There is toast…and then there is this Caramelized Garlic Butter Toast with Pan Fried Mushrooms.

Caramelized Garlic Butter Toast with Pan Fried Mushrooms | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Sometimes I have plenty of ideas, some of them I love, some of them never see the light of day. But this toast? It’s been on my mind for a couple of weeks now and I am so excited to finally be sharing it with you guys…even if I despise the photos…pretending I love them as much as I do this recipe!

This toast is not your average toast. It’s an appetizer, but done up a just a bit. It’s garlic bread, but better.

Four key ingredients.

Brown Butter. Caramelized Garlic. Cheese. Roasted Mushrooms.

It’s definitely not a “light” toast by any means, but hey, at least we’re getting our veggies in on this fine Tuesday, right?

RIGHT.

Caramelized Garlic Butter Toast with Pan Fried Mushrooms | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

The inspiration for the toast came from two places.

Bon Appetit shared a garlic confit toast in a previous issue that literally just looked too good for words. However, the second I saw it I knew I needed to add mushrooms. This might be because I’m in a loving mushrooms moment, but either way, adding mushrooms seemed like the right thing to do.

Gjelina a restaurant in Venice, CA has a mushroom toast that is to die for….trust me. Although I have yet to actually try their mushroom toast, I’ve heard from many reliable sources that it is incredible, and it’s all thanks to the mushrooms. I’m told the mushrooms are cooked in a cream based sauced and spooned over toast.

Yummmm.

So, I took the two concepts, did a little tweaking, and now we can all say hello to my version of mushroom toast.

This toast is extra buttery, but with hints of caramelized garlic throughout. It’s a little cheesy, but not overly so, and then the mushrooms…ah, the perfect balance of savory, creamy, and tangy!

Possibly the best mushroom toast ever…and that’s saying a lot from someone who really loves her toast.

Caramelized Garlic Butter Toast with Pan Fried Mushrooms | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

A few notes.

If you’re not a huge fan of garlic, that’s totally fine. Just use one to two cloves or omit it completely and make more of a cheesy mushroom toast.

If the mushrooms are feeling like an extra step or you simply do not like them, they can be completely left off and you’ll still have delicious garlic bread. It’s not quite the same, but if you don’t like mushrooms, you don’t like mushrooms!

For the mushroom sauce, I use a mix of white wine, buttermilk, and cream. I know that the buttermilk seems a little odd, but it adds a really nice tang that is unexpected and delicious.

Caramelized Garlic Butter Toast with Pan Fried Mushrooms | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

And that’s all I got for today.

This yummy toast is the perfect lunch, or better yet upcoming holiday appetizer (Thanksgiving or even Christmas anyone?!). Anyone else planning? I cannot wait!

Also, how is Halloween just a week from today? This is both exciting and scary. I need some fun Halloween plans for sure. Ideas? …I can bring my garlic butter mushroom toast.

Caramelized Garlic Butter Toast with Pan Fried Mushrooms | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest
Caramelized Garlic Butter Toast with Pan Fried Mushrooms | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest
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4.29 from 21 votes

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

The Recipe

Caramelized Garlic Butter Toast with Pan Fried Mushrooms

By halfbakedharvest

Course: Appetizer, Bread
Cuisine: American
Keyword: appetiser, garlic toast

This toast is extra buttery, but with hints of caramelized garlic throughout. It's a little cheesy, but not overly so, and then the mushrooms...ah, the perfect balance of savory, creamy, and tangy!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 10 servings
Calories 252 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter
  • 4-6 cloves garlic
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 sourdough baguette, halved lengthwise and cut in 6 pieces
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound mixed mushrooms
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, plus more for serving
  • kosher salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 

    2. In a large skillet, combine the butter, garlic, and oregano. Cook over medium low heat, stirring often until the garlic is golden and caramelized, about 15 minutes. The butter will brown slightly. Remove from the heat and finely mash the garlic with a fork. Stir in the crushed red pepper flakes.

    3. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet. Drizzle/rub the garlic butter onto each cut side of bread. Top with cheese and transfer to the oven for 8-10 minutes or until the cheese has melted. 

    4. Meanwhile, return the skillet to medium heat and add the olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the mushrooms. Cooking, undistributed until the mushrooms are golden on the bottom, about 3-5 minutes, stir and add the thyme and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, add the wine, buttermilk, and cream. Cook until warmed though, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and season as needed with salt and pepper. 

    5. Arrange the garlic bread on a serving plate and spoon the mushrooms over top. Alternately, you can serve the garlic bread alongside the mushrooms for dipping/spoon over the bread. Top with thyme. EAT!

Caramelized Garlic Butter Toast with Pan Fried Mushrooms | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Delicious…and sure to scare off the vampires. So cheesy, but I mean, it works!