Sesame toasts

I have a theory that many of the all-time great Southern recipes have four ingredients or less. Pimento cheese – Cheddar cheese, pimentos, mayonnaise and cayenne pepper. Sausage balls – bulk sausage, Bisquick and shredded cheese. Now there’s a new kid on the block – Sesame Toasts.

I first had these two years at a social function that involved a soup and salad buffet. Someone made these toasts (I still don’t know who). I am not much on soup. I don’t think it’s real food. But I circled back to the platter of toasts…oh…five or six times.

So I finally got the recipe yesterday. But there was a flaw. Two of the six original ingredients are dried basil and marjoram, herbs I would never buy because I don’t understand why anyone would use dried basil in anything and who uses marjoram in anything? Nobody I know.

So I’m battling with my cheap self about spending $10 on two ingredients I will never use in any other way and then it occurred to me that Italian seasoning is uncommonly close. It has both those herbs and a few others thrown in.

So I can’t lie. The thing that makes these toasts is the herbs and sesame seeds are suspended in a half pound of butter. You’re so Southern if….

I made a sheet pan of these yesterday. I ate almost half of them. To make matters worse I put a dab of Camembert on each one. Bad Mommy.

Sesame toasts

1 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

4 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1/2 pound softened butter

1 small loaf thin-sliced bread, such as Pepperidge Farms

Add the herbs and seeds to the softened butter. Combine thoroughly and let it sit for an hour.

Cut the crusts off the bread and thinly spread each slice with the butter. Cut into triangles.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees, put the toasts on a cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the toasts are lightly browned.

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