Ham and Cheese Toast Recipe (4 Ingredients)

On school days, the mornings always feel like a blur, especially during the wintertime in Seattle when it’s still somewhat dark at 8:00 a.m. These days, it’s been a constant challenge for me when deciding what to make my 11-year-old son Philip for breakfast.

While he’s not a picky eater per se, he’s not into eggs of any kind, cereal, or oatmeal. What he does enjoy is sourdough toast, and lately, we’ve been stocking up on a lot of sourdough bread. Thanks to fermentation and good bacteria, it generally lasts longer than other types of bread before molding. It’s also easy to revive in the toaster after refrigeration or freezing.

Some mornings when I’m in a rush, it’s just peanut butter on sourdough toast. But on mornings when I have a few extra minutes, I whip up my simple Brooklyn/Italian-inspired 4-ingredient toast for my kiddo. (I grew up in south Brooklyn, close to a lot of Italian-American communities.) “Each bite is like eating pizza,” Philip once told me.

The Toast My Son Can’t Get Enough Of

Here’s how I make this simple and delicious toast: I start by drizzling a bit of extra-virgin olive oil over a slice of sourdough bread. Then, I sprinkle a layer of grated Parmesan cheese followed by a gentle layer of shredded mozzarella. On top goes a thin slice of prosciutto, which acts like a savory blanket for the cheese underneath. To finish, I sprinkle another layer of Parmesan over the prosciutto, creating a crispy crust as it toasts.

Assembly takes less than two minutes, and it cooks in about four minutes in the toaster oven with my trusty Balmuda on its “pizza” setting. The layered toast emerges perfectly crispy, with gooey melted cheese and a lightly “seared” prosciutto. It’s a beautiful, artisan-worthy creation with plenty of cheesy goodness and umami notes. And my son can’t get enough.

How to Make My 4-Ingredient Toast

For two assembled toasts, you’ll need:

• 2 slices sourdough bread 
• Olive oil, for drizzling  
• 2 to 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided, plus more as needed  
• About 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella, plus more as needed 
• 2 slices prosciutto 

Place the bread on a baking sheet or the baking tray for your toaster oven. Drizzle a light layer of olive oil evenly over each slice.

Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese over each slice. Add a layer of shredded mozzarella, dividing it equally between the two slices. Place a slice of prosciutto over the cheese on each piece, ensuring it covers the top like a blanket. Sprinkle another light layer of Parmesan over the prosciutto.

Place the assembled toast into the toaster oven and cook until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden, and the prosciutto is slightly crisp around the edges, about 4 minutes. The toast should be crispy. If using a conventional oven, bake at 350°F for 6 to 8 minutes, keeping an eye on the cheese and prosciutto to avoid burning.

Remove the toast from the oven or toaster oven and drizzle a little more olive oil over the top for extra flavor and shine, if desired. Plate the toasts and enjoy them warm and gooey.

Simple Variations

• You can easily swap out the prosciutto with a slice of turkey, ham, or thinly-sliced portobello mushroom for a meat-free alternative. 
• To add a little sweetness, sometimes I like to drizzle honey or maple syrup over the toast.
• If you don’t have sourdough bread handy, any other type of bread that you typically use as toast will work.