A Snack Rolled by the Dozen at Southern Gatherings
A thin, crisp, golden shell of ordinary sliced bread, folded around a hot, savory cheese filling that has been thickened, not boiled. Everything else in this recipe serves those two things.
Picture a school, church or sports club fundraiser in the far south of New Zealand's South Island: trays of sliced bread, a bowl of cheese filling, and rolls coming off the press hot enough that you have to wait before biting in. According to Southland's regional tourism body, cheese rolls have long turned up at exactly these occasions, as well as at family gatherings and in local cafes, and they are tied to both Southland and Otago.
The idea is humble. Sliced sandwich bread is spread with a savory cheese mixture, folded into a flat roll and toasted until the outside crisps and the inside melts. Because of that rolled shape, they are affectionately called "Southern Sushi."
If you want to explore more of the country's table, see our New Zealand recipes.
Where They Come From: No Single Inventor
Nobody can say for certain who made the first cheese roll, or where. The Southland tourism body describes the origin as disputed and points to New Zealand newspaper recipes from the 1930s, with the earliest it cites dating to 1935. The New Zealand Automobile Association's travel feature, meanwhile, reports that the first recipe in an official South Island cookbook appeared in 1951, and that a North Island mention came in the 1970s.
These are two different kinds of record, a newspaper recipe and a cookbook entry, reported by two different sources. Neither settles the question of a single origin, and they are best read side by side rather than as rival claims. What both sources agree on is more useful to a home cook: this is a dish that belongs to the south, and it has been shaped by many families' recipes.
The Recipe: A Family Recipe from a Riverton Cafe
This article follows one recipe from start to finish: the family recipe of Cazna Gilder of The Crib Cafe in Riverton, Southland, as published by Our Way of Life. It is not blended with any other version, so its character comes through clearly: onion soup mix, evaporated milk, parsley and Dijon mustard, with the bread folded twice.
The amounts below are given in the source's own units. The source does not state the volume of the evaporated milk tin, the weight of a soup mix pack or the number of slices in a loaf, so those are left exactly as written.
Ingredients (Makes About 25)
The recipe lists no added salt. The onion soup mix already carries saltiness, so do not add extra salt to this source-based filling.
The source gives about 2 tablespoons of filling per slice and a yield of about 25, but it does not say how many slices are in the bread, so the exact slice count isn't guaranteed. You may end up with a little filling or bread left over; adjust by how much you spread on each slice rather than by changing the filling.
This recipe contains milk and wheat. Onion soup mix formulas vary by product and may contain milk, wheat or other allergens, so check the label on the pack you buy.
Choosing the Bread, Cheese and Pantry Items
Bread. Look for soft, thin sandwich bread, the kind sold as toast-sliced. Thick slices tend to crack along the folds. The source allows either white or brown.
Evaporated milk. This is unsweetened. Sweetened condensed milk is a different product and will not work here, so check the label carefully, since the tins can look similar.
Onion soup mix. The source names Maggi. If you can't find that exact product, a different onion soup mix will change the flavor, so treat it as a variation rather than the original.
Dijon mustard. Hotter mustards such as English mustard or Japanese karashi differ in heat and acidity, so they are not a like-for-like swap.
Cheese. The source simply says grated cheese. A cheddar-style cheese or an aged gouda are reasonable choices, but each changes the saltiness and how the filling stretches. If you choose a strongly salty cheese, keep in mind that the soup mix is already salty.
Equipment
- Food processor
- Microwave-safe bowl
- Microwave
- Sandwich press or grill
- Tablespoon, for portioning the filling
Method: Make the Filling, Fold the Bread, Toast Until Golden
The microwave stage is there to thicken the filling, not to cook it like a soup. Stop when it is thick and spreadable, before it boils or separates.
