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Cheezas – a Juicy Lucy throwback recipe

by Jeanne Horak on May 11, 2010 29 Comments in Starters & light meals

Cheezas

Age is a funny thing.  You don’t feel old, you may not look old, but every now and then you have a flash of realisation that the world has changed so much since you were a kid that you must, to some extent, be old.  Or at least older than some people!  I look at my young nephews aged 4 and 7, and how much TV they watch (and they would watch a whole lot more if mom and dad would let them!).  If I were to tell them that there was no TV in South Africa until I was 7 years old, they would look at me with blank incomprehension.  No TV?  What did you do?!  And mentioning the fact that there were no remote controls in those days but that you had to get up and go and adjust the volume button by hand would bring waves of helpless hilarity.  Funny Aunty Jeanne!

I also remember growing up in a world where there were: no shopping malls; grocery stores that would still let you phone your order through, select and pack your goods for you, and deliver them to your door with a smile; aeroplanes where you could smoke all the way from Cape Town to Cairo; and no McDonalds until I was in my 20s (a blessing, if you ask me).  Clearly I grew up in Atlantis – or I may as well have.  The world I knew has sunk without a trace!

We finally did get our first proper shopping mall in my city when I was just entering high school, and Greenacres was conveniently located a 5 minute walk from my school.  My brother’s school finished about an hour after mine, which meant that my mom and I always had an hour or so to fill after she picked me up, and seeing as my mom would have held an Olympic medal in shopping, the mall seemed the obvious place to go.  By the time we picked up my brother at 3, he would have eaten lunch and it would be too late for us to go home and make lunch for ourselves, so more often than not, we ended up eating at the mall.  The eating options were limited in those days – a Wimpy (burgers), a second outlet that I can’t recall now, and a new place called Juicy Lucy.

I think it was the lure of freshly squeezed juices that first brought us to their take-away counter, and soon it became or regular lunch venue – to the extent that the staff knew us by name.  Juicy Lucy always used to focus on wholesome food as opposed to burgers and chips, so my mom did not feel she was feeding me total junk.  The watermelon juice was legendary and there was little better on a hot summer afternoon.  But when it came to food, there was only one choice for me:  a Cheeza*!  This cheese-lover’s delight was a slice of rye bread topped with a mixture of grated Cheddar cheese, tangy mayonnaise, and an optional ingredient (I recall mushrooms, spring onions or salami).  The whole thing was then popped into the (super-modern and progressive!) microwave on its polystyrene plate, to be returned to you in a few minutes as a bubbling cheese duvet of deliciousness.  To me, it was perfection on a plate, and the minute my mom relented and bought a microwave for our kitchen, we started making a version of these babies at home.

Today, the world has changed unrecognisably – and not always for the better.  Port Elizabeth seems to have a shopping mall on every corner. Kids spend more time watching TV than playing outdoors.  McDonalds has colonised every suburb.  Nobody knows their grocer by name.  But I am pleased to say that Juicy Lucy is still selling their freshly squeezed juices – and still selling Cheezas*, albeit now with far more interesting toppings!

Sadly, the Juicy Lucy franchise does not extend to the UK, but that’s  no problem – I’ve been making  my own Cheezas* at home for years!  Nick and I spent this past weekend doing some Spring cleaning at home and lunch needed to be a quick and filling affair.  And when I remembered the Twitter discussion I had had earlier with my fellow #Cheesesluts Nina of My Easy Cooking, Marisa of The Creative Pot, Nicola of Wots for Lunch? and Colleen of Browniegirl, challenging us all to make something cheesy for the weekend, I realised that lunch could only be one thing:  salami Cheezas*!

For the #Cheeseslut in all of us 🙂

SALAMI CHEEZAS* (serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 slices of good brown or rye bread
1 cup (or more!) grated mature Cheddar
3-4 Tbsp tangy mayonnaise (use Crosse & Blackwell if you are in South Africa)
1 spring onion (green and white parts), finely chopped
1/2 cup diced salami

Method:

In a bowl, mix the cheese, mayo, salami and spring onion well.

Spread a little butter on each slice of bread (optional, but it helps keep the topping in place as you spread it).  Spoon half the mixture onto each slice and spread as evenly as possible, ensuring that you cover the bread right to the edges.  Place the slices on individual plates and microwave separately for 1 minute each on high, or until the cheese in the centre starts to melt.

* Cheeza is a registered trademark belonging to Juicy Lucy.

