Tomato with melted cheddar mayo on buttered toast is our new favorite tartine of summer. Sometimes the simplest seasonal ingredients make the best sandwich.

Every summer, we cannot wait until our tomatoes ripen just so we can enjoy a tomato mayonnaise sandwich. The tomato sandwich has many variations but this one might be our favorite. It’s the perfect easy lunch or snack.

Tomato with melted cheddar/mayo on Buttered toast served on small white plates with red and a white plaid dish towel next to them.

My favorite flavor of summer has always been warm off-the-vine tomatoes with nothing but a sprinkling of salt and pepper. So simple, yet so delicious.

The most important step in making this delicious tartine

A bowl with shredded cheese, mayo, with spoon, a basket bowl of fresh tomatoes, and a red and white plaid tea towel.

Every recipe has a few key steps or ingredients that make it special or unique. And this one is no different. But the absolute “must-do” thing here is to spread a layer of the mayo/cheese mixture onto the toasted bread when it’s still super hot. Doing so allows the cheese to melt and combine with the mayo making a sauce that is just out of this world good.

The ingredients you will need to make these tomato toasts/tartines

A basket bowl of fresh ripe tomatoes, a jar of mayonnaise, a black bowl with shredded cheddar cheese, butter, salt, and crusty bread are sitting on a marbled kitchen counter.

Sliced fresh tomatoes on a wooden cutting board, salt, and a bowl of vine-ripe tomatoes next to a red and white plaid French tea towel.

Slices of bread, like sourdough bread
Cheddar cheese, a sharp cheddar, is best (grated and slices of cheese)
Butter, salted butter, yum!
Mayonnaise
Pinch of flakey sea salt for each tomato
Black pepper

Toasted bread with shredded cheddar and mayonnaise spread on top are on a marbled cutting board with a red and white plaid French tea towel.

Two pieces of toasted bread topped with cheddar cheese/mayo mixture and freshly sliced tomatoes with salt and pepper.

Equipment you might use

A serrated knife (I use this tomato knife)
Small bowl
Panini grill, cast iron pan, toaster oven, or under the broiler of a regular oven with a baking tray
A spreader
A knife to cut them in half

As you can see, you need very few ingredients and very little special equipment to make this delicious tomato tartine. It’s similar to a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato but better as a tartine or open-faced sandwich, in my opinion.

I would estimate that it takes less than five minutes to make this sandwich and maybe even less to devour it!

On small white plates are toasted bread topped with a cheddar cheese and mayonnaise mixture and freshly sliced vine-ripe tomatoes with a little salt and pepper.

What can I substitute for in this tomato cheese toast?

Use any type of tomato; cherry, pear, heirloom, or whatever looks good.
Caramelized onion or shallot
Crispy bacon for protein
Fresh basil or other fresh herbs
A little Dijon mustard mixed in with the melted cheese mixture for extra tanginess
Chili flakes

Personally, I would not use cream cheese in this particular sandwich/tartine. I think it’s the sharp cheddar that melts into the mayonnaise that truly makes this sandwich special.

I’ll include a recipe, but the instructions to make this simple sandwich are straightforward. And trust me; you won’t have any leftovers, so no need to worry about how to store them!

Tomato with Melted Cheddar, Mayo on Buttered Toast

A Tomato Tartine with Melted Cheddar and Mayo

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Author: annie diamond
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minites
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 2 1x

Ingredients

Scale

Two large slices of bread
Salted butter
Two tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 to 1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
One or two tomatoes, sliced
Salt and pepper

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Butter the bread liberally on one side and grill or toast until golden brown.
While still hot, quickly spread the mixture of mayonnaise and shredded cheese on the hot toast
Add the tomato slices and sprinkle with salt and pepper
Slice in half and enjoy while hot!