Toast Hawaii – How to Make this German Favorite

Toast Hawaii is an open-faced sandwich popular in Germany. It is traditionally comprised of lightly toasted white bread which is then buttered and topped with thinly sliced ham, a pineapple slice, a cheese slice, and a maraschino cherry, so it’s really a deluxe toasted cheese sandwich. Check out the video below to see how me and CG first put together a traditional Toast Hawaii and then we build a fancy-pants version of the German favorite.

Both versions were alright…fancy-pants was definitely my favorite, but overall, pineapple plays too big a role in this sandwich for my tastes; I think pineapple should stay where it belongs –on the bottom of an upside down cake, or on a pizza; of course, there was a time when I didn’t think it belonged on a pizza…and then I ran into the right pineapple pizza. So give a version of Toast Hawaii a try and see what you think.

A traditional Toast Hawaii sandwich
A traditional German Toast Hawaii sandwich

I prefer a sandwich with a top and a bottom, something I can wrap my hands around, especially a pressed sandwich grilled on the top and the bottom, which is why a Cuban sandwich is so good. I often make sandwiches and then toast them in a skillet with a heavy pan on top pressing down, which is a great cheat for a toasted sandwich. A sandwich grill press is also a good option, and I’ve seen these often in thrift stores, or you can check current prices for a sandwich press on amazon.

How to Choose a Ripe Pineapple

  • 1) Just grab a top center leaf and pull–if the leaf comes out easily, then it’s looking good. (if you can’t find a pineapple with loose leaves…then pass ’em by and try again another day)
  • 2) If the pineapple has a little bit of give when you push on it, that’s a good sign…not too mushy, but not hard as a brick!
  • 3) if you put it to your nose, and it smells pineapple-y…that’s a good sign.
  • 4) And I like a nice golden color too, especially around the bottom…but that doesn’t guarantee ripeness…so bank on steps 1 through 3 first, but especially step 1 –loose leaves! If the leaves are stuck and the whole pineapple wants to be picked up when you pull on the top sprouts…then it’s not a keeper.

For a sandwich twist that I can get behind, try a banh mi style hamburger recipe. It’s a burger with a Vietnamese twist, but if want a sandwich with plenty of pizzazz and no pineapple, it fits the bill.

burger banh mi

Thanks for Watching our Pineapple Video!

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