Every 60s hostess had a cheese toast recipe in her recipe arsenal. My mother made these regularly and I remember her using a mix of leftover cheeses, as in whatever she had on hand. I always like to have sharp cheddar, gruyere and parmesan, but have made them with just about everything. The one pictured above has fontina and jack in them too. My mother often added blue cheese but I find that too overpowering. The point is, just use your favorite cheeses and bits of this and that are just fine. You could elevate it by adding flaked crab, canned or fresh, but then you must serve it with champagne, just because!
Kids LOVE these. Just warning you in advance.
Retro Cheese Toasts
You will need 1 sliced baguette.
Start with 1 1/2 cups grated mixed favorite hard cheeses and mix in enough mayonnaise to make a spreadable mixture, I would guess about a half cup but I've never measured. It's an "add and stir until you get it right" mixture.
Mix in one, two, or more of these add ons:
chopped chives
thinly sliced green onions
finely chopped pimientos
finely chopped green or black olives
drained capers
a heaping spoon of pesto or chopped chutney
chopped, drained tomatoes
1 tsp of your favorite dried herb or a tablespoon of your favorite fresh, minced herb
1-2 tsp of curry
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
2 tsp prepared mustard
1 can drained crab or 1/2-1 C flaked fresh cooked crab or tiny bay shrimp
Spread mixture on bread slices. Sprinkle with paprika, cracked black pepper or additional herbs if desired. At this point, cheese toasts can be flash frozen on a baking sheet. After a few hours in the freezer and they are frozen solid, place in freezer bags. They will keep nicely for up to a month and are very handy for the busy hostess. To bake: line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy clean up. Place rack on top and place toasts on top of rack. Bake frozen toasts in a hot oven, 375 F for about 8 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned in spots. Unfrozen slices take a little less time. Baking them on a rack is optional, but it crisps up the bottoms nicely. Makes about 3 dozen.
