've also had it with Pan sobao and Pan de agua.
About this recipe
While this is not typically made at home -- everyone has their favorite carrito o barra to go for one -- there's nothing difficult about making it at home.
Be aware that what's inside, and even the bread, is open to discussion. In the end, this is like a consensus recipe, based on decades of traveling around the country.
What is your favorite version of this sandwich? Where do they make your favorite? Please tell me in the comments.
Recipe
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Derretido de Queso Dominicano (Dominican Cheese Melt Sandwich)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 slices sandwich bread, (see recipe notes)
- 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- 8 slices mild Cheddar, or danish (danbo) cheese, or Gouda cheese or a mixture of them.
- 2 large tomato, thinly sliced.
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
1. Cutting
Cut the crust off the bread slices.Cut the tomatoes into thin slices. Sprinkle with salt.
2. Butter bread
- Butter each slice of bread with butter on both sides.⚠️ This is important to make the cheese more "melty" and also give the sandwich its crispy exterior.
3. Toast
In a pre-heated sandwich press, griddle, or frying pan, toast just one side of the slices of bread until they turn golden brown on that side.Turn the bread toasted-side-up and place two slices of cheese on each slice of bread (right away while it's still very hot), then place a slice of tomato on the cheese. Join them tomato-side-in to create the sandwich. Toast them on both sides with the press until the cheese melts.⚠️ If you use a frying pan or griddle, flip the sandwich after one side has turned golden brown, while pressing down with a spatula as it toasts.
4. Serving
Cut the sandwiches into two triangles each (or two halves if you're using pan de agua or pan sobao bread) and serve right away.See serving suggestions on the recipe.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
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More Dominican sandwich recipes
You can find in our collection our favorite Dominican sandwich recipes, such as the wonderful Chimi, a simple Sandwich de jamón y queso, the funny-sounding Frikitaki and rikitaki, the Sandwich de pierna (pork roast sandwich), and the popular Sandwichon.
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