At the end of the party, eyeball the cheese platter. If it looks like the host has no plans for it, ask. If the host responds by saying “Oh my gosh, yes, please take as much as you can,” then do.

The next day (or, in the case of this cheeseboard rescue, over the course of the next several days), slice the cheese to a sandwich-friendly thickness. Do the same for any veggies you plan to add to the sandwich.

Sauté the buffet veggies in a little olive oil, if needed, and set them aside. (Optional. This is for folks who want to be extra cautious given that the food sat out. I choose to take this precaution myself, but some might consider it excessive)

Butter one side of the bread.

Heat a pan to medium and put the buttered side down to toast the bread.

As soon as the bread is in the pan, layer the cheese on it. You can put the cheese on both slices of bread or just one. Sometimes I just do one and I put a layer of mayo on the other slice. I find mayo keeps heartier bread from tasting too dry.)

Layer the veggies and/or dried fruit on the cheese (you could also do this after you remove from heat, depending on ease and what you’re going for).

Keep an eye on the bread and the cheese, adjusting the heat as needed. 

If the cheese isn’t melting as much as you’d like, transfer the bread, cheese-side-up  to a plate and put it in a toaster oven for a final cheese-melting blast of heat. 

Once everything is nicely warmed, melty and toasty, put the top slice of bread on top to complete the sandwich. The party goes on!