Thick slices of bread slathered with garlicky parsley butter and buried under a bubbling blanket of mozzarella, cheddar, and Parmesan. Crisp at the edges, soft in the middle, and ready in minutes, this is the side — or snack — that always disappears first.
Ingredients
8 thick slices Texas toast or thick-sliced sandwich bread; 80 g (about 5 1/2 Tbsp) butter, at room temperature; 3 garlic cloves, very finely chopped; 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, plus more to finish; 100 g (about 1 cup) mozzarella, grated; 80 g (about 3/4 cup) cheddar, grated; 30 g (about 1/3 cup) Parmesan, grated; salt to taste; a pinch of black pepper; 1/2 tsp dried oregano; 1 Tbsp olive oil.
Method
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C), with heat from above and below. Stir the soft butter together with the finely chopped garlic, parsley, oregano, a pinch of salt, the black pepper, and the olive oil until evenly mixed. Arrange the thick bread slices on a tray lined with baking paper and spread each one generously with the garlic butter, covering the whole surface right to the edges. Divide the grated mozzarella, cheddar, and Parmesan evenly over the slices. Bake for 8–10 minutes, until the bread is golden and the cheese is completely melted, then grill or gratinate for a further 1–2 minutes, watching constantly, until the tops are deeply golden and lightly crisp. Scatter over a little more fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Tips
For extra-crisp Texas toast, set the bread directly on the oven rack for the last 2 minutes; add a little chilli powder or chilli flakes to the butter if you like a spicy kick; watch the toast closely during the final 1–2 minutes, because the cheese browns very fast; use genuinely thick slices so the centre stays soft under the topping; serve the moment it leaves the oven, while the cheese is still bubbling and stretchy.
