Toast: Entertaining Made Easy with These Topped Toast Recipes

Carmelized Onion & Mushroom Crostini

Adapted from FoodieCrush; Serves 16

Ingredients

• 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 8 oz. sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
• ¼ c. Marsala wine
• 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 loaf baguette

Directions

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden. Remove from heat, add Marsala wine and thyme leaves, place back on the burner, reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 5–7 minutes or until jammy.

While the onion mixture cooks, place the sliced bread on a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet. Melt remaining tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat or in a microwave on high for 30 seconds. Brush the bread slices with melted butter and toast in the oven until lightly browned.

To assemble, mound each of the toasts with equal amounts of the caramelized onion mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with more thyme leaves and serve.

Goat Cheese Radish Tartine with Microgreens

Adapted from Katelyn Hardwick; Serves 16

Ingredients

• 1 loaf of rustic country bread, diagonally sliced into ½-inch-thick slices
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1½ c. thinly sliced radishes (daikon, watermelon, or anything seasonal)
• 4 oz. goat cheese, room temperature
• Fresh microgreens
• Coarse sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat a cast-iron grill pan. Brush bread with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and grill over high heat, turning once, until toasted. Top the toasts with the goat cheese, radishes, and microgreens. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve.

Cranberry & Prosciutto Ricotta Toast

Adapted from The Original Dish; Serves 8

Ingredients

• 12 oz. fresh cranberries
• ½ c. light brown sugar
• ¼ c. water
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 star anise pod
• ½ tsp. fennel seeds
• 1 tsp. lemon zest, plus more for topping
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• Kosher salt
• Olive oil
• 8 large sliced crusty fresh bread (sourdough, Italian, etc.), sliced ¾-inch thick
• 1 c. whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• 4 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto

Directions

Add cranberries, brown sugar, water, cinnamon sticks, star anise, fennel seeds, lemon zest, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt to a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Stir well and boil for 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is jam-like. Turn off the heat and cool.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Coat bottom with olive oil. Once hot, work in batches to toast the bread, about 1 minute per side, adding more olive oil as needed. Adjust heat if needed. Transfer the bread to a sheet pan and season with a pinch of salt.

Combine the ricotta cheese, honey, sage, and one tablespoon of olive oil in a mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Spread the ricotta on the toast. Dollop the cranberry jam and arrange the prosciutto over top. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, more black pepper, and a pinch of lemon zest.

Caramelized Brussels Sprout Toast with Burrata & Bacon

Adapted from The Original Dish; Serves 12

Ingredients

• ½ c. raw hazelnuts
• 6 oz. raw bacon, diced
• 1 lb Brussels sprouts (roots trimmed, halved, and thinly sliced)
• 2 Tbsp. honey, plus more to drizzle
• 1 Tbsp. lemon zest
• Kosher salt
• 6 large slices crusty bread, about ½ inch each
• 2 balls of burrata cheese
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• Flaky sea salt (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread the hazelnuts onto a sheet pan. Roast for 8–10 minutes or until golden. Let cool slightly. Use a kitchen towel to rub off the loose skins then roughly chop the hazelnuts and set aside. Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add diced bacon and spread into an even layer. Cook the bacon for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook for about 10 more minutes, stirring often, until the bacon is rendered and crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Raise the heat under the skillet to medium-high and add the Brussels sprouts. Stir well to coat the Brussels sprouts in the bacon fat and then spread the Brussels into an even layer. Let cook until caramelized and tender, 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the honey, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Season well with salt to taste.

Meanwhile, place the bread onto a sheet pan and drizzle both sides with olive oil. Toast in the oven for about 12 minutes until golden. Tear the burrata into pieces and distribute onto the bread, “spreading” it out so that it covers most of each slice. Season the cheese with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Mound the Brussels sprout mixture onto each slice of toast. Sprinkle the hazelnuts and bacon over top. Drizzle each slice with more honey. Season with the flaky sea salt and more freshly cracked black pepper. Cut each slice of toast in half to serve.

Baked Butter Pecan French Toast 

Adapted from Half Baked Harvest; Serves 8

Ingredients

For the Baked Butter Pecan French Toast:

• ½ c., plus 2 tsp. brown sugar
• ¼ c. real maple syrup
• 7 Tbsp. salted butter, melted
• 1½ c. roughly chopped pecans
• 8 large eggs, beaten
• 2½ c. whole milk
• 3 Tbsp. Grand Marnier
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• 1 loaf challah bread, sliced into thick slices
• Whipped cream, for serving (optional)

For the bourbon syrup:

• 1 c. real maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp. bourbon
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions

Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter. In a bowl, mix together ½ cup brown sugar, maple syrup, and 6 tablespoons melted butter. Pour half the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the pecans. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, Grand Marnier, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Submerge each piece of bread into the egg mixture, allowing the bread to sit at least a minute to soak. Arrange the bread in the baking dish. Pour the remaining egg mixture over the slices. Then add the remaining brown sugar/maple mixture over top. In a bowl, mix the remaining pecans, butter, and brown sugar. Sprinkle the nuts over the french toast. Cover and place in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake for 45 minutes or until the French toast is golden and crisp. If the tops of the bread begin to brown too quickly, cover with foil. Meanwhile, make the syrup. In a small pot, mix the maple syrup, bourbon, and vanilla. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, simmer for 5 minutes until thickened. Serve the french toast warm, drizzled with bourbon syrup.

Editor’s Tip: If you prefer, you could use brioche bread instead of challah.