A Cheesy Affair!

Keeping my promise to come back with a yummy yet easy dish to fill that hungry stomach of yours and going with the name of the blog I had to start with a toast.
 A  Chilly Cheese Toast

This is generally my breakfast or even an evening snack as bread is what is easily available at all stores near me and it is an inevitable ingredient in my kitchen.

Now the story behind this toast is not so long. We get these at almost all cafes these days and I really prefer to have the chilly one as I do love spicy dishes.(Typical south Indian I know) Plus being a non vegetarian I'm used to nice 'teekha' flavour in my food.

Now this was again a day when my fridge didn't give me much options to make something really creative and what my immediate goal was to have my breakfast before it was time for lunch(i told you I'm a poor eater).

So finally i decided on a Chilly Cheese Toast. What I like in it is the mix of the flavours of cheese and chilly which doesn't make it too spicy but doesn't even taste bland. Though there are a lot of people who like only the taste of cheese(I have friends like that) but I prefer to always have an accompanying flavour which complements that little acidic taste of cheese. Plus remember I live with my parents and we all know Indian parents have a penchant for having things less cheesy! Huh. (Mind you they were over with their breakfasts but you can get hungry again with those inviting scents from the oven).

Before I move on with the recipe I would like to issue some serious warnings.
1. People on diets steer clear of this recipe else I wont be responsible for breaking your regime.(I do care about that dress you want to wear for that upcoming wedding)

2. What you are going to get is Cheese..cheese and cheese. So be ready.

3. This dish will fall towards the spicy side. You can adjust it according to your preference though(or     your kid's for that matter).But it wont be necessary when i'll let out a little secret here.

I did not have green chillies. I realised this when I was halfway preparing other ingredients. And I just wasn't in the mood to immediately go and buy some. But there I had something which I fortunately bought few days back- Cheese spread with Chilly flavour. these days you get so many different flavours like black pepper, garlic, red chilly,etc. (I prefer buying Amul but I haven't tasted others. I'm a loyal Amul user)So the day was saved by the Red Chilly flake spread!

But i found out that it was in fact better using that spread instead of fresh chillies because sometimes they may get a little too spicy and ruin your taste buds for the rest of the dish. No point burning your tongue and lips(believe me it happens. Chillies can ditch you anytime).

The rest was very easy. A little baking, lots of cheese and yes I had also put some capsicums for a nice colour. I always feel green really brings out all other elements of your dish. It gives a fresh and lively look.

 

Cut the bread into halves. I like triangle ones so I made them like this. Also chop the capsicums into small pieces. Smaller the better(specially for kids who do not eat capsicum. That way you can't separate it from the cheese. That's how my mom used to make me eat veggies.)

When you have cut the bread into slices put it in a preheated oven at 200 °C for 5 minutes. This way your bread gets a little warm and it would be easier for you to apply the spread. This works here especially because of the present weather conditions which is really chilly.(So many usages for the word chilly in this post. I just noticed)

Now spread some cheese over these warm slices and put the capsicum over it as much as you like.

Now shred the mozzarella cheese over this. Why did I use mozzarella? Because I love it. duh!

Also I'd like to point out the fact about low availability of different types of cheese in the markets. Its not a very cheese friendly zone here you know. We prefer salted butter or ghee. Don't we!

And lastly put some salt and pepper (if you want). Keep the slices(carefully) on the lower rack of your oven. If you don't have a rack don't worry you can keep it on a baking tray as well. Bake at 200°C for about 8-10 minutes depending on how crispy you would like to have it. And done!! Your Chilly Cheese Toast. Quick and yummy.

It was my first try and I have to say it was a hit. It was over even before I could click proper pictures. But then that is what you wish whenever you make something. People liking and appreciating. Especially parents eating something with cheese. It encourages you. And yes I did have my breakfast before lunch time. So i was saved again. (You don't do such things.)

And here I have a hack for you. Instead of using Mozzarella Cheese you can also use Cheese Slices. I know it sometimes becomes tiring to grate that much cheese and when you want it to be ready super quick you can just take a slice of cheese, cut it in half and put it on the capsicum. It will give you a slightly different flavour but it will be more cheesy & easy than Mozzarella. 

And now for the summarised version of this story you have the recipe down here. And if you try it let  me know how it turned out. Happy Baking :)

Chilly Cheese Toast

Ingredients

Bread (I used white)                                               1 small packet

Capsicum                                                                    2-3 medium

Chilly Cheese Spread

Mozzarella Cheese                                                 grated

Salt                                                                                   to taste

Pepper (optional)                                                    a pinch for each slice

Cheese Slice(alternative to grated cheese)

Method

1. Cut the bread into slices. Chop the capsicum.

2. Preheat the oven and then bake cut the bread slices at 200 °C for 5 min.

3. Apply the Chilly Cheese spread over the warm slices and put the capsicums.

4. Grate the mozzarella cheese over this or alternatively put a half of a cheese slice.

5. Bake at 200 °C again for about 8-10 minutes depending on the level of crisp you want.

Your scrumptious Toast is ready. Serve with ketchup or any other dip that you like. Also if you have some oregano you can sprinkle that too. It gives an added flavour.

Happy Baking and munching :)