16 Savory Toast Recipes

Chef Jose Garces pan-sears sweet and smoky Spanish piquillo peppers before marinating them in a garlic, honey and fresh herb vinaigrette.

Steven Satterfield's restaurant, Miller Union, serves some combination of feta and radishes almost every day. He says you can use any assortment of radishes for these toasts, like watermelon, pink beauty, cherry belle or d'Avignon. If you slice the radishes ahead of time, keep them in a bowl of ice water, which makes them extra cold and crispy.

Spaghetti squash gets its name because once it's cooked, you can use a fork to pull the flesh into long, thin strands. Jonathon Sawyer makes his own curry and cooks his own chickpeas for this vegetarian dish, but this simplified recipe calls for store-bought curry paste and canned chickpeas. Sawyer roasts the seeds from the squash and uses them as a garnish; pumpkin seeds from the supermarket are a fine substitute.

Bread that's grilled over an outdoor fire has a delicious, woodsy flavor and needs only the simplest of toppings.

Dive into the delectable sandwich with a fork and knife or pick it up with your hands, providing there are plenty of napkins close by. Chef Jesse Cool likes to tuck the maple apples in with the ham and cheese, but the fruit can be served on the side, along with a spicy mustard or horseradish sauce.

Sour cream or cream cheese may be the usual spread with salty smoked salmon, but chef David Tanis thinks softened butter makes a tasty alternative. (Think of ham-and-butter sandwiches.) To give the butter a zippy bite, he stirs in lemon zest and both Dijon and grainy mustards.

This hors d'oeuvre is a Louisiana riff on traditional French chicken liver pate. The Rushings create a silken mousse with livers from the quintessential American bird, turkey, but you can also use chicken livers. Instead of cornichons, the little French pickles, the Rushings add a sweet-and-tangy Southern accent--pickled shallots.

Food writer and stylist Karen Gillingham makes this spicy, fragrant sauce inspired by a version she discovered at a hole-in-the-wall cafe in Mexico. She likes spooning it over toasts topped with mashed avocado, but it's also great with eggs and grilled fish.

Inspired by the classic combination of bagels with lox and cream cheese, Tory Miller devised this variation using smoked, locally raised trout and homemade English muffins. It would be equally good on other breads, such as a baguette, or even the bagel that inspired it.

This hearty fork-and-knife dish from Hugh Acheson is perfect for a quick, easy dinner for two or as a starter for four.

"I make these toasts, grab some potato chips--my secret love--and fix a yummy drink," says Susan Feniger, co-chef at Border Grill in Los Angeles. "That's a late-night dinner!" To change it up, she sometimes broils the avocado toasts for a couple of minutes before topping them with tomatoes, or she'll spread the avocado on rice crackers instead of bread.

Instead of using a fruit jam, chef William Werner spreads a rich, thick and silky coffee-caramel jam over toasts to make an elegant dessert.

This is an ideal make-ahead brunch recipe; the luscious ratatouille tastes even better when made the day before.

These hulking avocado toasts with strawberries and creamy burrata are a great early summer lunch or, cut into thick slices, a crowd-pleasing appetizer. Be sure to use a quality balsamic vinegar here.

Instead of creamed spinach, try this luxurious creamed kale on crunchy toasts.

Grilling guru Francis Mallmann is a master of efficiency. Here, he creates a delicious first course using only a cast-iron skillet, first toasting the bread in it, then quickly searing the mushroom, onion and garlic toppings right after.