A couple of months ago, Sam forwarded me a list of these 25 retro Swiss meals. Although I didn't grow up in Switzerland, my mother made a few of the entries on the list, including what seemed like a never-ending supply of tomato rice. Sam laughed in remembrance at some of the entries, but when it came to number 8 he stopped and his face got serious. 

"Do you know how good Toast Hawaii is?"

I gave him a puzzled look. Toast bread, ham, processed cheese (well, Swiss processed cheese), canned pineapple and a maraschino cherry? 

"Seriously! It's the best. It has never gone out of fashion. It's a classic."

After doing further research (reading this Wikipedia page) I learned that Toast Hawaii was popularized by the German TV Chef Clemens Wilmenrod in 1955. It became a popular meal in the German speaking realm throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s. Even Tiptopf has a recipe for Toast Hawaii. 

Sam was right, it's delicious—not in the least thanks to the Swiss processed cheese made by Appenzeller, which has a lot of flavour. Somehow I don't think it would be quite the same with a Kraft single... 

Toast bread

Mustard

Butter, soft

Processed cheese

Slices of ham

Canned pineapple slices

Canned cherries

Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F / gas mark 6

In a small bowl, mix together some soft butter and mustard to make a paste. Spread this on your toast bread.

Now, assemble the slices. The order is:

Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. If you'd like a well done top, put under the broiler for a few minutes.

• Alternatively, place the cheese on top!