Crostini Spread Recipes

SIMPLE CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange baguette slices on two large rimmed baking sheets; brush both sides with oil, and season with salt and pepper.
• Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden, 15 to 20 minutes (if undersides are not browning, turn crostini over once during baking). Let cool on baking sheets. Top crostini with desired toppings, and serve.

CROSTINI

Steps:

• Set the oven to broil at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• In a small saucepan, combine the olive oil, butter and garlic. Set over medium heat, and cook until butter has melted and the mixture starts to bubble. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
• Dip each slice of bread into the garlic mixture, turning to coat each side. Place Parmesan cheese on a plate. Press one side of each piece of bread into the cheese, and place cheese side up on a baking sheet.
• Broil on the middle rack of the preheated oven for about 8 minutes, or until golden brown.

CROSTINI SPREAD

Steps:

• Beat cream cheese and sour cream in medium bowl with whisk until blended. Stir in artichokes and onions.
• Refrigerate 2 hours or until chilled.
• Spread toast slices with cream cheese mixture; top with tomatoes.

CREAM CHEESE CRAB SPREAD WITH HOMEMADE CROSTINI

Steps:

• Combine the cream cheese and all but 1/2 cup of the crabmeat in a medium bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined. Roll into an 8-inch log and refrigerate until firmed up slightly, about 1 hour. Refrigerate the remaining 1/2 cup crabmeat until serving.
• Meanwhile, combine the ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, salt and some pepper in a medium bowl. Taste and adjust to your liking.
• Place the log on a serving platter. Spoon some of the sauce over it, reserving the remaining sauce in a small bowl to serve on the side. Sprinkle the reserved 1/2 cup crabmeat on top and garnish with the chives. Rub the garlic onto one side of each slice of bread and arrange the bread on the serving platter.

CROSTINI D'EMILY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Slice the baguette crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices
• In a small bowl, stir together the butter, olive oil, and chopped garlic. Spread the butter mixture onto each slice of the bread. Place the slices onto a cookie sheet buttered side up.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted, and hard.

ROASTED GARLIC CROSTINI WITH ASSORTED TOPPINGS

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Put the garlic in a roasting pan and drizzle on the olive oil. Toss to coat thoroughly. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the garlic bulbs are very tender but not overly brown. Test by carefully giving a bulb a gentle squeeze while protecting your hand with a folded kitchen towel or an oven glove. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
• 2. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut each head of garlic crosswise in half, midway between its leaf and root ends, to expose all the cloves inside. Their pulp will be golden brown and as soft as butter. You can squeeze it out of each half by hand or scoop it out with a small spoon or knife. Transfer the roasted garlic to a small bowl, pour in any olive oil from the baking dish, and stir and mash with a fork to form a smooth purée. You'll have 1/3 to 1/2 cup of purée, depending on the size of the garlic heads.
• 3. To make the Roasted Garlic Crostini, preheat the oven to 375° F. Brush the bread slices with the olive oil and arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake them until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool to room temperature. Spread the puréed roasted garlic evenly on the tops of the crostini. Top the crostini with any of the options listed above, or make an assortment. Spread some with 1 tablespoon each of goat cheese; then decorate the cheese with strips of roasted bell pepper or a mixture of sun-dried tomato strips and capers, or a smear of tapenade. In place of the goat cheese, top others with diced tomato tossed with some fresh basil, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar; with prosciutto and Parmesan cheese; with anchovy fillets and freshly ground black pepper; or with slices of Roma tomato and fresh mozzarella, topped with fresh basil leaves.

RICOTTA CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange bread on a baking sheet; brush both sides with oil. Season with salt. Toast until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Spread with ricotta; drizzle with oil and sprinkle with pepper, or add toppings as desired.

CROSTINI WITH FETA-CHILE SPREAD

Steps:

• Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Char poblano and jalapeño chiles until blackened all over. Wrap chiles in paper bag and let stand 15 minutes. Peel, seed, and coarsely chop 2 poblano chiles and jalapeño chile; transfer to processor. Add feta cheese, sour cream, chopped fresh dill, and lemon juice to processor; puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill until firm enough to spread, about 2 hours. Peel, seed, and thinly slice remaining poblano chile. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep spread chilled. Cover and chill sliced chile.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush 1 side of baguette slices with extra-virgin olive oil. Grill oiled side of bread until toasted, about 2 minutes. Transfer toasts to platter. Spoon about 2 teaspoons chile spread over each toast, top with thinly sliced poblano chile, and serve.

CROSTINI WITH OLIVES AND FETA SPREAD

Steps:

• To make crostini: partially freeze the unsliced bread loaf.
• Cut into 40 (1-inch-thick) slices.
• Arrange on a cookie sheets.
• Drain the tomatoes, reserving oil.
• Lightly brush one side of each slice with the reserved tomato oil or olive oil.
• Bake in a 300 degree oven for 6 minutes; turn over the slices; bake for another 6 minutes more, or until golden brown.
• Finely chop the drained tomatoes; stir in the olives and the minced garlic; set aside.
• In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese until softened.
• Beat in the feta cheese and milk until smooth.
• Spread the feta/cream cheese mixture on top of the oiled side of the baked crostini.
• Top with a small dollop of tomato mixture.
• Garnish the crostini with shredded fresh basil.