Pizza Toasts
Pizza toasts (Mediterranean-style) that are better than Hailey Bieber's. They are more budget-friendly, healthier, and super crispy with a mildly spicy sauce, melty mozzarella, and fresh vegetable topping, making one of the best quick and easy dinners, light lunches, or snacks for busy days without the hassle of making pizza.
Servings 4 pizza toasts
Calories316.3 kcal
Cost $ 1.50 per person
Equipment
- 1 griddle
- 1 medium bowl
- 1 mortar and pestle
- 1 large baking sheet
- 1 spoon
Ingredients
- 4 slices sourdough bread or any other hard-crusted bread of your choice. For low-carb pizza toasts, use low-carb bread. For a gluten-free pizza toast, use gluten-free bread.
Pizza Sauce:
- 2 garlic cloves
- 4 large fresh basil leaves plus an extra for the topping and garnishing
- ⅔ cup arrabbiata sauce or marinara or Pomodoro sauce if you prefer
- Salt and freshly grated black pepper to taste
- 4 slices fresh mozzarella quartered (or about 1 cup of shredded mozzarella if you prefer)
Topping:
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, red or different colors
- ¼ cup kalamata olives halved (optional), or other olives of choice
- A pinch of red pepper flakes optional (skip if you don't enjoy spicy foods)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus extra to toast the bread
- Zest of 1 lemon optional
- Grated parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top (optional)
Instructions
- For the pizza sauce: Using a mortar and pestle, smash garlic with a pinch of salt until forming a paste. Then, add the basil leaves and smash more until forming almost a paste, Stir in the arrabbiata sauce and some freshly ground black pepper and set aside. If you prefer, use just good-quality sauce and skip all the smashing and mixing to reduce prep time.
- For the fresh veggie topping: In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, olives, 6 thinly sliced basil leaves, a pinch of salt and pepper plus red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, and lemon zest. Reserve!
- Toast the bread: Heat a griddle or large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until very hot. Place the slices of bread onto the skillet and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil on both sides (about 2 tablespoon for 4 slices). Let the bread toast for 2-3 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown. Then, flip the slices using a large metal spatula or tongs, and repeat the toasting process. Transfer them to a large baking sheet.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
- Meanwhile, arrange the pizza toasts. Thinly spread about 2-3 tablespoon of the prepared sauce on top of each toast (the amount will depend on the size of your bread slice), top each with 4 pieces of fresh mozzarella cheese, and spoon the fresh veggie topping evenly among them.
- Bake for about 5 minutes or until the cheese melts. Remove them from the oven, sprinkle some grated parmesan on top, and serve them right away with a drizzle of EVOO if desired.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Can you make pizza toast in advance?
We don't recommend making these in advance as they are best made and eaten fresh. But you can certainly prepare the sauce and toppings in advance and keep them chilled in a separate airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Make sure to toast the bread right before preparing these pizza toasts so they will be crispy!
How to store pizza toast
These pizza toasts are best eaten right away. Although the recipe calls for a thin layer of sauce, the bread toasts can still become soggy under refrigeration. They are so quick to make, you won't have trouble making them fresh every time.
Nutrition
Calories: 316.3kcal | Carbohydrates: 37.2g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 12.7g | Saturated Fat: 4.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5.6g | Cholesterol: 22.4mg | Sodium: 794mg | Potassium: 188.4mg | Fiber: 2.5g | Sugar: 4.7g | Vitamin A: 428.1IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 188.3mg | Iron: 3mg
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
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