As the saying goes, “Everything is bigger in Texas!” Hair, hats, and, if you’re a DCC fan, those epic high kicks during their now notorious Thunderstruck routine (cue AC/DC). Even simple items are presented on a grander scale in Texas. Case in point: the illustrious Texas toast. Toast on its own is a benign piece of sliced bread, browned on both sides. It’s synonymous with bland foods that can help remedy the stomach flu. Texas toast, however, is an entirely different concoction. The bread is thick, the spread is ample, and the flavor is bold. Yes, this is undoubtedly Texas’ flex to toast. Everything about Texas toast is big.
Texas toast is a thick slice of white bread slathered in garlic butter and grilled or broiled until it reaches a golden brown. According to legend, Texas toast was invented in 1946 at the hotspot Kirby’s Pig Stand in Denton, Texas. As the story goes, the owner ordered extra thick slices of toast, but to his chagrin, they subsequently did not fit into the toaster. The restaurant’s cook at the time, Wiley W. W. Cross, remedied the problem by buttering the bread and grilling it. The rest, as they say, is history. These days, garlic is added to the butter, yielding a product reminiscent of garlic bread, and on occasion, cheese is added on top, creating an open-face, garlicky grilled cheese.
Many restaurants now serve Texas toast, especially in, well, Texas, and its bordering states. Louisiana, a Texan neighbor, is the birthplace of the restaurant chain Raising Cane’s. Its main dishes consist only of chicken, and the menu features Texas toast as a popular side dish. The Raising Cane’s Texas toast has become a phenomenon in its own right and the subject of many copycat recipes. However, because this ain’t Texas (ain’t no hold ‘em) and actually New York, Texas toast is a bit harder to come by. Therefore, a solid and reliable Texas toast recipe is a valuable commodity, and one from Raising Cane’s is all the more coveted. This version can be used as an accompaniment to a homemade chicken sandwich or as the base for a grilled cheese. However you choose to serve it, just remember to keep it big.
Copycat Raising Cane’s Texas Toast
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place the butter, salt, garlic powder, and parsley in a bowl and mix together until it is the consistency of a thick paste. You may have more butter spread than you need depending on how many slices of toast you are making. Set aside.
- Heat a griddle or a large non-stick pan on medium-high heat.
- While the pan is heating, spread 1 to 2 tablespoons on each side of one slice of bread. Repeat with the amount of toast that you desire.
- Place the bread in the pan and cook until the side making contact with the pan is golden brown. Flip the bread and cook the other side until it is golden brown as well.
- Remove the toast from heat and place it on a plate. Enjoy!