Three delicious sandwiches that offer a variety of ingredients and flavors. This Trio of Open-Faced Sandwiches includes Roasted Butternut Squash with Shallots and Walnuts, White Bean with Bacon, and Creamy Potato and Leek Salad.
Perfect to serve alongside a pot of soup, as a snack, or as an appetizer.
Too lazy
I am a huge lover of toast. Hand me a loaf of hearty and crusty bread, and I will eat slice after toasted slice. Mind you, I am toasting one piece at a time with the well intentioned thought that I am only eating one slice. But a warm slice of bread slathered with a slab of melting butter is my downfall.
Sometimes I am too lazy or rushed to make something to eat. This is when toast shines. It is a blank canvas. I dig around for some bits in the fridge. It could be a leftover from last night's dinner. Maybe it is a single stalk, chuck, or since of a vegetable that will probably be forgotten on the bottom of the crisper drawer. The pantry cabinet is a trove of toast toppings such as whole nuts or nut butters, assorted vinegars, or chile sauces.
Don't forget the cheese
I always hit the $4 bin at the cheese counter in the grocery store. If I don't like the cheese, which is generally never, I haven't invested a ton of money. So there is a shelf of half-eaten, plastic wrapped, close to penicillin chunks of cheese whose names I have long forgotten. But I have a place for these misfits.
Tartines
A dynamic duo, soup and sandwich is a comforting and filling meal. Depending on the soup, a whole sandwich is too much. I like to serve open-faced sandwiches, in the style of tartines. Cut into wedges, tartines offer you the opportunity to sate your sandwich craving without the investment of a big sandwich. If we have guests, then more tartines, more combinations of ingredients.
Roasted Butternut Squash with Shallots and Walnuts
Roasted Butternut Squash with Shallots and Walnuts has the sweet roasty flavors of the vegetables accented with rosemary along with a nutty crunch.
A hearty slice of sourdough bread is my choice for this sandwich. The sweetness of the vegetables is a good partner for the tangy bread. Cheese - funky goat cheese is what I opt for. Spread on top of the toasted bread, goat cheese fills the nooks and crannies. Pile the squash high. Maybe add a drizzle of maple syrup or reduced balsamic vinegar.
White Bean with Bacon
White Bean with Bacon includes a layer of miso accented mushroom duxelles. The mushroom paste is seasoned with a tablespoon of mellow white miso for an extra dose of umami. White wine and fresh thyme add a bright spark of flavor. This sandwich screams for multi-grain bread. It's even better if there are a variety of seeds in the bread for texture and a complementing flavor to the mushroom duxelles.
The creamy white beans are tossed with crisp smokey bacon. For a pop of brightness, add the concentrated flavor of sundried tomatoes, the herby freshness of chives, and the sweetness of white balsamic vinegar. The sundried tomatoes show up big so only a few are needed.
My choice for cheese is creamy fontina. Shredded and melted on top, the cheese oozes into the crevices of the bean and bacon topping.
Creamy Potato and Leek Salad
I could eat this topping by itself (which means I have). Reminiscent of vichyssoise, a salad of thin slices of roasted petite red potatoes combined with sliced leeks and garlic. Once at room temperature, the potatoes are combined with creme fraiche and a ton of fresh dill.
For a hint of heat, a pinch of crushed red pepper is added as another layer of flavor, hiding in the background.
Choice of bread - pumpernickel. The dark caramel flavors of the bread are a great contrast to the mild flavors of potato salad. Pile the creamy salad on top of a bed of fresh baby spinach. The cheese I gravitate to for this sandwich has a ton of personality and can match the dark bread. Smoked gruyere elevates the potato salad into a rich and complex filling.
Appetizer, lunch, meal?
You can serve this Trio of Open-Faced Sandwiches in many different ways. Need lunch - have the whole sandwich to yourself. One slice of toast piled high with ingredients topped with cheese is more filling than you think.
How about appetizers for a party? You can have tartines with a variety of flavors - different types of bread, cheese, and toppings. Mix and match for a unique sandwich each time.
Maybe you are having your favorite soup. Contrast your sandwich to the type of soup. You really can't go wrong.
Get creative and see what combinations you can find in your kitchen. Who knew toast could be so tasty!
