Fall is officially here—and although this season begins our transition into winter hibernation, it’s often one of the busiest times of the year. But no worries! If you’re hustling extra-hard right now or just need a break from cooking, cheese is your BFF in the kitchen. And one of our favorite ways to enjoy a quick, balanced, and delicious meal is also the simplest. 

Cheese toasts, also called tartines, begin with a foundation of great bread and high-quality cheese, topped with whatever autumnal veggies, fruits, herbs, and condiments you have on hand. Want to round out the meal? Serve with a fried egg on top for breakfast, add a crisp apple for lunch, or make a green salad on the side for dinner. Here are some of our favorite cheese toast recipes for fall. 

Ricotta Cheese Tartine Recipes 

A dollop of easy, homemade ricotta cheese spread over a crunchy slab of toasted bread is like a blank canvas, just waiting for you to create something beautiful (and delicious) with your favorite flavors. Add roasted cubes of sweet potato and garlicky kale from last night’s dinner, for example. Or make our colorful toast with beet puree, clouds of ricotta, broiled Italian plums, and fresh thyme. 

Other fruits shine on this toast, too. If you’ve got a few late-season peaches kicking around in your fruit bowl, slice and add a drizzle of honey, a sprinkling of za’atar, and a pinch of flaky sea salt. Want to go even simpler? There are few pleasures greater than ricotta toast topped with jewellike spoonfuls of your favorite fruit preserves—strawberry, raspberry, apricot, you name it. 

Mozzarella Cheese Tartine Recipes

We might associate fresh mozzarella with ripe tomatoes, fragrant basil, and long summer days, but this tender, milky cheese shines year-round. (Hint: This cheese is even better when you make it yourself in one of our virtual Italian cheesemaking classes!)

Top an airy slice of toasted Italian bread with another classic veggie-herb flavor profile—slices of sweet butternut squash and earthy fresh sage—before accessorizing with a rich balsamic vinegar reduction and crisp pepitas on top. 

Looking for a way to use that fennel you got in your CSA box but want to go beyond salad? Top slices of fresh mozz on whole-grain toast with thin slices of fennel alternating with Bosc pear, then raid your garden and finish it with a sprinkling of fresh mint for a subtle, refreshing tartine.

Chevre Cheese Tartine Recipes

If you’re not already spreading chevre on your breakfast breads, you’re missing out! This ultra-versatile fresh goat cheese is easy to make at home—or you can pick up a bundle of Miracle Springs Farm’s chevre, already spiked with savory everything spice. I love topping an everything bagel (bagel is a form of toast, right?) with a schmear of chevre, then adding slices of crisp, zippy radish and a pinch of flaky sea salt and fresh-ground black pepper. 

Chevre is also an ideal vehicle for enjoying one of early fall’s most sought-after fruits: plump, juicy fresh figs. Spread a slice of thick-cut toasted brioche with a blend of plain chevre mixed with honey, then place halved figs cut-side-up on top. Drizzle with a bit more honey and a big punch of toasty, nutty dukkah. Voila—toast that works as breakfast, brunch, or dinner. 

Cheddar Cheese Tartine Recipes

When we think of melted cheese on toast, we probably think of a gooey slab of savory melted cheddar—the tartine in its simplest, purest form. But this is just a jumping-off point—there are so many directions you can go with a hunk of great cheddar, like Redhead Farm’s full-bodied Lucky Linda or Jasper Hill Farm’s iconic Cabot Clothbound. 

Top your cheddar toast with slices of late-season tomato for a classic combination. Caramelize a batch of onions—or save time with a jar of onion jam—and spread them on your toast, then melt cheese on top and drizzle with date syrup for a sweet-savory tartine. 

But you don’t have to melt your cheddar, and here’s one recipe we love that includes the kind of room-temperature cheese that is so easy to get when you keep a Grotto on your counter: toast a slice of sourdough till crispy, then spread it with amlou, a Moroccan blend of ground almonds, honey, and culinary argan oil, and top with slices of your favorite sharp cheddar. No amlou around? Try a similar recipe with fig jam, quince paste, guava jelly, or apple butter instead. 

What are your favorite fall flavors to put on toast? Let us know!