Crisp Outside, Molten Inside: Fixing Common Problems
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The filling slides off the bread | It is still warm and loose | Let it cool a little until it thickens before spreading. Don't add more liquid |
| The bread tears as you fold | Filling spread to the edges, or folded the wrong way | Leave the edges clear, fold along the long side, and press the final fold |
| The outside browns before the center is hot | Heat too strong or too close | Lower the heat or move the rolls further from the heat source, then toast a little longer until the center is hot and melted |
| The filling bubbled or separated in the microwave | Heated past the thickening point | Next time, check and stir sooner; your microwave may be more powerful |
Serving and Leftovers
Cheese rolls are at their best straight from the press, while the outside is still crisp. Don't leave the finished rolls standing at room temperature for a long time. Cool any leftovers promptly and refrigerate them, and when you reheat them, make sure they are hot all the way to the center.
Every Household's Own Roll
Ask in Southland whose cheese rolls are best and you may start a debate. Both regional sources describe recipes that vary from family to family, and the AA feature notes that researchers have identified three different types of filling. A common pattern, according to the Southland tourism body, is grated cheese, onion soup mix and evaporated milk, which is the backbone of the Riverton recipe followed here, with Dijon mustard and parsley adding that household's own touch.
That variety isn't a sign that the dish has no "correct" version. It reflects how cheese rolls are made: in home kitchens and by community volunteers, often in large batches for fundraisers and gatherings, with each family keeping its own recipe.
Variations to Try
These are small changes on top of the base recipe. The first three stay within what the Riverton recipe itself allows; the fourth is an editorial suggestion.
- White or brown bread. The recipe accepts both. Compare how each crisps and folds.
- With or without butter. Buttering the underside gives the extra crunch the recipe mentions; leaving it off keeps the rolls lighter.
- Sandwich press or grill. A press toasts both sides at once and flattens the roll; a grill lets you watch the color develop.
- A different cheese. Since the recipe doesn't name a type, you can try a cheddar-style or aged gouda. Saltiness and melt will change, so account for the salty soup mix.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is "Southern Sushi"?
It is an affectionate nickname for cheese rolls, inspired by their rolled shape. Both the Southland tourism body and the AA feature use it.
When were cheese rolls invented?
There is no settled answer. The Southland tourism body points to a newspaper recipe from 1935, while the AA reports the first official South Island cookbook recipe in 1951. These are different kinds of records, and neither proves a single origin.
Can I leave out the onion soup mix?
It is a core part of this recipe's flavor and saltiness. Leaving it out turns the filling into a different recipe, and the taste will change noticeably.
What if I don't have a grill or sandwich press?
The recipe calls for one or the other. If you have neither, a toaster oven can stand in, but this is not part of the original method: watch the color closely and make sure the center is hot and melted.
How many rolls does this make?
The recipe says about 25. Because it doesn't give the number of slices in the bread, the exact count can't be guaranteed; adjust the amount of filling per slice as you go.
Sources
- Our Way of Life / CountryWide Media, "Recipe: Southland Cheese Rolls," recipe attributed to Cazna Gilder, The Crib Cafe, Riverton. The source for this article's ingredients, amounts, yield of about 25 and full method, including the microwave thickening, the double fold, the sandwich press or grill and the optional butter. https://ourwayoflife.co.nz/recipe-southland-cheese-rolls/
- Southland NZ / Great South, "The Southland Cheese Roll: A Southern Food Icon You'll Want to Try." Supports the dish's place in Southland and Otago; its appearance at cafes, school, church and sports club fundraisers and family gatherings; the disputed origin and newspaper recipes from the 1930s, earliest cited as 1935; and family variation around grated cheese, onion soup mix and evaporated milk. https://southlandnz.com/blog/post/cheese-roll/
- New Zealand Automobile Association (AA Traveller), "Cheese rolls: the sushi of the south." Supports the association with Southland and Otago, the crisp exterior and melted interior, the variety of fillings including three identified filling types, the first official South Island cookbook recipe reported in 1951 and a North Island mention in the 1970s, and the nickname Southern Sushi. https://www.aa.co.nz/travel/editorial/cheese-rolls/
