These mushroom and goat cheese toasts were inspired by an appetizer at one of our favorite Irish pubs. You can’t believe how much flavor gets into such a simple appetizer. This particular pub is not like most Irish pubs I’ve been to. There’s something about it that feels like you are actually transported overseas and are sitting in an authentic Irish pub. It might be that most of the servers there have Irish accents, but the other part is the way that the space is made up of tons of cozy nooks and the sweet aroma of whiskey.
This place is one of our top winter spots because it just feels like the kind of place you should be to drink until you forget that it was ever cold. And also, the food blows me away every time. Of course they nail the traditional Irish dishes, but they can also do a whole lot more. These toasts are a great example. I knew I liked the ingredients and would probably like them, but never did I expect that something so simple could leave such an impression.
And you’ll see that they aren’t very hard to make at all. This makes these an obvious choice for a small dinner party starter. I am able to cut the bread ahead of time and pop the bread in the oven just a bit before I expected guests to arrive.
Meanwhile, I sauteed the mushrooms with thyme – and add lemon juice right at the end. Once the bread is toasted, Josh can be spreading the goat cheese layer. We top them off with the mushrooms and we’re ready for guests. I can’t help but sneak a toast and have a cocktail while we wait for everyone for to be fashionably late.
- 1 loaf of crusty bread
- 4 oz goat cheese
- 8 ounces mushrooms (we used oyster and portobello), sliced
- fresh thyme, a few sprigs chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large clove garlic
- ¼ lemon, for fresh juice
- salt
- pepper
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Cut the bread into thick slices and brush each side with olive oil. Place bread slices on a baking sheet and bake until toasted. Keep an eye on them but it should take about 5 minutes.
- Heat a large pan on medium heat and then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the mushrooms, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes or until tender. Remove pan from the heat and squeeze lemon wedge over the mushrooms. Stir to incorporate.
- Now to assemble the toasts. Cut the end off a large garlic clove and rub the clove over the slices of warm bread. Spread a generous amount of goat cheese over each slice and top with the mushrooms. Garnish with additional fresh thyme and goat cheese crumbles.
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