Roasted Tomato Goat Cheese Wild Mushroom Toasts are a simple and easy appetizer with bubbly baked cheese, bursting cherry tomatoes and perfectly roasted mushrooms served in a skillet with garlic toast.
The perfect laid back appetizer for date night at home. Or easily turn it into a main dish with a toss of pasta. However you serve it this baked cheese toast recipe is sure to become a favorite!
Easy mushroom bruschetta recipe
Bruschetta, pronounced broo·skeh·tuh or bruh·sheh·tuh by the British, is essentially toast rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil originating in Italy centuries ago. The beauty of simple appetizers like this bruschette, Fire Roasted Feta Dip and Bacon Wrapped Dates lies in their simplicity. They are amazing not because they are super elaborate or inventive, but because they are simply delicious.
Bruschetta can be served plain or can be topped in many ways much like pizza. With a tomato, basil and cheese topping being the most recognizable. This version with tomatoes, goat cheese and mushroom toasts is a close second to the original when it comes to my favorite bruschetta toppings.
Inspired by a dish from our favorite date night spot, The Oyster Bar, located only minutes from our first home on scenic Chuckanut Highway along the Washington coast. This small restaurant with amazing views, seasonal offerings, and impeccable service was a spot we’d visit frequently. And on one night years ago we ordered a baked goat cheese appetizer to accompany our bottle of champagne and dozens of oysters. This shared appetizer arrived in a small oven-safe vessel and we were surprised to find that the simple piles of balsamic charred tomatoes, locally foraged chanterelles, roasted garlic and warm goat cheese was heaven once combined on the garlic toast points.
And something we’ve recreated many times since then or bubbly, spiked cider and rose.
Ingredients
Quickly transform a few simple ingredients into an amazing bubbly baked cheese appetizer!
- Rustic baguette – the best bread for garlic toast, or bruschetta, is a country style Italian loaf but you can substitute several slices of good sourdough or whatever you have on hand. This recipe is the perfect way to prevent food waste and use up day old somewhat stale bread. In a pinch crackers, pita, flatbread will do. Or try fresh vegetables or tortilla chips for a gluten free option.
- Goat cheese – creamy chèvre goat cheese is a great bruschetta cheese because it smears smoothly on toast and makes a great compliment to the flavor of acidic tomatoes. You can easily substitute feta.
- Wild mushrooms – use any mix of wild or store-bought mushrooms for mushroom toasts. Or, substitute quartered onions or eggplant pieces for the mushrooms.
- Tomatoes – any mix will do. Keep smaller tomatoes like cherry or grape whole and quarter larger varieties. Instead of tomatoes try olives or even grapes and drizzle with honey instead of balsamic.
- Garlic cloves – whole cloves with the paper still on and the ‘root’ end trimmed.
- Balsamic vinegar – or any vinegar can be substituted.
- Olive oil
- Sea salt and black pepper
Step by step instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare ingredients by quartering mushrooms, tomatoes and trimming garlic cloves.
- Place goat cheese in the center of a shallow baking dish or small parchment lined baking sheet.
- Toss tomatoes with balsamic and add to one side and place mushrooms on the other. Either scatter garlic cloves around or place on one end, reserving one clove for the garlic toast. For best results do not crowd pan to allow for airflow and a roasted and toasted appetizer rather than a soggy steamed mess.
- Drizzle evenly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and a few cracks of crushed black pepper.
- Roast in preheated oven until garlic is soft, cheese is browned and tomatoes are bursting, 25-35 minutes.
- Meanwhile make bruschetta. Slice loaf about ½ inch thick, rub with remaining garlic clove, drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Cut slices on the bias to make toast points and add to the oven during the last five minutes of baking either directly on the rack or on a baking sheet. Bake until golden and crisp flipping once if using a baking sheet. Alternately grill bread slices for a more authentic bruschetta or even toast bread on the stovetop in a large skillet.
- Serve as is or drizzled with reduced balsamic. Straight out the pan or on individual plates.
- Enjoy!
How to serve
Drizzle baked cheese mushroom toasts with balsamic glaze or top with fresh basil leaves. Serve family style as a date night appetizer. Or turn into a full meal and make baked goat cheese pasta by simply tossing the finished dish with cooked pasta. Another option is to bake individual servings in small ramekins. Or top each toast with a smear of baked goat cheese, a few tomatoes, a roasted garlic clove and a mushroom and serve on a platter.
Yield
This recipe yields enough to serve two as a light meal or four as an appetizer with roughly 1 slice of bread (2 toast points) per person.
Ingredients
- 1/2 loaf rustic bread about 4 1/2" thick slices
- 4 ounces chevre creamy goat cheese
- 8 ounces mushrooms about 2 ½ cups chopped
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes or 2 medium tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil divided in half
- 1 head garlic 6-8 cloves peel on with stems trimmed
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and place goat cheese in the center of a shallow baking dish or small parchment lined baking sheet.
- Toss tomatoes with balsamic and add to one side of the baking dish, placing chopped mushrooms on the other. Reserve one garlic clove and scatter the remainder around skillet.
- Drizzle evenly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and a few cracks of crushed black pepper then bake in preheated oven until garlic is soft, cheese is browned and tomatoes are bursting, 25-35 minutes.
- Meanwhile make bruschetta. Slice loaf about ½ inch thick, rub with remaining garlic clove, drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Cut slices on the bias to make toast points and add to the oven during the last five minutes of baking either directly on the rack or on a baking sheet. Bake until golden and crisp flipping once if using a baking sheet.
- Serve with toasts on the side.
Nutrition
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