Buttery Sautéed Mushrooms on Toast

I’ve often joked that I could live on cheese toast. Top that crunchy, comforting toast with a generous spoonful of buttery, creamy, perfectly sauteed mushrooms, and I am over-the-moon happy and satisfied. You will be, too. 

The term “sautéed” mushrooms gets used a lot, often to describe all the ways to cook mushrooms in a skillet or saucepan. But a true sauté implies a simple, but reliable, technique that ensures the mushrooms turn out tender, but not soggy or drippy. The best way to remedy the common problem of cooked mushrooms swimming in grey liquid is to avoid the liquid in the first place. It’s easy: use a pan large enough to hold the mushrooms in a single layer (or work in batches), stir continuously, and don’t salt them until they’re nearly done.  This technique will serve you well for all sorts of mushroom recipes, beyond making this delicious toast. 

Makes 2 to 4 servings 

Toast Ingredients  

• 4 large crusty bread slices
• 1 tablespoon high smoke point oil, such as grapeseed oil
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

Mushroom Topping Ingredients  

• 2 1/2 tablespoons butter, plus more if needed
• 12 ounces mixed fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced shallot
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 4 tablespoons crème fraiche
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• Chopped fresh chives, tarragon, and/or sage

Directions

Brush the bread on both sides with the oil. Place in a grill pan set over high heat and toast on each side until grill marks appear, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the cheese on top of each slice of bread and set aside. 

Place 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large, wide skillet set over high heat. Once the butter sizzles, add the mushrooms in a single layer and stir to coat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms just begin to brown slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until the mushrooms are tender and browned, about 3 minutes more.  

Clear a spot in the middle of the mushrooms and drop in the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of butter. When the butter melts, add the shallots, and stir to coat. Stir the shallots into the mushrooms and cook until the shallots are tender, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. 

Add the vinegar and stir to loosen any glaze from the bottom of the pan.  

Add the crème fraiche and stir until it melts and lightly coats the mushrooms. Stir in the parsley.  

Spoon the mushroom mixture over the toast, sprinkle with additional herbs and a bit more salt and pepper, if desired. Serve immediately while the toast is crisp.  

©Copyright 2024 Sheri Castle  

Sheri Castle, award-winning food writer and cooking teacher, is known for melding culinary expertise, storytelling and humor, so she can tell a tale while making a memorable meal. Her creative, well-crafted recipes and practical advice inspire people to cook with confidence and enthusiasm. She's written a tall stack of cookbooks and her work appears in dozens of magazines. In 2019, the Southern Foodways Alliance named Sheri among Twenty Living Legends of Southern Food, calling her The Storyteller.

Sheri says that she's fueled by great ingredients and the endless pursuit of intriguing stories, usually about the role that food plays in our lives, families, communities and culture.

When she steps away from the kitchen or a local farm, Sheri enjoys spending quiet time at her home near Chapel Hill. She hails from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.