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  1. Meeta says

    May 11, 2010 at 5:24 pm

    jeanne – yes i do not feel older than i was 16 and i hope i look the age too but when i look around at times i think “what’s happening?” but it’s refreshing being young at heart and knowing you share it with others who remain young!
    this is very similar to what we used to make when we’d come home hungry with friends. if mum was not around it would be something like this.
    TOTP, JRM, A-HA and now cheezas – i know we are sisters baby!

    Reply
  2. nina says

    May 11, 2010 at 5:55 pm

    The first time I had a cheeza was in my first year at Varsity…remember I grew up in Ceres…that still has no Juicy Luicy or shopping mall!!!My kids will love this one though!!!

    Reply
  3. Jamie says

    May 11, 2010 at 5:57 pm

    Oooh Jeanne! How old are you? And wow no tv, no shopping malls? We lived in the Dark Ages as my sons continually remind us. Oh yes, golly! But those really were the good old days! Actually, I do feel older but certainly not as old as I am! Older in a good way. As Meeta says, we are young at heart but add to that the experience and freedom that comes with age and we are all that much better! And I want a cheeza!!! (we used to take defrosted frozen bagels and smear each half with spaghetti sauce and throw on a handful of cheddar and toast it. Mmmm.

    Reply
  4. Juno says

    May 11, 2010 at 6:42 pm

    I remember the Cheeza! Hot cheesy volcano on toast! As a teen, this was my number-one snack at Sandton City’s Juicy Lucy. Thanks for the memories, Jeanne. I am going to have to make this for my teens.

    Reply
  5. Su-Lin says

    May 11, 2010 at 6:57 pm

    😀 I remember making these as a kid in our microwave at home too but it never had a name. Now it does!

    Reply
  6. Kit says

    May 11, 2010 at 7:33 pm

    and no computers or cellphones. Calculators were the big thing when I was a child – grown ups saying that they would rot our brains if we relied on them too much. After university filofaxes were the city slicker’s personal organiser… wonder where mine went…! And as a new teen, I used to try and record songs I liked from the radio by holding my cassette player next to the radio! These kids have it too easy with their MP3 players!
    I’ve never seen a Juicy Lucy round here, but those cheezas sound tempting. Cheese on toast is often our Sunday night snack, but under the grill so it bubbles and browns – haven’t tried microwaving it yet.

    Reply
  7. bellini valli says

    May 11, 2010 at 8:01 pm

    We are all happy cheesesluts Jeanne. Throw some tequila in the mix and I’d be a happy camper.

    Reply
  8. Charlotte says

    May 11, 2010 at 8:30 pm

    Weeping as I remember my lunchtime Cheesa, supplemented with a watermelon juice. I think I broke up with my husband once – when he was still a boyfriend – over a Cheesa.
    I don’t really eat bread and I don’t own a microwave, but Cheesas will live on in my memory forever, thanks to you Jeanne. (Maybe I should put one in my novel?)

    Reply
  9. Amanda says

    May 11, 2010 at 9:05 pm

    Oh nostalgia! I remember delicious after school Cheezas at Juicy Lucy after school at Cresta Shopping Centre in J’burg. Thanks for the reminder. I must make myself one at the weekend.

    Reply
  10. Browniegirlblog.wordpress.com says

    May 11, 2010 at 10:52 pm

    Oh myyyyyyy, where were you when I need you this morning?? This would’ve gone down a treat while sitting in the queue at the traffic department for hours waiting to apply for my drivers licence renewal!! YUMYUMYUM Cheezas are the way to go at Juicy Lucy….I have to tell you that television came into SA when I was 22years old….had never seen one before I went overseas at 21. When I came back the test pattern used to play all day long haha.And then came Haas Das se Nuuskas, and Wielie Walie many more…. #cheesesluts rule!!! Cheese Domination!! Lets take over the world!! Mwah!!

    Reply
  11. Hila says

    May 12, 2010 at 7:36 am

    There are very few Juicy Lucy’s left. I loved having their watermelon and strawberry smoothie when waiting for a flight or waiting to say goodbye at the airport. One of my clearest memories of Juicy Lucy was in JHB waiting for our flight to CT and my mom wanted to wait there till they called her by name…they did *shame*

    Reply
  12. ilva says

    May 12, 2010 at 7:51 am

    yes what did we do then? enjoy ourselves that’s for sure!

