Grilled Mushroom Pesto Toast

Avocado Toast was all the rage for a while; so that got me thinking, what about a Grilled Mushroom Pesto Toast? A hint of smoke, an herb garlic spread and flavor all the way! With this week’s Supper Challenge listed as “pesto,” pasta was not going to cut it for me. I wanted something else to accentuate the fresh herb and cheese punch.

I loved grilled or smoked mushrooms, but it needs to be a paired with something that is livelier. And since I had to start the grill anyways, it only makes sense to toast the bread over open fire as well.

Taste: Mushroom and pesto pairs well. I made three different versions, testing out goat cheese, feta cheese and ricotta cheese. My personal preference leaned towards the Grilled Mushroom Pesto Toast with creamy goat cheese. The next favorite, utilized ricotta cheese and a balsamic glaze for more bite.
Texture: Soft chewy of mushrooms with creamy cheese and crunch of Pesto Toast, cannot be beat

For another elevated vegetable dish, consider Beet Tartare. You’ll be surprised how much you’ll love the sweetness of beets in a new way.

Grilled Mushroom Pesto Toast

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Ingredients

  

Basil Spinach Pecan Pesto

• 1 tablespoons toasted pecans
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt more to taste
• 3 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup of basil leaves
• 1 cup of fresh spinach leaves
• ½ cup parmesan cheese
• ½ cup olive oil

Grilled Mushroom Pesto Toast

• 6-8 slices of Rye or Sourdough Bread
• 4 Large Portobello Mushrooms or 12-16 Medium Sized
• 4-5 spinach leaves finely sliced (julienned) , optional for garnish
• 1/3 cup Basil Spinach Pecan Pesto
• ¼ cup goat cheese crumbles or ricotta or feta cheese crumbles
• Balsamic glaze optional

Instructions

 

Basil Spinach Pecan Pesto

• On low or high speed, blitz in small food processor until all pieces are consistently the same granular size.
• Blitz in basil and spinach leaves.
• Blitz in parmesan cheese.
• Blitz in olive oil until smooth.

Grilled Mushroom Pesto Toast

• Preheat a grill with charcoal loaded on one side to create direct and indirect cooking zones ~ to about 350F
• Using a sharp knife, score several cuts onto the top of large portobello mushrooms.
• SmellaQue Tip: Scoring the mushrooms allows the mushroom to release the water.
• Place portobello mushrooms onto the grill (ideally on indirect side) about 10 minutes.
• Flip portobello mushrooms and cook about 5-10 minutes until mushroom is soft and spongy. Don’t worry if the outer skin of the mushroom is papery.
• Meanwhile, lightly spread both sides of the slices of bread with the oil from the Basil Spinach Pecan Pesto.
• Toast the bread slices for about 1 minute each side on the hot grill.
• Remove toasted bread and portobello mushrooms from grill.
• Thinly dice grilled mushrooms.

Grilled Mushroom Pesto Toast Assembly:

• Generously spread another layer of Basil Spinach Pecan Pesto onto Grilled Toast
• Add a layer of grilled mushrooms and finely sliced spinach leaves.
• Sprinkle goat cheese crumbles (or ricotta or feta cheese crumbles).
• Optional: Drizzle on balsamic glaze before serving