We are always looking for new ideas for appetizers and we think we have hit a home run with this spread! We love all things bruschetta (I mean, yummy, hearty bread, grilled and topped with cheese, fruits or veggies), how can you not be obsessed with it? We experiment with flavors all the time and today is your lucky day because we are bringing you some of our recent favorites. If you are entertaining over the holidays, you are going to want to make these. We have three different bruschettas here so you can make them all or, just pick your favorite. Your guests are going to be beyond impressed.
We start out by grilling the bread. This gives it a perfect crunch and nutty flavor. We cannot live without our grill pan. The ridges of the pan make it perfect for getting those beautiful grill marks on the bread. Just slice the bread into about one inch think pieces (you’ll be fancy if you slice on the diagonal) and then drizzle both sides with a a little olive oil. Get the heat up to about medium high so you get those pretty marks on the bread.
These guys are topped with burrata cheese (if you have not tried burrata before, just run out to the market really quick and go grab some…we’ll be here when you get back…go now…it’s like a must….you will wonder how you have lived this long without it, okay…perfect, now we can continue) So, we roasted some cherry tomatoes in a hot oven until they were slightly blistered, blackened and popping open, yum, then, topped the grilled bread with the burrata cheese, roasted cherry tomatoes and fresh basil…yum…but not done yet…there’s more…then, you drizzle a balsamic glaze over the top and WOW!! Insanely delish! You don’t even need a lot of ingredients for things to taste amazing!! Easy peasy!
Figs, goat cheese, arugula and honey! I might not need to say anymore but, of course I will because that’s what I do…The combination of these flavors is just pure perfection. The sweetness of the figs, the bite of peppery arugula topped on the nutty crunchy bread with a little smear of goat cheese are going to blow you away. Drizzle with a little raw organic honey and you will be happy happy. Not to mention, it all looks so pretty!
We also cannot get over how good the prosciutto, asparagus and ricotta bruschetta is. Once again, flavors that merry so well! We used whole milk ricotta because it has a a very rich flavor. We mixed the ricotta with some sliced green onion and cracked black pepper and it might be one of the best decisions we have ever made! Wow. Yum. So simple, but so flavorful!!
We teamed up with Whole Foods to pair this dish with J. Lassalle Cuvee. This grower champagne from Montagne de Reims over-delivers for the price. It is the perfect gift for the hard-to-impress wine lover on your list. Perfect for the holidays!
Here’s another fun bruschetta idea:
- 1 loaf Italian rustic bread, sliced into ¼-1/2 inch slices (18 slices - if slices are large cut 9 slicesand cut each slice in half)
- Approx ¼ C good quality olive oil
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 ball buratta cheese
- 1 Tbsp balsamic glaze
- 2 Tbsp fresh basil, sliced into thin strips
- pinch kosher salt
- 6 spears asparagus, boiled for 1 minute and blanched
- ½ C whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped green onion (green part only)
- 2 slices prosciutto
- freshly ground cracked black pepper
- ¼ C goat cheese
- ¼ C arugula leaves
- 3 figs, sliced
- 1 Tbsp goat quality honey
- Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss cherry tomatoes with 1 tsp olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt. Spread evenly on a parchment lined roasting pan. Roast for approx 20 minutes until tomatoes blister and begin to brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
- While the tomatoes are cooking heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush both sides of bread with remaining olive oil. Grill bread in batches flipping bread when each side is lightly golden brown.
- Mix ricotta and chopped green onions together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Use 6 pieces of toasted bread. Spread baratta on the bottom of each piece of bread. Add roasted tomatoes on top of the baratta. Sprinkle with chopped basil and drizzle with the balsamic glaze. Sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt over the top.
- Use 6 pieces of toasted bread. Spread ricotta evenly over the top of each piece of bread. Cut proscuitto up evenly and place on top of the ricotta. Add an asparagus spear to the top of each bruschetta and finish with fresh cracked pepper. (May need to trim asparagus spear to the size of the bruschetta.)
- Use 6 pieces of toasted bread. Spread goat cheese evenly over the top of each piece of bread. Add arugula, top with sliced figs and drizzle with honey.
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