    Reply
  13. Marisa says

    May 12, 2010 at 10:27 am

    Thanks for great trip down memory lane – I remember some (though not all) of the things you talk about. The eighties was a wonderful time to grow up – who remembers that their wasn’t even tv programmes on 24/7 on the old TV1, TV2 and TV3? That multi-coloured clock was legendary…
    We too loved Juicy Lucy and their cheezas are definitely very worthy of cheeseslut patronage.

    Reply
  14. barbara says

    May 12, 2010 at 12:13 pm

    We don’t have Juicy Lucy here but the cheezas look tasty. I was around 15 when TV came to our part of the country.

    Reply
  15. Manggy says

    May 12, 2010 at 12:59 pm

    To be fair, there are a few groceries (in the US and in Manila) that let you phone an order too! 🙂 But naw, we don’t have Juicy Lucy here. But thanks to you I can have their best item on the menu anytime! 😉

    Reply
  16. Sakoro says

    May 12, 2010 at 4:23 pm

    I think the third outlet at Greenacres was Lilwill’s– my gran used to take me there for sausage rolls.

    Reply
  17. Mrsplod says

    May 12, 2010 at 11:52 pm

    Loving the flashback I got from both your Juicy Lucy (Cheezas) and your Spur posts, Ms Jeanne! I remember getting our first TV (black and white, don’t you know) and watching Haas Das se Nuuskas on Tuesdays after the “real” 6:00 news. I also remember going to Juicy Lucy with my dad right after Greenacres opened–we had mostly recovered from the nightmare of an entire-family bout of chickenpox! The Maverick Spur in the Cine Park complex was a family favorite–I even had a Chico the Clown (do they still have those) on my first trip back to SA as an adult!
    Thanks for the memories!
    xo
    Diane

    Reply
  18. Gill says

    May 13, 2010 at 12:40 pm

    I loved cheezas with a passion as a teen. I used to get my fix on our bi-weekly trip to the “big city” a.k.a Pietermaritzburg LOL! I’ve been making a version very similar to yours for years now too, I usually do mine with asparagus! Thanks for the happy flash-back 🙂

    Reply
  19. Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

    May 13, 2010 at 8:48 pm

    No telly? Nightmare!!! I think I am definitely a cheeseslut, what do I do to join?!

    Reply
  20. Koek! says

    May 14, 2010 at 10:47 am

    I remember Juicy Lucy!! Mom always took us there for a treat… I had no idea it was still going – I thought it closed ages ago…

    Reply
  21. maureen says

    May 14, 2010 at 11:41 am

    It was good to read your post re Memory lane, but I have to say, unless I have completely lost my taste buds, Messrs. Juicy~Lucy at Midlands Mall PMB make the most awful CHEEZA I can ever recall eating. It was so bad, I absolutely could not eat it. Unfortunately I have never been back, nor will I.
    But yes, CHEEZA’s were the schizzle~nizzle back in the day. I always used to go the one in Durban, opp 320 West St.

    Reply
  22. The Winesleuth says

    May 14, 2010 at 8:09 pm

    Cheesesluts! I love it! And Juicy Lucy, another classic. When I was a kid, our go-to snack was a cheese quesadilla, so easy to make, used to have one practically every day after school. And yes, once we got a microwave, there was no stopping us!

    Reply
  23. Hilda says

    May 15, 2010 at 12:31 pm

    The weapon of choice when I was a teenager was bagels with cream cheese (which is funny actually considering I lived in LA so it would have been more apt for it to be cheesy quesadillas). I think back to having 3 channels in France when I was little, and no computer and crazy cool video games like Atari when it came out and how awesome we thought it was (don’t knock the Atari) and then seeing a brick-sized memory block that held 1Mb when I was in college and marveling at it, and can’t imagine what my daughter will think about our stone age technology when she’s not much bigger than she is now. She already thinks she’s supposed to touch my computer screen because that’s how you get the iPhone to do things. Yes, age is definitely a funny thing. I still have trouble thinking of her as a person I made and feel like someone just gave me the very precious job of looking after her until they come back. 😉

    Reply
  24. Diana says

    May 16, 2010 at 1:21 am

    We didn’t have a tv until I was about the same age, and it was a black and white. They didn’t get a color one until I went off to college and there were no remote controls, so my sister sat right next to it and hovered, so that she could have it on the channel she wanted when she wanted it. Plus, I remember waiting outside the store watching all my siblings while my parents were inside shopping, can you imagine? And that was in Queens, NY

    Reply
  25. Gigi says

    November 25, 2013 at 6:02 am

    OMG I thought I was the only one lamenting about Cheezas! Amanda…. yes… Cheezas at Cresta Centre, my fav was spring onion with a dash of coleslaw on the side and a smooth PAW PAW juice to finish! nostalgia… (wipes away a tear). Today I am as far away from Cresta Centre Cheezas as I am from my youth…. the Sex in the City era….I had my own, scaled down version of that life in the Cresta Centre Randburg area…. shopping at Woollies, Edgars, Truworths, Foschini. Dining and Coffee Shops with girlfriends and dates, giant breakfasts at Wimpy for R20.00! Dions became Game (I think) for a bit of DIY, waffles at the Milky Lane closeby….then a movie on a Saturday afternoon….sigh……..

