If you love Margherita pizza, you are sure to love this recipe for tomato and goat cheese crostini. Warm, garlicky tomatoes mix with cheese and bread to make a delicious dish. This is the perfect appetizer to make for your next get together!!
Crostini are an Italian appetizer consisting of small slices of grilled or toasted bread and toppings. Toppings typically consist of different cheeses, meats, veggies, and herbs. They are very similar to bruschetta except crostini are typically sliced thinner. In Italian, crostini translate to “little toasts”…so cute!!
To me, you really cannot go wrong with tomato, cheese, and bread. Tomatoes are rich in a nutrient called lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that can help to reduce inflammation. It’s a fat-soluble compound which means it requires fat in order for it to be absorbed. And that’s where the goat cheese and olive oil come in. Both are high in fats to help you absorb the nutrients in the tomatoes better. Nutrition is so cool!!
OK, I know for a fact that you are sure to love this recipe as much as I do. Go make it!!!
Tomato and Goat Cheese Crostini
Ingredients
- 1 French baguette
- 24 oz cherry tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 oz goat cheese log
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 basil leaves, shredded
Directions
- Turn your oven to broil. Cut your baguette into 1/4” pieces and arrange on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with a 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.
- Broil the toasts for 2-5 minutes on each side. The toasts should be lightly crispy, but not burnt or too hard to bite. Once the toasts are done, reduce the heat of the oven to 375 degrees.
- On a baking sheet, mix tomatoes with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Create a space in the center of the baking sheet and place goat cheese in the center. Bake in the over for 30 minutes.
- Using a fork, smush the goat cheese and tomatoes until they are soft. Be careful to not mix the cheese and tomatoes.
- Use a knife to spread the goat cheese on the toasts. Top the toasts with the tomatoes. Add the shredded basil on top.