Texas Toast with Italian Inspiration

By Katie Barreira

The other day I saw a commercial for Dunkin Donuts latest offering, the Big ‘N Toasty, a tower of fried eggs, bacon and cheese, sandwiched between slices of Texas Toast. “What’s Texas toast?” asked my mom, as the breakfast behemoth spun for the camera. Thick-cut bread was my best bet and hating to be at a loss in the face a culinary quandary, I went off in search of a more satisfactory answer.

As it turns out, Texas toast is, in large part, defined by the thickness of the slice. Manufacturer’s like Wonder Bread sell bags of the stuff in its unadorned state: honkin’ slabs of white loaf bread, cut about twice as thick as the standard sandwich variety.

Then there’s the preparation of these Texas-sized slices, which is where the toast bit comes in. The bread is slathered with butter (often flavored with garlic) and then broiled until crispy and golden. Cheese, broiled until bubbling, can also be added to the enticing equation. The weighty dish calls to mind the current catchphrase, “serious as a heart attack.”

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Texas Toast with an Italian Twist
Serves 8 to 10

Borrowing from the Italian tradition of garlic bread, bruschetta, this buttery, thick-cut, Texas-style toast is grilled, then rubbed with fresh garlic and topped with tomatoes and cheese. The substantial bread sops up all of those sweet tomato juices.

2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes or quartered cherry tomatoes
Salt and pepper
8 to 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 loaf white bread, sliced 1-inch thick
6 to 8 cloves garlic, peeled and halved crosswise
Parmigiano-Reggiano, for shaving

1. In a medium bowl, toss chopped tomatoes with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Generously spread butter on both sides of each bread slice. On a grill or grill pan, toast bread over medium heat until dark golden grill marks appear, about 2 minutes per side.
3. Rub the hot bread slices with the cut sides of the garlic cloves on one or both sides. Spoon the seasoned tomatoes over the bread slices, dividing equally. Use a sharp vegetable peeler over the Parmigiano-Reggiano to make cheese shavings. Top toast with shaved cheese.

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