Garlic Confit Cheese Toasts

This Garlic Confit Cheese Toasts are paired with an olive oil margarita in the ultimate duo for anyone who loves a little luxury with their comfort food. The toast is stuffed with creamy, slow-cooked garlic and gooey melted cheese inside a crispy ciabatta loaf. The toast is paired with a silky, savory olive margarita that’s equal parts zesty and sophisticated, this combo is perfect for date night, happy hour, or when you just want to feel a little fancy at home.

❤️ Why You’ll Love Cheese Toasts

• Garlic Dream: The slow-cooked garlic confit turns mellow, buttery, and spreadable, infusing every bite of cheesy toast with rich, caramelized flavor.
• Restaurant Vibes: Between the melty toast and the olive margarita, this pairing feels like something you’d order at a trendy restaurant vs. making right at your own home.
• Perfect for Sharing: Whether hosting friends or family, or treating yourself, this recipe delivers an indulgent mix of comfort and elegance (bonus points, it’s so easy to make).

🍲 Ingredients

Garlic Confit – Slow-cooked in olive oil until it’s soft, sweet, and buttery, garlic confit is pure magic in a jar. It adds a rich depth of flavor without the sharp bite of raw garlic, making it the star of this toast. You’ll want to spread it on everything once you’ve tried it.

Gruyère Cheese – This nutty, slightly sweet cheese melts beautifully, giving the toast that gooey pull and savory flavor. It pairs perfectly with the garlic, creating a rich combination that tastes straight out of a French bistro.

👩‍🍳 How to Make Cheese Toasts & Olive Oil + Olive Margaritas

For the garlic confit

1. To make the garlic confit, to a medium-large sized saucepan/pot add all the ingredients and heat on low (do not boil) for around 30 minutes or until garlic is perfectly buttery and creamy. When done, remove from the heat and set aside.

For the garlic confit cheese toast

1. When the garlic confit is done, start on the cheese toast.
2. Preheat the oven to 375F and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Slice the top quarter / third off of the ciabatta loaf and dig out the insides of the bread, leaving about ½ inch bread inside the loaf.
4. Make the cheese bread filling by mixing together ½ cup of the garlic confit (drained of oil – use a slotted spoon) with the freshly grated gruyere cheese, freshly grated mozzarella cheese and minced fresh rosemary.
5. Stuff the bread with the cheese mixture, spreading into an even layer.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and turning golden brown. Slice into 5-6 pieces.

For the olive oil & olive margarita – makes 1

1. Prepare the cocktail glass: Add smoked sea salt to a shallow dish. Run a lime wedge along the rim of the cocktail glass and then twist the rim in the salt to coat.
2. To a cocktail shaker add the olive juice, LALO tequila, fresh squeezed lime juice, olive oil, agave syrup and a handful of ice. Shake until well-chilled, about 10-20 seconds.
3. Add ice to the prepared cocktail glass and then strain the dirty margarita into the glass. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the top of the cocktail and then garnish with olives.

🪄 Tips and Tricks

• Garlic Confit: Keep the heat very low so the garlic softens without browning.
• Drain Garlic: Use a slotted spoon to remove the garlic from the oil before mixing with cheese.
• Cheese Quality: Freshly grated Gruyère and mozzarella melt best and add depth of flavor.
• Don’t Overstuff: Leave a little room in the loaf so the cheese melts evenly.

🗒 Variations

If you like this cocktail pairing, try one of my other ones:

• Gourmet Cheese Ball with Spicy Apple Margarita
• Baked Brie with Smashed Raspberry Mocktail
• Creamy Brussel Sprouts with “Gin” Cocktail Pairing

🍽️ Best served with

• Italian Chopped Salad
• How to Make the Perfect Greek Salad

👝 How to Store Leftovers

Cheese toast: Let it cool completely, then wrap tightly in foil or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2–3 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F for 5–10 minutes to restore crispiness.

Garlic confit: Store in a small jar or airtight container in the fridge, fully submerged in its oil, for up to 2–3 weeks. Use a clean spoon each time to keep it fresh.

Olive oil margarita: Best enjoyed fresh but leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Shake well before drinking as the olive oil may separate.

🤔 Common Questions

Garlic Confit Cheese Toasts

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These delicious Garlic Confit Cheese Toasts are paired with a Olive Oil & Olive Margarita and together they make the perfect restaurant-worthy combination right in your own home.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Appetizer, Drinks

Cuisine American-Inspired

Servings 5 – 6 slices of cheese toast

Calories 311 kcal

Equipment

• cocktail shaker
• shot glass

Ingredients

  

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For the garlic confit

• 5 heads of garlic peeled, around 1 1/3 cups (I highly suggest buying pre-peeled garlic)
• 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme or oregano
• 1/2 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
• 1 small bay leaf
• 1 1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil

For the garlic confit cheese toast

• 1 loaf of ciabatta bread
• 1 cup of the garlic confit, drained of oil
• 1 cup freshly grated gruyere cheese
• 1 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese
• 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary.

For the olive oil & olive margarita – makes 1

• Rim: lime wedge & smoked sea salt
• 1 ½ oz olive brine (juice from a jar of olives)
• 2 oz LALO tequila
• 1 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
• ½ oz (3 tsp) extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ oz (1 1/2 tsp) agave syrup
• ice
• Garnish: 3 castelvetrano olives on a cocktail pick or skewer

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Instructions

 

For the garlic confit

• To make the garlic confit, to a medium-large sized saucepan/pot add all the ingredients and heat on low (do not boil) for around 30 minutes or until garlic is perfectly buttery and creamy. When done, remove from the heat and set aside.

For the garlic confit cheese toast

• When the garlic confit is done, start on the cheese toast.
• Preheat the oven to 375F and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Slice the top quarter / third off of the ciabatta loaf and dig out the insides of the bread, leaving about ½ inch bread inside the loaf.
• Make the cheese bread filling by mixing together ½ cup of the garlic confit (drained of oil – use a slotted spoon) with the freshly grated gruyere cheese, freshly grated mozzarella cheese and minced fresh rosemary.
• Stuff the bread with the cheese mixture, spreading into an even layer.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and turning golden brown. Slice into 5-6 pieces.

For the olive oil & olive margarita – makes 1

• Prepare the cocktail glass: Add smoked sea salt to a shallow dish. Run a lime wedge along the rim of the cocktail glass and then twist the rim in the salt to coat.
• To a cocktail shaker add the olive juice, LALO tequila, fresh squeezed lime juice, olive oil, agave syrup and a handful of ice. Shake until well-chilled, about 10-20 seconds.
• Add ice to the prepared cocktail glass and then strain the dirty margarita into the glass. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the top of the cocktail and then garnish with olives.

Notes

• Any remaining garlic confit can be stored in a glass container for up to 3 weeks in the fridge.
• While this recipe makes 1 cocktail, just double or triple it to serve more people.
• If serving a larger crowd, double the cheese toasts to make more.
• If you love this recipe, try our Gourmet Cheese Ball Recipe with a Spicy Apple Margarita

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice of cheese toast | Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 38.6g | Protein: 20.3g | Fat: 8.7g | Saturated Fat: 4.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2.4g | Cholesterol: 27.6mg | Sodium: 652.1mg | Fiber: 2.2g | Sugar: 3.3g

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