    Reply
  26. Tracy Du Toit says

    September 6, 2015 at 8:14 pm

    I loved this post and have been craving a Cheeza for days now with a side of coleslaw and a side salad – my favourite was the spring onion one and I cannot wait to try out the recipe. Às we now live in the UK will have to find an alternative for Crosse and Blackwell mayo x

    Reply
    • Jeanne says

      September 7, 2015 at 12:22 am

      My favourite was always the salami one 🙂 And if you are in the UK, the good news is that you can find Crosse & Blackwell on Amazon!! http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crosse-Blackwell-Mayonnaise-750g/dp/B003N7WMHG

      Reply
  27. Jenni says

    February 18, 2016 at 3:26 pm

    Thank you for the Cheeza recipe.

    Reply
  28. Anna-Marie de Wet says

    July 1, 2016 at 11:01 pm

    My friend and zi used to have this on our shopping outings and it has taken me(us)a while to remember the exact name – your description is soo apt and the accompanying recipe is a super duper bonus – thank you! Anna-Marie de Wet from Stellenbosch

    Reply
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What's your favourite way to eat cauliflower? Up What's your favourite way to eat cauliflower? 

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* Slice two 1cm steaks vertically from the middle of a large cauliflower, season and fry in  butter and oil till browning slightly.

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Dyed Gwyl Dewi Hapus - or happy St David's Day if Dyed Gwyl Dewi Hapus - or happy St David's Day if you don't speak Welsh 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

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🌈  ACT THE WAY YOU WANT TO FEEL 🌈

And this photo is a reminder of how I want to feel on so, so many levels: hanging out with friends; dancing in the sunshine; wearing my favourite red dress; travelling (this was in Carouge, Switzerland); and surrounded by a rainbow of colour. I can't travel and I can't see friends, but I can dance in my kitchen, singing at the top of my voice wearing my brightest clothes. 

What strategies do you use to lift your spirits? I'd love to hear! 

📸 by @tasteofsavoie
If you, like me, are mssing your Pret-a- Manger Bi If you, like me, are mssing your Pret-a- Manger Bircher muesli during lockdown, you will want to bookmark this post right now! 🔖

I have learnt a few things during lockdown. I have learnt that I am more comfortable spending long periods alone than I had ever imagined; that I suffer a lot more from FOMO (fear of missing out!) than I would like to admit; and that pre-Covid I spent rude sums of money on commuting and barista coffee...! 

I also learnt that although I miss travel and social events and meals out, it is often the smaller things that you miss most acutely - the freedom to call up a friend you haven't seen in a while and inviting them over. Hugging (or even seeing) my family. And grabbing a macchiato and a Pret Bircher muesli on the way to work. Don't ask me why, but it became a small obsession of mine to create a fakeaway Pret Bircher during lockdown - and I think I have succeeded! Here's how:

For 2 servings you will need:
100g rolled oats
200ml milk or water
1 Tbsp sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds 
1 Tbsp shelled pistachio nuts
1 Tbsp dried cranberries 
2 small apples
175g plain yoghurt
Honey
Pomegranate rails

Mix the oats, seeds, nuts and cranberries together then add the milk/water and a pinch of salt. Mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight. 

When ready to serve, grate the apples and mix them in with the oats and yoghurt (add a little extra milk to loosen if needed). Stir in honey to taste and serve topped with pomegranate arils and pistachios. Full recipe and more photos are available now on the blog - click the live link in my profile.

Did you try any fakeaway recipes over lockdown? Please let me know in the comments - I would love to hear about it!
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Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

Latest Recipes

Cauliflower topped steak with melted cheese
Plate of potted smoked salmon with slaw and a glass of champagne
bowls of pistachio pomegranate bircher muesli
Brussels sprouts with chorizo & hazelnuts
Plum upside down cake
plum flapjack crumble
Sesame ginger Brussels sprouts
Jersey-royals-salmon-salad2 © Jeanne Horak 2019

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