This is the easiest and best starter or appetizer you will serve up this holiday season. I absolutely love entertaining guests, whether it’s family or friends, it’s one of my favorite things to do. When you entertain as much as I do, it’s important to come up with new exciting dishes to serve. This Crostini is inspired by an appetizer I had at an Italian restaurant. It was a bruschetta, but instead of fresh tomatoes and mozzarella like you normally find in Bruschetta, they used tomato jam and creamy burrata cheese. It was exceptional and I just knew I had to try to re-create it! The contrast between the sweet & tangy flavors in the jam with the cool and creamy cheese is truly delectable and I hope you enjoy it just as much as I do!
Bruschetta Vs Crostini
Whilst researching this recipe it occurred to me that I wasn’t entirely sure what the difference between bruschetta and crostini actually was. It’s quite simple, bruschetta is usually made with larger slices of Italian bread and Crostini is made from more of a “baguette” style bread (which is smaller). Regardless of the difference, what this means is you get a wonderful crunchy piece of toasted bread with the most delicious topping, and it’s quick and easy too! Sound’s perfect, doesn’t it? This cheese is perfect for salads, bruschetta, crostini, and any Italian pasta dish. If there’s one thing Italians do well, it’s cheese!
Step By Step Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400°F/200°C. Slice the bread into half inch slices and arrange them on two large rimmed baking sheets.
A rimmed baking sheet is not required, but good to keep the bread from sliding off the pan when moving to or from the oven.
Brush both sides of the bread slices with oil, and season with salt and pepper and bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through until the bread is golden. This will take, 15 to 20 minutes (if the undersides are not browning, turn the bread over once during baking). Let cool before topping.
Top the toasted Crostini with slices of burrata or fresh mozzarella cheese.
Add a tablespoon or so of the tomato jam.
Then top with a basil leaf. This is best just before serving to avoid wilting the basil.
Serve and enjoy every last bite!
I recommend assembling before serving to keep the bread from getting soggy from the moisture in the cheese, but you can assemble up to 3 days in advance, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge. Top with the basil just before serving to keep it from wilting.
Erren’s Kitchen is written and produced for informational intentions only. We are not certified nutritionists, and the nutritional information found on this site has not been assessed or authorized by a nutritionist or the FDA. The nutritional information found in our recipes is offered as an estimate and should not be considered a guarantee or fact. The estimated data is provided as a courtesy and calculated through a third-party online nutritional calculator, spoonacular API. Although we do our best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered rough estimates. Many factors, such as brands or products purchased and the nutritional fluctuations that naturally occur in fresh produce, can alter the effectiveness of the nutritional information in any recipe. Furthermore, various online calculators provide different results depending on their particular algorithms and nutrition fact sources. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
