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These Mushroom Pesto Toasts with Fontina Cheese are very unique and sophisticated and a huge crowd pleaser. Wild porcini mushrooms combined with fresh sauteed crimini mushrooms, roasted garlic, walnuts, parsley, and pecorino cheese make for an irresistible pesto! Place it on pieces of French bread, top it with Fontina, toast them, serve and watch the crowd.
If you like porcini mushrooms you may also want to check my famous Creamy Wild Mushroom Sauce. It’s amazing!
This post was originally published on May 29, 2014, and since then was updated to provide additional information.
This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my disclosure policy HERE.
Mushroom Pesto Toasts – Wonderful Appetizer to Please the Crowd
These Mushroom Pesto Toasts were inspired by the dish that I once saw on Food Network: Grilled French Bread Pizza with Mushroom Pesto and Fontina Cheese I where Bobby Flay was making it on the outdoor grill. I made these Mushroom Peto Toasts for some house guests in the middle of a brutal New York winter.
Given the frigid temps, obviously, this means no outside grill. Instead of grilling I decided to sautee my mushrooms in a pan, and use the oven to bake my toasts. Let me tell you my version of these mushroom pesto toasts came out so delicious that my guests and I were in heaven.
The richness of the pesto, with a hint of Pecorino Romano – with its smooth texture – and then the gooey fontina…..mmmm….it created a happy dance in my mouth. My guests totally favored these over any other dishes that I’d made that day and they couldn’t get enough.
So if you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing appetizer, look no further. Make these amazing Mushroom Pesto Toasts with Fontina Cheese and you will see how pleased your crowd will be.:)
What Ingredients Are Needed for Mushroom Pesto Toasts
Here’s your grocery list for making these awesome Mushroom Pesto Toasts:
- Dry porcini mushrooms;
- Crimini mushrooms
- Garlic
- Walnuts
- Pecorino Cheese
- Parsley
- Fresh Thyme
- Fontina Cheese
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- French bread
See the printable recipe below for exact measurements, instructions and easy steps to follow.
Other Mushroom Recipes to Try
- Mushroom Pork Chops with Garlic and Butter
- Pork Chops in White Wine Cream Sauce with Mushrooms
- Hungarian Mushroom Soup
- Chicken Chasseur (French Hunter’s Chicken)
- Wild Mushroom Risotto with Bacon and Leeks
- Mushroom Veggie Burger with Black Beans
- Open Face Mushroom and Cheese Sandwich
Other Pesto Recipes:
- Lemon Basil Pesto Sauce
- Burrata Pasta with Pesto
- Pizzette with Roasted Peppers Pesto and Garlic Shrimp
- Instant Pot Bean Soup with Spinach and Pesto
Mushroom Pesto Toasts with Fontina Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 ounce Dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 pound Cremini mushrooms Stems removed, cut into pieces
- 2 tablespoons Light Olive oil or Canola Oil
- 1 head Garlic
- ¼ cup Walnuts Toasted
- ¼ cup Italian parsley flat leaf
- 2 tablespoons Fresh thyme leaves
- ¾ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ¼ cup Pecorino Romano + 2 tablespoon
- 1 loaf French Bread about 24 inches long
- 2 1/2 cups Fontina cheese Grated
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Roasted Garlic:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F;
- Slice off the top of the garlic to expose cloves inside;
- Place the head on a piece of foil;
- Drizzle with olive oil;
- Roast about 30 minutes until cloves are lightly brown and squeezable.
Pesto:
- Place dried porcini mushrooms in a pot of hot water and let it cook on low heat for about 20 minutes.
- Carefully remove porcini mushrooms from the pot with a slotted spoon, paying attention to not stir the water as there may be dirt at the bottom of the pot. Place them in the bowl of your food processor. You may add a few tablespoons of cooking water as well.
- In a large skillet, heat up 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Add cut up cremini mushrooms and do not move them for about 5 minutes. Do not add any salt at this time as you don't want the mushrooms to release water.
- After 5 minutes, stir the mushrooms and add salt and pepper. Let it cook for about another 5 minutes.
- Add mushrooms, roasted garlic pulp, toasted walnuts, parsley, and thyme into a food processor and process until finely chopped.
- While the food processor is running slowly add extra virgin olive oil until smooth.
- Add ¼ cup of Pecorino Romano cheese and pulse to incorporate.
- Season with salt and pepper.
Assemble and bake:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F;
- Half the bread in the middle and then slice into about 2-inch pieces. Add mushroom pesto, fontina cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons of Pecorino cheese on the top of each toast;
- Spray baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray;
- Place the bread on a baking sheet;
- Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese, has melted;
- Sprinkle with fresh Italian parsley;
- Severe immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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This sounds so good I might just make a meal out of it and not share, haha! Yum!
Thank you so much Sabrina 🙂
These make such a great appetizer for any occasion!!!
That is true 🙂
What a fantastic appetizer idea. They look delicious and the perfect bite sized treat
Thank you Bintu 🙂
These look like a great appetizer! Very healthy and light!
They’re super delicious 🙂
Mushroom appetizer for a crowd of one! lol, I love mushrooms, and wouldn’t wanna share these
I hear you Chantal 🙂
This looks 100% like my kind of dish. I’ve never heard of Fontina cheese before though (hey Sweden…) – but it says Pecorino in the description so I guess I can use any Pecorino cheese?