Maybe you just moved out of home or don’t have a lot of space, maybe your jaffle iron or sandwich press broke, or your ex took it. You can still have a cheap easy hot meal with minimal washing up.

Some fillings like baked bean or spaghetti jaffles do need a special jaffle iron to seal the crusts and keep it inside but plenty can be done in just a frying pan + a multipurpose lid or even a plate to cover.

1. Butter an even number of bread slices on one side.

2. Place as many slices as will fit in the pan, butter side down, and put the filling on. Keep it a little more to the middle.

Options include plain cheese or any variations like ham/cheese/tomato, Hawaiian etc. Shredded leftover chicken with cheese or BBQ sauce. Leftover/tinned meat sauce or stew as long as it’s thick enough to quickly flip without spilling out. Leftover pasta bake or scrambled eggs. Anything you have leftover.

Or you can do a sweet version like Nutella or the Elvis (banana/honey/peanut butter).

3. Put more slices of bread on top butter side up, and cover with a lid or a plate to cook it on low for a while. (5 minutes? Ten? I never actually timed it.) The combo of low heat and a lid will allow the sanga to steam a little, get heated through and let any cheese melt without quickly burning the outside.

4. Check it after a while by removing the plate/lid and lifting a corner of a sandwich with a utensil. Be extra careful not to burn your fingers if using a plate, it’s not ideal for the purpose. If the sanga looks hot and melting and the bottom of the bread is golden brown then carefully flip it, replace the lid and cook the other side to the same done-ness.

Put them on a plate then let them cool a bit before you cut them in half and bite in. Cook more if your pan was small.