Another open-faced sandwich - https://tenpoundcakecompany.com/herbed-ricotta-and-veggie-toast
Open-Faced Roasted Butternut Squash with Shallots and Walnuts Sandwich
Equipment
- vegetable peeler
- 1 sheet pan
Ingredients
- 2 pounds butternut squash (.9 kg)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 shallots (½cup/2.7 ounces/74 grams)
- 1 clove garlic (1 teaspoon)
- 1 teaspoon minced rosemary
- 1 cup walnuts (3.7 ounces/104 grams)
- 6 slices country white bread
- 4 ounces goat cheese (113 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat oven 425°
- Peel butternut squash. Cut in half and remove seeds. Cut squash into ½-inch dice.
- Place the squash on a sheet pan. Toss with olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
- While the squash is roasting, cut the shallots into ¼-inch dice. Mince the clove of garlic.
- Roast the squash for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and add the diced shallots and minced garlic. Use a spatula to toss the squash and rotate the pieces.
- Give the walnuts a rough chop.
- After 5 minutes, remove the sheet pan from the oven. Add the minced garlic, walnut pieces, and minced rosemary. Again, toss to combine.
- Roast for 5 minutes. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and give the squash one final toss. Make sure each time you stir the squash, you are not mashing the vegetables.
- Toast the slices of bread on both sides. Spread goat cheese on each slice. Top with the roasted butternut squash, dividing it among 6 sandwiches.
Nutrition
Open-Faced White Bean with Bacon Sandwich
Equipment
- 2 skillets
Ingredients
Mushroom Duxelles
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms (230 grams)
- 2 shallots (¼ cup1 ounce/30 grams)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup white wine (59 ml.)
- 1 tablespoon mellow white miso
- ¾ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
White Bean and Bacon Filling
- 2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans
- 8 slices bacon
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- ¼ cup chopped sundried tomatoes packed in oil
- 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 slices multigrain bread
- 1½ cups shredded fontina cheese (4.5 ounces/126 grams)
Instructions
Mushroom Duxelles
- Mince mushrooms, shallots, and garlic in a food processor.
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the processed vegetables to the skillet. A lot of water will be released from the mushrooms. Let the water cook out. This may take 15 minutes.
- Occasionally stir the mushrooms so that they do not stick to the bottom of the pan. Once the water has been cooked out, add the wine and miso.
- Keep stirring so that the miso is incorporated with the mushrooms. Let the wine cook until it is absorbed by the mushrooms. This will take 3-5 minutes.
- Add the thyme leaves. Check the seasoning. You may not need salt because of the miso.
Bean and Bacon Topping
- While the mushrooms are cooking, fry 8 slices of bacon. Rough chop the cooked bacon. Chop the sundried tomatoes into small pieces.
- Rinse the 2 cans of cannellini beans.
- Combine the beans, bacon, sundried tomatoes, and chives.
- Season with ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper.
- Add the white balsamic vinegar and stir to combine.
Nutrition
Open-Faced Potato and Leek Sandwich
Equipment
- nonstick saute pan
Ingredients
- 6 small red potatoes (2 cups of wedges/10 ounces/244 grams)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 leeks (1¼ cups, sliced/4 ounces/113 grams)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- pinch crushed red pepper
- ½ cup creme fraiche (120 grams)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1 cup shredded smoked gruyere cheese (4 ounces/120 grams)
- 6 slices pumpernickel bread
- ¾ cup fresh baby spinach (.8 ounce/22 grams)
Instructions
- Cut potatoes into thin wedges. If the potatoes are too thick they will be difficult to arrange on the bread.
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the potato wedges. Season with salt and pepper.
- Let the potatoes start to brown. Putting a lid on the pan for 3-5 minutes will help the potatoes cook in the center. Just be careful they don't brown too much.
- While the potatoes are cooking, clean and slice the leeks.
- After cooking for 10 minutes, add the sliced leeks to the pan. Toss to combine. If needed, add another teaspoon of olive oil.
- Add a pinch of crushed red pepper.
- Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, then take off the heat.
- Let the potatoes cool to room temperature.
- Once the potato/leek mix has cooled, add the creme fraiche and the fresh dill.
- Toast both sides of the pumpernickel bread.
- Distribute the baby spinach among the slices of pumpernickel bread.
- Pile the potato/leek salad on top of each slice of bread.
- Sprinkle the shredded smoked gruyere on top of the potato salad. Place under a broiler to melt and brown the cheese.
Nutrition
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