Crostini is an easy and delicious appetizer to whip up in a flash. All you need is sliced bread, olive oil, and fresh garlic to make a delightful finger food for a party platter.
Crunchy and versatile, crostini is tasty topped with bruschetta or tomato jam, as a side dish brushed with garlic (like garlic bread) or added to our favorite french onion soup recipe!
What is Crostini?
Crostini are made from bite-sized slices of bread that are brushed with oil, (sometimes sprinkled with cheese) and baked to a golden crisp.
The real secret to an amazing crostini, is rubbing it with a fresh clove of garlic once it comes out of the oven! Total game changer.
What Bread to Use
A baguette is ideal for making crostini, but any bread that has lots of holes and can be sliced thinly will do. It’s a terrific recipe to make good use of day-old bakery bread or sliceable dinner rolls.
How to Make Crostini
We’re basically talking about toasted bread here, so you can bet it is super easy to prepare!
- Brush bread slices with olive oil (both sides). Top with a light sprinkle of parmesan and a pinch of salt if desired.
- Bake on a cookie sheet until toasty brown.
- Rub each toast with a clove of garlic once removed from the oven.
Finish by garnishing with fresh herbs or tasty toppings and enjoy!
Variations
- Use melted butter instead of olive oil, or mix with equal parts oil for additional richness.
- Leftover garlic butter is great in place of oil.
- Top with your favorite seasonings like Italian Seasoning.
- Add finely shredded cheese (not too much, you want the cheese to dry out a bit).
Crostini Toppings
There are lots of ways to amp up the volume on this crunchy treat. Here are some ideas for trying alone or mixing and matching:
- Avocado – top with mashed avocado or guacamole for a bite-size version of avocado toast.
- Sundried Tomatoes in Oil – Chop with garlic or onion for mounding on top. Use the oil in the jar to brush the bread.
- Pesto – either homemade pesto or from a jar is yummy as a crostini spread.
- Kalamata Olives – Chop and sprinkle on crostini with some grated cheese.
- Tapenade – an elegant & easy spread with olives & capers.
- Herbs – Use olive oil that has been infused with rosemary, thyme, and sage to brush on the bread.
How to Store It
Crostini are best served fresh and oven crisp. They can be stored in a tightly covered container in the pantry for 4 -5 days, or in the fridge/freezer for weeks. They will, however, lose their crispness which you can restore by popping them back in the oven for a few minutes.
An option for make-ahead convenience is to thinly slice leftover baguettes and freeze in zippered bags. That way you can remove however many you need. They’ll thaw quickly.
The Perfect Party Platter
The perfect platter starts with the perfect dippers: crostini, veggies, crackers, and corn chips are all great options. Serve them alongside an assortment of hot dips like Jalapeno Popper Dip, Cheesy Hot Crab Dip, and a personal favorite Buffalo Chicken Dip (try the ranch version as well!)!
Crostini is equally delicious served with chilled dips like 7 Layer Dip or as a base for scooping up the yummy Taco Dip! Or dipped in a cold soup like Gazpacho for summer!
Easy Crostini
Ingredients
- 1 baguette
- ¼ cup olive oil
- kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese grated, optional
- parsley optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven 400°F.
- Slice baguette into ¼" slices.
- Brush each slice with olive oil and place in a single layer on a baking pan. Sprinkle with salt and parmesan cheese if using
- Bake 6-8 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove from the oven and rub each slice with the garlic and sprinkle with parsley.
- Cool and serve.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer
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It sounds so easy to make. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Definitely! Enjoy Monica.