Mushroom & Gruyere Bruschetta is the kind of quick and easy appetizer you can throw together on the spur of the moment.
Light dinner or substantial appetizer, it’s up to you. During the summer they’re one and the same to us. This one couldn’t be simpler, and I’ve got a bonus tip for cooking those mushrooms — you won’t believe the flavor you will get from them when you cook them this way.
This is patterned on classic French elements: a baguette, mushrooms, nutty Gruyere , fresh thyme, sherry, and a touch of garlic. You can use any kind of mushrooms and any kind of cheese, but remember that white button mushrooms don’t have as much flavor as other varieties. I used cremini, which are young portobellos. There are lots of great cheeses that would be delicious here, but Gruyere and mushrooms have a special affinity for each other.
TIP: So here’s my mushroom cooking trick— I like to dry saute the mushrooms, without any oil or butter. They hit the hot pan and immediately begin to release some of their moisture. They darken and their flavor intensifies. They don’t get that spongy quality that mushrooms have when they absorb oil, so their texture is better, too. Just be sure to stir them often to keep them from sticking to the pan. As an added benefit you don’t get the extra calories. Save them for the cheese.
Slice a baguette or a loaf of ciabatta bread in half lengthwise. You can make one large piece or divide it into individual pieces.
Rub the cut side of a garlic clove across the bread.
Ingredients
- 1 small loaf ciabatta bread or a crusty baguette
- 1 clove garlic, halved
- 1 pint cremini mushrooms
- 1/4 pound Gruyere cheese, grated (a generous cup)
- 1 Tbsp Sherry (or Marsala)
- pinch of salt, if needed
- fresh thyme leaves (about 2 Tbsp, plus more for garnish)
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Cut the bread in half lengthwise, so you have a large cut surface. You will not need the whole loaf, I used about a 6 inch by 6 inch piece of ciabatta. Grill the bread, cut side down, on a hot grill until it starts to get nice char marks. Rub the cut side of the garlic across the bread while it is still hot. Set aside.
- Dust off the mushrooms with a clean dish cloth. Trim off the tips of the stems, and then thickly slice them.
- Heat a cast iron or saute pan on medium high, and add the mushrooms and thyme leaves. Dry saute the mushrooms, stirring often so they won't stick to the pan, until they release their moisture and are softened. This will only take a couple of minutes.
- Add the sherry and let it sizzle for just a few seconds. Stir to deglaze the pan and get up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Season with a pinch of salt, if needed.
- Spoon the mushrooms and any juice onto the bread. Top with the cheese, some black pepper, and a little more fresh thyme. Broil until the cheese is melted.
- Slice the bread into individual portions and enjoy right away.
Notes
Set aside a few cooked mushroom slices to garnish the bruschetta after it comes out of the broiler if you want it to look like it does in the photos.
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15 Comments
Cris
January 12, 2017 at 2:25 amI love the recipe, so much so that I started experimenting with it. One of my favorites has been using Marsala instead of sherry with sliced portobellos & Brie cheese. After putting it in to melt the cheese, I put diced plum tomatoes that I’ve already diced up taking out all the seeds etc. & I put it in the same pan that I used for cooking the mushrooms. I constantly stir them so they don’t burn, but they do soften up. Once they do, then I mix them with the mushrooms that I have set aside for garnish. So I do a couple of different ones when I have a bunch of people over so they all have options or they can have a little bit of everything. So far there’s been no complaints about any of them. Thanks to you!!!
Sue
January 12, 2017 at 8:18 amWhat fun ~ I haven’t really played around with this one, Cris, now I want to. Your Brie and mushroom version would be great to serve with my Brie and mushroom soup!
Alexa
November 7, 2016 at 9:18 pmLove this recipe~ thanks! Thought I’d mention~ Crimini mushrooms are the same kind as button mushrooms just brown instead of white… Portabellos are mature brown button mushrooms.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agaricus_bisporus
Norma
June 29, 2016 at 5:54 pmMade this for girls night,& wine,,,hope all like it…
Judy Crawford
May 13, 2016 at 11:33 amAbout how much fresh thyme do you sauté with the mushrooms? I didn’t see a measurement, and I need one :).
Sue
May 13, 2016 at 12:07 pmI’d say about 2 Tbsp, give or take, Judy, I’ve just updated the recipe, thanks!
Judy Crawford
May 13, 2016 at 12:35 pmThank you!!
Lisa
May 12, 2016 at 5:28 pmDo you think this is something that could be done up ahead of time, the mushrooms that is? Then assemble it and bake it right before?
Sue
May 12, 2016 at 5:59 pmAbsolutely, that would work great.
Dacia
June 24, 2015 at 12:06 pmI tried this and it was amazing! I replaced the Marsala with Paneras Fuji Apple vinaigrette dressing and used goat and mozzarella cheese instead. Also I used white bolillios bread. All this I found in my fridge to replace what I didn’t have and it turned out amazingly delicious!
Sue
December 8, 2015 at 7:52 amSounds fantastic!
Victoria
February 17, 2015 at 7:21 pmTried this tonight and it was AMAZING – I used a package of mixed dried mushrooms – shiitake, oyster, etc – soaked in water before starting your steps and it was just excellent, definitely a keeper recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Sue
February 17, 2015 at 8:24 pmSo happy you liked it! Aren’t dried mushrooms great?
Friday Faves - Early Long Weekend Edition | Jody Robbins
July 31, 2013 at 11:26 pm[…] think this mushroom and gruyere bruschetta would taste great with a steak and goblet of […]
Ali Burtt
July 26, 2013 at 3:26 amLooks delicious! I’ll have to try that dry sauteing thing. I usually make mine in butter and olive oil and finish them off with red wine, but combining that with cheese would just be too soggy! Thanks for all the great recipes!