Who doesn't love a nice, well-made toast? It's delicious, it's quick to make, it's filling, and it's versatile. Whether you're having guests and couldn't think of what snacks to serve, or you're simply looking for an easy and tasty meal (especially this quarantine), bread and fillings—in this case, toppings—are a lifesaver.
I personally love toasts, but another thing I am obsessed with is cheese. Last year, when I went on a cheese crawl across California with the California Milk Advisory Board, I was able to taste so many varieties and brands of cheese that I made sure to bring home a huge haul. From then on, I started making these cheesy toasts at home for breakfast or afternoon snack and buying different cheeses in local groceries—and today I'm sharing 5 of my favorites to you! I made the instructions as straightforward as possible, so that even those who have only started preparing their own food because of quarantine could easily understand.
Let me know what you think in the comments section below, and enjoy!
1 | Blue Cheese, Bacon, and Jam Toast
I am placing this one first because it's my favorite among the five. Blue cheese is amazing with sweet things like jams and honey; in this recipe, I used fig jam and Real California Milk* blue cheese. If you can't find fig jam, I listed down some substitutes. I recommend a strong, creamy blue cheese that contrasts with the sweetness of the jam. The added bacon? Well, because why not!
Ingredients:
Blue cheese, semi-soft (I used Point Reyes Original Blue; Sourdough Deli in Quezon City carries it in their shop sometimes)
Bacon
Fig jam (or strawberry, plum, apricot, blueberry. I used McEvoy Ranch Fig Jam)
Bread (preferably sourdough, rustic bread, ciabatta, baguette, or whole wheat bread)
* in this recipe, I used whole wheat bread
Procedure:
1. Fry the bacon until crispy. On a plate, slice bacon strips into smaller pieces, so that each piece is about 1 to 2 inches long.
2. Break the blue cheese into chunks and crumble in a Ziploc/plastic bag.
3. Spread the fig jam on a slice of bread, top with 1-2 bacon slices and blue cheese. Place the bread in the oven toaster for 4-5 minutes.
4. Serve with your salad of choice (optional).
2 | Mushroom and Truffle Cream Cheese Toast
This recipe is super easy—the only catch is that you have to find some good truffle cream cheese. While plain or herb cream cheese spreads will also work, I find that the truffle flavored one complements the mushrooms! I love La Petite Fromagerie's Truffle Cream Cheese Spread—you can order from their website or check out their Instagram.
Ingredients:
300 grams fresh (portobello/shiitake) or canned mushrooms
4-6 garlic cloves, chopped
Olive oil
Truffle cream cheese spread
Salt and pepper
Bread (preferably sourdough, rustic bread, ciabatta, or baguette)
* in this recipe, I used Eric Kayser's pan rustique
Procedure:
1. In a pan or skillet on medium heat, sauté garlic and mushrooms on olive oil for 3-5 minutes, until slightly brown. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Place a generous slather of truffle cream cheese on a slice of toasted bread, and top with sautéed mushrooms. Enjoy!
3 | Cheesy Tuna Toast
Who doesn't love some tuna salad topped with cheese? My idea from this one came from the classic tuna melt sandwich, which I'm sure you know how to make. Here's my personal take on this, though!
Ingredients:
2 cans of tuna flakes in oil (I used 2 155-gram cans of Century Tuna)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Fresh basil leaves, chopped
Half of red onion, minced
Lemon juice
Black pepper
Cheese, sliced/grated (cheddar/mozzarella/provolone – your choice. I used sharp cheddar)
Bread (sourdough, rustic bread, ciabatta, baguette, or even white/wheat bread
* in this recipe, I used Sourdough Deli's sourdough bread and Gardenia
Procedure:
1. Mix tuna, mayonnaise, chopped basil leaves, onions, and a tablespoon of lemon juice in a bowl. Season with pepper according to your preference.
2. Place tuna salad onto bread, then top with cheese. Since I used a hard, sharp cheddar, I grated it. (Alternatively, you can also make it into a regular sandwich as you wish by using two slices of bread.)
3. Pop the toast in the oven toaster for 4-5 minutes.
4. Top with more fresh basil, and freshly cracked pepper (optional).
4 | Strawberry and Cream Cheese French Toast
Yet another cheese and jam recipe, but this time, more on the sweet side. This recipe is already yummy on its own, but would be even better with fresh berries! Bring out the coffee!
Ingredients:
Strawberry jam (I used Maeve Cafe Baguio's strawberry jam)
Cream cheese, softened (I used Emborg)
White bread
Butter
Eggs
Honey/maple syrup (optional)
Fresh berries/fruits (optional)
Procedure:
1. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of cream cheese and strawberry jam on 2 separate slices of bread, then assemble slices together.
2. In a bowl/container big enough to fit the bread, beat an egg. Then dip both sides of the bread.
3. In a small pan or skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Toast the sandwich 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Add more butter one tablespoon at a time if you are making more French toasts.
4. Drizzle with honey or maple syrup, or serve with fresh fruits.
5 | Mushroom, Truffle, and Brie Toast
You can make this recipe two ways—first is by buying truffle-flavored brie cheese, which is what is shown in the photo below. However, if you only have regular brie, you can also use a bit of truffle oil to get that earthy, delicious flavor.
Ingredients:
300 grams fresh (portobello/shiitake) or canned mushrooms
4-6 garlic cloves, chopped
Olive oil
Truffle brie (I used Real California Milk* Marin French Petit Truffle)
Bread (preferably sourdough, rustic bread, ciabatta, baguette, or whole wheat bread)
Salt and pepper to taste
Thyme (optional—I used dried thyme)
Truffle oil (optional)
Procedure:
1. In a pan or skillet on medium heat, sauté garlic and mushrooms on olive oil for 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with thyme (optional).
2. Place a slice of truffle brie (include the rind) on a slice of bread—about a tablespoon’s portion. Top with sautéed mushrooms, and put in the oven toaster for 4-5 minutes. If you don’t have truffle brie, you can use regular brie. However, in step 1, drizzle a bit of truffle oil on the sautéed mushrooms before placing them on the bread.
Shopping List (if you want to try them all):
Blue cheese, semi-soft
Brie/truffle brie
Cheddar/mozzarella/provolone
Truffle cream cheese spread (order from La Petite Fromagerie)
Plain cream cheese
Bacon
Fig jam
Strawberry jam
Mushrooms
Garlic
Olive oil
Canned tuna
Mayonnaise
Red onions
Fresh basil
Lemon
Butter
Eggs
Crusty bread (sourdough/rustic bread/ciabatta/baguette)
White bread/wheat bread
Optional:
Honey/maple syrup
Fresh berries/fruits
Thyme
Truffle oil
*The California Milk Advisory Board is a group that aims to promote dairy products and educate people about their health benefits. When you go shopping for products like milk, butter, yogurt, or cheese, look for the Real California Milk seal to ensure that the product you're buying is made with all-natural dairy through sustainable processes by dairy families. Real California Milk products are available in all major grocery stores like S&R Membership Shopping, Landers, SM, Merkado/Puregold, Cash & Carry, Rustans, Robinsons, Unimart, and Landmark.
This is NOT a sponsored post.
How many of these have you tried? Which one would you like to make?
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