10 Delicious Toppings for Toast (Besides Avocado)
For those tired of seeing, thinking about, and eating avocado toast—it could happen!—options are necessary. Whether you’ve cleverly frozen slices of bread or have fresh stuff on hand, we’ve got ideas for you beyond the (delicious) avocado.
Apricots with ricotta, honey and black pepper
This recipe necessitates access to a farmer’s market during the right time of year. When apricots are sweet and in-season, they’re tough to beat on the produce front. The fruit needs very little else when it’s sliced and layered on toast, but if you’ve got ricotta or mascarpone and a bit of black pepper, plus a drizzle of honey for extra sweetness if you need it, you’re going to be very happy, indeed.
Ratatouille and goat cheese
Another seasonal stunner is ratatouille. You can make a very basic version using this recipe, or spend a while creating a big batch using this one. However you approach it, the French classic is a great way to pack in your veggies—it’s loaded with tomatoes, summer squash, and bell peppers—first thing in the morning. Add a bit of goat cheese or a gloopy fried egg for protein.
Peaches with prosciutto and basil
As is true of dates wrapped in bacon, sweet peaches make an excellent foil for salty prosciutto. Add tiny leaves of basil for brightness and beauty.
RELATED: 26 Amazing Avocado Recipes for the Avo-Obsessed (Yeah, You)
Figs and mascarpone
If you have excellent West Coast, Turkish, French or Italian figs in hand, make this. Seek out fruit with a lush but not overripe center. Figs—which are good sources of iron, calcium, and phosphorus—are just the thing to slice thinly for toast, then place on a bed of mascarpone. Lace with honey, if desired.
Smoked salmon, red onion and cream cheese
If it works for a bagel, why wouldn’t it be awesome on toast? Any sort of sturdy bread—rye and pumpernickel are remarkably good here—toasted well deserves a thorough shellacking of fresh cream cheese. The spread melts a bit from the heat, making cool smoked salmon and crunchy red onion its platonic ideal of a partner. Do add a few small capers, for brightness, too.
Chicken liver mousse and cornichons
Rich in iron, protein and vitamin A, liver is spun with Cognac, thyme, a splash of cream and a bit of butter in this shockingly easy Julia Child recipe. If you’ve never tried chicken liver mousse, let today be the day you do; it’s nothing like the rolls of liverwurst or chopped liver you’ve seen or tried before. It's creamy and sensual. Layer it on warm, thickly cut country bread or baguette with skinny slices of cornichon, mustard, fennel, or lettuce.
RELATED: The 20 Best Foods to Eat for Breakfast
Homemade nut butters
If you’re the sort of person who can’t move in the morning without a powerful wallop of protein, creamy nut butters might just be your thing. Either buy them or make them; this recipe helps you do so in just 10 minutes! And hey, there’s no shame in spooning peanut butter and jelly on toast right from the jars.
Mozzarella and tomato sauce
Why mess with a winning formula? Thick homemade tomato sauce—this one is yummy—should be spread on olive oil-dotted warm toast, then topped with a skinny slab of mozzarella. Pop it under the broiler until the mozz is golden or bubbly, and chow down.
Anchovies and butter
In New York City, at a restaurant called Buvette, one can order a warm, not-terribly-pretty toast layered with anchovy fillets and butter, then served with a few fat caper berries. You might know anchovies for their bounteous omega-3s, or you might recall that fish oil is good for the skin. It might have been a chore to fit them into your diet—until now. Between the warm bread, cold butter, and salty anchovies, there’s not a more luxe, delightful bite in the world.
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Ham and gruyère
Croque monsieur, the open-faced French-style sandwich often dipped in egg and sautéed before ham and cheese are layered on, is a classic for a reason. In this riff on it, skip the dipping in egg and sautéing steps, but do dot the bread with butter, broil it, and then layer on the ham, followed by cheese. Broil again, wait till the cheese looks molten, and conjure a Parisian café. Maybe put the Amelie soundtrack or Django Reinhardt on the hi-fi; we certainly won’t judge.
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