The holiday season is enjoyable, yet overwhelming and busy; shopping for gifts, decorating the house, attending holiday parties, all in addition to daily responsibilities. When I am invited to a holiday party, I always have the intention to cook something astonishing to please the crowd. Like clockwork, when it comes to the day of the party, I have numerous detailed recipes bookmarked, which doesn’t do me much good if I don’t have enough preparation time. The stress sets in, and I still have to go to the store, find something other than my grubby work clothes to wear, find and apply makeup, and pick up the Yankee swap gift I haven’t gotten yet. No wonder so many of us are late. I presume this sounds familiar, unless you’re one of those people who plan — I am not.
Crostini, “little toasts” in Italian, always appeared fancy to me, but I learned they actually originated in medieval times when Italian peasants couldn’t afford ceramic plates and preferred to eat their food off (oftentimes stale) toast. This near-instant hors d’oeuvre is a savior for any procrastinating cook. Assembly of the crostini is so easy that you won’t be embarrassed by showing up to the party empty-handed. These 30 crostini combinations shouldn’t require much cooking, other than toasting the bread and melting the cheese if needed.
To make the bread bottoms, preheat oven to 350°, slice baguette diagonally ½ inch thick, lightly brush both sides with olive oil, place on baking sheet, bake 5 to 6 minutes, flip, bake another 5 to 6 minutes, or until golden brown. The ideal texture is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It’s important not to overtoast; if they are too hard, they’ll hurt your mouth and flake all over your clothes, making it difficult to eat.
I’ve compiled a list of 30 ideas to inspire you, but the varieties are endless. They have three to five ingredients, typically combining sweet and salty flavors. There are more intricate recipes online, but in the interest of time this holiday season, these are kept simple, so hopefully, you can make it to the party on time.
- Cream cheese, smoked salmon, dill (or capers)
- Blue cheese, pear, honey drizzle
- Ricotta, pesto, red pepper flakes
- Brie, whole berry cranberry sauce
- Black bean salsa, sliced avocado, spoonful of sour cream, lime squeeze
- Fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil, balsamic reduction, drizzled with olive oil
- Goat cheese, sliced prosciutto, sliced peaches
- Goat cheese, apricot jam, pistachios, topped with mint
- Goat cheese, walnut, honey drizzle
- Hummus, olives, feta, olive oil drizzle, cracked pepper
- Hummus, roasted red peppers
- Pesto, sliced radish, sprinkled with sea salt
- Fig jelly, topped with crumbled blue cheese
- Crab salad and cucumber
- Horseradish cream, roast beef, topped with cracked pepper
- Diced avocado, tomato, lime squeeze, olive oil drizzle
- Goat cheese, diced beets, arugula, olive oil drizzle
- Tuna salad, dill, sprinkled with parsley
- Brie, hot pepper jelly
- Mayonnaise, tomato, spinach, bacon, ranch drizzle
- Ricotta, blackberries, honey drizzle
- Nutella, raspberries, dusted with powdered sugar
- Ricotta, blueberry jam, topped with sliced jalapeño
- Fig preserves, prosciutto, topped with baby arugula
- Rotisserie chicken mixed with barbecue sauce, topped with coleslaw
- Ricotta, strawberries with lime
- Lemon ricotta, honeyed peaches
- Smoked gouda, apple, honey drizzle
- Goat cheese, apple, cinnamon
- Chocolate, caramel drizzle, sprinkled with sea salt
