Ask anybody who loves the deep, rich and umami flavours of good cheese and they’ll tell you that a great grilled cheese toast is the perfect breakfast option out there. In fact, given the fact that a cheese toast blends the simplicity of cheese and bread and creates an ultimate indulgence, grilled cheese toast has today become the easiest, no-fuss and delicious breakfast option for everyone, ranging from the pickiest of kids to adults who savour every bite of it.
Comforting and delicious, this one has truly transcended borders and gone from a French-inspired American dish to one that is beloved the world over. A classic grilled cheese toast is made with a mix of cheese varieties like Gruyere, cheddar, etc. The bread picked can be anything from a baguette to a sourdough. And many people like to add a dash of spices and herbs to elevate it. But have you ever tried adding fruits and veggies to this combination?
You may find this astonishing, but adding vegetables and fruits like tomatoes can indeed add a lot of flavour and depth to cheese toasts. Most people tend to gravitate towards making their grilled cheese toast with meaty additions like ham or salami, but veggies and fruits work wonders on this dish too, because a lot of them naturally pair well with plenty of cheese varieties. Here are some such cheese toasts with veggies and fruits that you can try out.
Video Credit: YouTube/Kunal Kapur
1. Spinach
The green goodness of spinach combines with the richness of cheese to make this savoury breakfast option. All you need to do is cook spinach leaves down with some butter and garlic powder, mix it in with grated cheddar and feta, place it between two sourdough slices and toast the sandwich to perfection. You can also try pairing mozarella with spinach for this one.
2. Strawberry
When strawberries are in season, their slightly tangy slightly sweet flavours make for the perfect addition to the classic cheese toast, especially for those who don’t like one-dimensional flavours. Both cream cheese and goat cheese pair really well with strawberry, and for the bread, you can always explore baguettes and focaccia. If strawberries are not in season, try this one with strawberry jam or preserves.
3. Corn
The fact that corn and cheese meld well in every dish is pretty well-known. The subtle sweetness of corn kernels pairs really well with the gooey cheese varieties like mozzarella and cheddar. All you need to do to make this one is mix boiled corn kernels with grated cheese, herbs and some spices. Mix well and place between two sourdough slices to make this ultimate cheese toast.
4. Fig
When in season or available fresh, figs have a subtle sweetness and a honey-like flavour that pairs really well with some cheese varieties like feta, blue cheese and even brie. Combining these flavours in the form of a cheese toast offers up a medley of sweet-and-savoury flavours that are simply too irresistible. When figs are not on season, you can try this one with fig jam too.
5. Capsicum
Bell peppers or capsicum come in many colours from red and yellow to orange and green, and each and every one pairs really well with both cheese and bread. From gooey mozzarella and cheddar to the rich blue cheese and brie, all kinds of cheese varieties go well with capsicums, which is why including any that you have at hand in your cheese toast is a great idea. You can chop them up and mix with grated cheese, or even fry or roast the capsicum before adding to the cheese toast.
6. Avocado
Avocado cheese toast is quite the droolworthy breakfast dish, and most millennials and Gen Z kids will agree. From chopped avocadoes mixed with cheddar to a creamy avocado salsa with a hint of chillies and feta, you can try a number of combinations to make your cheese toast more filling, nutritious and delicious. Try adding more veggies like tomatoes, onions and corn to your avo salsa for the cheese toast too.
7. Potato
Mashed potatoes make for a great addition to any sandwich, but when mixed with cheddar, gouda, gruyere or even mozzarella, the combination can work wonders for your cheese toast. To be fair, this is primarily because potatoes have the ability to absorb flavours from everything you add to them, so add herbs, spices and even some bacon bits to the mashed potato and cheese blend if you like. This will make your cheese toast more filling too.
8. Onions
There is no dearth of the ways in which onions can be added to a cheese toast to make the dish even more elevated for your ultimate breakfast experience. You could make an onion jam or caramelised onions and pair them with some feta or cream cheese for a cheese toast that is slightly sweet. You could also add fried onions to grated cheddar or mozzarella to make the ultimate savoury and umami flavour bomb. Either way works, so go try this one for breakfast today.
A great cheese toast is the perfect breakfast option, but when make with love, care, fruits and veggies, they turn into absolute flavour bombs. If a regular old cheese toast is your choice for breakfast, then do try out these fruits and veggies listed above in your gooey, cheesy fillings.