Forget Bread, Make Your Next Avocado 'Toast' On Hash Browns

Creamy, filling, and an excellent source of monounsaturated fats, avocado toast often receives an unfairly bad rap. Yes, its trendy, Instagram-friendly aesthetic has made it popular among weekend brunch-goers and quick-grab snack munchers alike, and grabbing a quick slice is not exactly known to be budget-friendly. However, avocado toast is also pretty darn delicious, and a real lesson in versatility. There's no right way to eat it — avocado toast serves as a blank canvas for a diverse array of toppings, ranging from proteins such as poached eggs to creamy burrata cheese, to tomatoes, cilantro, or pomegranate seeds. The toast can be finished with anything from olive oil, red pepper flakes, a basic sea salt and pepper blend, or even the genius and savory flavors of everything bagel seasoning.

But what if you could change up the base, too? You can — it turns out, swapping bread for crispy hash browns is just the ticket to preparing avocado toast that is equally delicious and filling, but that, well, isn't toast at all.

Swapping in hash browns for your avocado toast is delightfully easy, and begins with picking the right avocado for your "toast." You'll want your avocado to be ripe, but not overripe — it should be dark green, and you should be able to press down on it with your thumb, but it should not feel mushy. Is your avocado not nearly ripe enough? Try putting it in a brown paper bag with a banana, and it should become ripe and ready to mash within a few days.

As for your hash browns, you can use either loose, diner-style hash browns or a few frozen hash brown patties just as successfully (though using a hash brown patty is a little easier, less messy, and creates a fun handheld snack). Either way, you'll simply prepare your hash browns until they are golden and crispy (for that toast-like crunch) by pan-frying or baking — and don't overlook the easy, oil-free method of air-frying them.

But be sure to make your avocado mash fresh, not ahead of time, as avocado browns quickly. Spread your mash across your hash browns while they're warm, and add your choice of toppings (fried egg, jalapeños, whatever you'd like). Now, you have a deliciously revamped avocado toast that also happens to be gluten-free, provided the brand of hash browns you buy doesn't contain wheat.

If you're not a fan of hash browns, there are several other foods you can use as a base for your avocado "toast." Enter the sweet potato, for example. With its natural sweetness and firm texture, this buttery, nutrient-rich starch can step in as a delightful substitute for bread. You'll just need to slice your sweet potatoes lengthwise (or into rounds, if you prefer) and either toast or oven-bake them. Then, go ahead and top them to your liking.

Grilled or baked eggplant is another excellent choice for your avocado toast base. Its firm texture and subtle flavor provide a delicious complement to a good avocado mash, especially when drizzled with olive oil. And if you're looking for a convenient, no-cook method to enjoy that savory avocado toast flavor, why not try a rice cake? A seriously quick and easy alternative, you'll just top your rice cakes with your avocado mash and the toppings of your choice and enjoy.