My fridge had three beets, half a log of goat cheese going soft, and a jar of harissa I’d been ignoring for weeks. This tartine happened mostly by accident, and now it’s one of those things I make on purpose. Beets and goat cheese is a classic pairing for a reason — the earthiness of the beet against the creamy tang of the cheese just works — but the harissa and honey situation here makes it actually interesting.
The whole thing comes together in a toaster oven, which is genuinely great for this. A full-size oven takes forever to preheat for four slices of bread, and the smaller space means your beets roast hotter and faster. If you don’t already have a toaster oven baking sheet that fits your machine, it’s worth picking one up — a regular sheet pan usually won’t fit, and you end up cramming things in awkwardly. Also, a reliable toaster oven with a real broil setting makes getting good toast much easier, just for what it’s worth.
These tartines work as a starter if you’re feeding people, or just lunch for yourself. I’ve eaten two of them standing over the kitchen counter more than once. The walnuts are not optional in my opinion — they add something the dish would be noticeably flat without. Toast them. It takes four minutes and it matters.
You can get beets prepped and roasting in under ten minutes, and the whole thing is done in half an hour. That’s a reasonable ask for something that tastes this good.
Toaster Oven Crispy Honey Harissa Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Tartines with Toasted Walnuts
Roasted beets get caramelized and jammy in the toaster oven, then pile onto crusty bread with creamy goat cheese, crunchy walnuts, and a drizzle of honey harissa. Ready in about 30 minutes and honestly impressive enough for company.
Ingredients
Roasted Beets
Tartines
Instructions
Roast the Beets
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Preheat your toaster oven to 425°F on the bake or roast setting. If yours runs cool (mine does), bump it to 430°F.
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In a bowl, toss the beet slices with olive oil, harissa, honey, salt, and pepper until everything's evenly coated. Don't skip patting them dry first if they're wet from peeling — wet beets steam instead of roast, and that's not what we want.
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Spread the beets in a single layer on a small toaster oven baking sheet lined with foil. Roast for 20-22 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the edges are caramelized and slightly sticky. They should look a little jammy and smell incredible.
Toast the Walnuts and Bread
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While the beets are in their last 5 minutes, scatter the chopped walnuts directly on a small piece of foil in one corner of the rack (or use a tiny dish). Toast them alongside the beets for 4-5 minutes. Pull them out when they smell nutty — they go from perfect to burnt fast, so just watch them.
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Once the beets are done, remove them and switch your toaster oven to broil (or keep it at 425°F if you don't have a broil setting). Brush both sides of the bread slices lightly with olive oil. Toast the bread for 2-3 minutes per side until golden and crisp at the edges but still a little chewy in the middle.
Assemble
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Spread a generous layer of goat cheese on each warm toast — about an ounce per slice. Don't refrigerator-cold the cheese; room temp spreads way more easily.
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Arrange 4-5 beet rounds on top of each tartine, slightly overlapping. Scatter the toasted walnuts over everything.
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Finish with a drizzle of honey, the fresh thyme leaves, lemon zest, and a pinch of flaky sea salt. Eat right away while the bread is still crisp.
Notes
Beet prep tip: wear gloves or just accept purple hands for a few hours. Either works. If you can only find pre-cooked vacuum-packed beets, slice them and still do the harissa-honey roast — they won't caramelize as deeply but they're totally usable in a pinch. Leftovers: the roasted beets keep beautifully in the fridge for 4 days; just assemble fresh when you want another round. You can swap goat cheese for labneh if that's what's in your fridge. A tiny splash of balsamic vinegar on the beets before roasting is really good too if you want a little more tang.
Nutrition
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Written by
Emma is a home cook who loves coaxing big flavor out of a toaster oven — from crispy roasted vegetables to easy weeknight dinners and sweet treats. She develops and tests Toastera's recipes for small-appliance kitchens.
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