Zucchini and Chorizo Cheese Toast

Spicy chorizo gives a nice kick to this cheesy gouda and squash topped toast which can easily be doubled for a crowd pleasing appetizer or main meal.

I’m always happy to add an appetizer to a family meal, but when they get too dainty and precious, that’s when I bow out.

Finger food. Tidbit. Munchie.

Really? I want (wo)man food. I want flavor. I want a mouthful. I want an appetizer that doesn’t leave me lurking over someone else’s shoulder as they reach and snatch that last canapé at the buffet table.

Foiled again by a measly morsel of food.

That’s why this cheese toast is so extremely satisfying. Sure it could be cut down to size as an easy appetizer with full-strength satiation, but the beauty lies in its ability to stand on its own bread basket and become a meal in itself.

When you take the combination of seasonal squash, sturdy but still toothsome bread, spiced up sausage and cheese, oh glorious cheese!, then my friends, you have a recipe that’s going to do just fine holding its own.

I like to use a softer bread loaf like ciabatta or french bread for my cheese toasts, especially when I use tender toppings like squash, so that each bite melts in my mouth.

Chorizo adds a spicy bite but if you prefer a summer or Italian sausage, I say go for it, and make it your own. I used the Mexican chorizo in this recipe but I think a Spanish style would be better. They seem to be a little less fatty. Not to say that a little grease doesn’t taste delicious. Because it does. But still.

Aged Gouda is the star of this show, lending a creamy, nutty and almost smoky bite to the bread after it’s been melted. Gouda’s extra creaminess and meltability makes it a prime candidate for this toast, and it blends so well with the spicy chorizo. Come on now, go ahead and load on the cheese, don’t be shy. I promise, it’s totally worth it.

I garnished with fresh thyme and almost crispy onion slices. Any herb handy will work but I really, really love thyme so you’ll see me using it all of the “time”. Doh!

More Toasts to Tuck Into

• Scrambled Egg and Roasted Asparagus Toasts
• French Onion Cheese Bread
• Fig Spread and Cheese Crostini Appetizer
• Nectarine and Wisconsin Burrata Bite Crostini
• Melted Mozzarella Caprese Crostini Toasts

This recipe was originally published in partnership with Go Bold With Butter. Hop over and see what other tastes they have in store.

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

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5 from 3 votes

Zucchini and Chorizo Cheese Toast

Fresh ingredients with a kick of spice make this cheesy toast easy to double as an appetizer or a main meal.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword cheese toast

Servings 6

Calories 653kcal

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons butter
• ½ red onion , peeled and shaved into thin slices
• 8 ounces ground pork chorizo
• 1 loaf ciabatta bread or french bread baguette
• ½ medium yellow squash , shaved into 2 ½ to 3-inch lengths
• ½ medium green zucchini , shaved into 2 ½ to 3-inch lengths
• 1 tablespoon garlic salt
• 2 cups aged Gouda cheese , shredded
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• fresh thyme leaves

Instructions

• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add shaved red onion and cook 2-3 minutes or until limp and transparent. Transfer to bowl and set aside.
• In same pan, cook chorizo until cooked through, breaking up into small pieces. Drain on plate covered with paper towels.
• Split ciabatta loaf in half. Spread each half with 2 tablespoons butter (4 tablespoons total), then sprinkle evenly with garlic salt. Top bread evenly with Gouda, then add cooked chorizo. Top with squash shavings and cooked onion. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Broil in oven until cheese melts. Slice into individual pieces and garnish with fresh thyme leaves and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 653kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 139mg | Sodium: 2714mg | Potassium: 197mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 936IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 563mg | Iron: 1mg

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