Cute as a Button – Mushroom Toasties

Did A Mishmash of Mushroom Musings leave you craving the “blessed edible fungi“? Make a double batch when you roast ’em for the Masala Mushroom Medley and save one batch for these cheesy Toasties. The cute crusty cups require no fussing and fiddling with pastry dough, they’re simply circles of bread. The mushrooms provide a curious contrast of textures and the caramelized tomato slices on top are quite comely as crowns for these itty-bitties.

Mushroom Toasties
(Makes 8 or 4 servings)

1 Cup mushrooms roasted or sautéed with salt, pepper and red chilli powder (you will need a 12 oz packet to start with)

2 Tablespoons cream cheese (substitute mayonnaise or thick white sauce if desired)

Salt, pepper & dry basil to taste

8 Slices bread

Butter for spreading

½ Cup grated cheese

8 Slices of tomato, thinly sliced

2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray/butter/oil 8 cups of a muffin tin.

To make the filling, mix together the mushrooms and cream cheese. Taste and add salt, pepper & dry basil, as needed.

Roll out the bread slices with a rolling pin, flattening them out. Cut out a circle, about 4″ across, using a cookie cutter or any appropriately sized substitute. Spread thinly with butter. Make a small cut in each slice from the edge till the center. Nestle the bread in the muffin cups, butter side in, overlapping along the cut edge to fit it in securely.

Divide ¼ cup of the grated cheese among the cups. Then, spoon in the filling, and flatten it out. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese and top with a tomato slice in each cup. Sprinkle a little salt, pepper and basil. Bake for about 25 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the cups are toasty. Turn the oven to Broil mode. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top of the tomatoes and broil until the cheese is golden and the tomato is slightly caramelized.

Allow the Toasties to cool in the pan for a minute. Run a knife along the edge to break off any errant cheese shred that may have gotten stuck to the pan. Remove carefully and serve warm.

 

Find more Indian-inspired recipes using everyday ingredients in our new eBook – MANGO MASALA: 60 Indian Recipes From Your Local Supermarket..now available on Amazon.com.

We’re sharing the cuteness with –

• Vardhini’s Dish it Out
• Kid’s Delight