BEST PESTO CHEESE TOAST RECIPE
Pesto has been a champion ingredient in my kitchen for a while. Although it’s a bit more expensive, a little goes a long way towards adding flavor to a meal. This Pesto Cheese Toast is a super simple treat that can be served as a party appetizer, a side with dinner, or even a little snack. It’s like garlic bread’s savory cousin.
What kind of pesto to use?
That’s the great thing about this delicious toast, you can use any type of pesto you have on hand or whatever you like. You can use basil pesto, sun-dried tomato pesto, kale pesto, whatever! Today I’m using a Genovese pesto, which is a creamy basil-style pesto. Other good affordable pesto brands I like are Felipo Berio, Classico, and Alessi.
What kind of bread to use?
This recipe works great on any French or Italian bread. You can cut the bread into traditional slices, like in the photos here, or cut the bread in half lengthwise, then cut half the bread into slices like in my homemade garlic bread recipe. It just depends on the bread to topping ratio you prefer. If you want to get a little creative, you can basically turn this into a pesto pizza by using small pieces of naan or English muffins instead.
Serve with pesto cheese toast.
Pesto cheese toast makes a great substitute for garlic bread with any pasta dish or something like tomato basil chicken, but it’s also great served with a bowl of tomato soup. These delightful little toasts also make a great party appetizer! You can even serve it with a bowl of warm marinara for dipping. But perhaps my favorite way to serve it is with fried or scrambled eggs for breakfast. You can’t beat this egg-pesto-tomato combo!!
Pesto Cheese Toast
Pesto cheese toast is an easy and delicious alternative to garlic bread. It’s great for a party appetizer, breakfast, or dinner as well!
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
4 slices bread ($0.66)
2 Tbsp pesto ($0.45)
1 Roma tomato ($0.28)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella ($0.42)
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut a loaf of French or Italian bread into ½-inch-thick slices.
Place bread slices on prepared baking sheet and spread ½ Tbps pesto on each slice.
Cut the roma tomatoes into 8 slices, then top each slice of bread with two tomato slices.
Finally, add a generous pinch of shredded mozzarella to each slice of bread.
Bake the toast in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the toast is browned and crisp on the edges. Baking times may vary depending on your oven and the type of bread chosen, so keep an eye on them. Serve hot!
How to Make Pesto Cheese Toast – Step-by-Step Guide
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut a loaf of French or Italian bread into ½-inch-thick slices.
Spread about one and a half tablespoons of pesto on each slice of bread.
Cut the Roma tomatoes into 8 pieces. Top each piece of toast with two slices of tomato.
Top each piece of toast with about 2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella (or more if you like!).
Bake the toast for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the outer edges of the bread are toasty!
Serve and enjoy! I finished my topping with a little freshly cracked pepper, but the pesto has so much flavor that you don’t need it!
