Recipe: Mushroom-Pesto Toasts

Baked writer Amrita Song swaps sugar for sheet pans in her new recipe column. Each month, she’ll create a complete meal on one sheet pan, saving valuable post-meal clean up time. Don’t worry your sweet tooth, though – Baked will still feature show-stopping desserts once a month.

I’m not a fan of mushrooms, but my husband is. Unfortunately for him, I do the grocery shopping, so he hardly gets to eat them. It’s also why I rarely feature mushroom dishes on this column. I decided to surprise him recently with a few slices of mushroom toast for a healthy vegetarian dinner. I used different mushrooms varieties, paired them with pesto and served them on top super soft brioche.

Mushroom Toast
Inspired by a Food Network recipe 
2 servings

4 slices brioche
1 lb. mixed mushrooms, stemmed (I like a mixture of shiitakes, portobellos, oysters and baby bellas.)
2 Tbsp. canola or avocado oil
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. smoked paprika
½ tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 Tbsp. pesto
Boursin cheese (optional)

• Preheat the broiler.
• Place the brioche on a baking sheet in a single layer. Toast under the broiler 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• In a mixing bowl, toss the mushrooms, oil, garlic powder, paprika, salt and black pepper, until the mushrooms are evenly coated.
• Spread the mushrooms on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast 35 minutes, occasionally tossing them to cook evenly.
• Coarsely chop the mushrooms. Cover each toast slice with 1 tablespoon pesto. Evenly divide the mushrooms atop the pesto, then top with cheese, if desired. Serve immediately.

Amrita Song is a longtime contributor to Sauce Magazine who blogs at A Song in Motion.