Easy Bruschetta Recipe

No matter the season, it is always a good time to make an easy bruschetta recipe. When you have hungry guests, an appetizer like this will be gone just as fast as it took to make it. At least that is the hope!

This post is all about an easy bruschetta recipe that is great to make in a pinch for a few guests or as a starter to your next dinner party. It only calls for three main ingredients including a fresh 16 oz french baguette, a log of creamy goat cheese and a pre-made bruschetta mixture of your choice.

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Why Your Party Needs This Easy Bruschetta Recipe

There’s so many reasons to love bruschetta but here’s a few of my favorites for this recipe

• The more cheese the better! You seriously can’t go wrong with a creamy layer of basil goat cheese . Goat cheese really brings bruschetta to the next level.
• There are so many varieties of bruschetta at the store waiting to be tried. For this recipe, I used a red pepper and artichoke bruschetta mixture and it hit the spot. The flavor was bold and it was thick and saucy. It was just what I needed on a cold, snowy, winter day.
• You can serve it hot or cold! I personally prefer my crostini to be warm and toasted. In the summer, a cold and fresh classic bruschetta tomato mixture is an absolute dream appetizer. In the colder months, I prefer the bruschetta mixture to be warm and melty.

How To Make This Quick And Easy Bruschetta

Outside of eating bruschetta, my second favorite part is assembling it. Here’s how to go about making this recipe!

1. Gather your ingredients! For this recipe you will need 5 ingredients (plus olive oil and salt & pepper)
   • French bread
   • Goat cheese
   • Dried basil
   • Red pepper and artichoke bruschetta
   • Grated parmesan cheese
2. Prepare the crostini. For this step, cut the bread into 1/2 inch – 3/4 inch slices, depending on how thick you like it. Arrange slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and lightly drizzle with olive oil and pepper.
3. Bake the crostini. Pop the baking sheet with the sliced crostini in a preheated oven at 350°F. Toast for two minutes.
4. Make the goat cheese spread. Mix together 8 oz of plain goat cheese with dried basil, salt, pepper, and a small squeeze of lemon juice (optional). Mix until combined.
5. Layer on the goat cheese and bruschetta mixture. Once the crostinis are toasted, add a thin layer of goat cheese on each crostini making sure to cover the entire slice. Top with a small spoonful of bruschetta mixture.
6. Pop back in the oven. Bake for 5 minutes.
7. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake for 2 more minutes. Serve while warm and enjoy!

The Best Time To Make An Italian Bruschetta Recipe

There truly is never a wrong time to make bruschetta for those that enjoy it, but one of the best times to serve this dish as an appetizer is at a dinner party.

Bruschetta can look deceivingly fancy but when you break it down, it really is a simple dish. This appetizer is suitable for any type of casual or formal dinner party. Having a smaller crowd makes this appetizer more manageable. I would highly recommend making this recipe for any smaller-sized party.

Another great time to serve this dish is at a wine and cheese night. It’s a great addition to charcuterie boards and any other snacks you might have at a 5 o’clock at-home cocktail gathering.

What Is Bruschetta?

Where does this wonderful little appetizer come from?

Bruschetta is a simple dish consisting of a few main ingredients: garlic-rubbed bread, olive oil, tomatoes, salt & pepper, and usually basil.

The dish originated in the 15th century and within central Italy. There is speculation that it specifically originated in ancient Rome when olive growers brought their farm-grown olives to an olive press to try out their freshly-pressed olive oil. Typically the olive growers would sample their olive oil on bread. We can only assume that it eventually evolved into a tastier sampling with the additions of tomatoes, basil, and salt and pepper.

Centuries ago this dish fed farmers and laborers. It was a hearty dish that gave even stale bread a purpose. Now, it is an Italian staple that is found throughout the United State and Europe. The only place you can really find a true bruschetta is in Italy. Their olive oil is some of the best you can find in the world, likely the best. I’ve been to Italy and it is no doubt that they have some of the freshest ingredients to make a spectacular bruschetta.

Essentials For The Best Bruschetta Recipe

See below for my top bruschetta recommendations including ingredients and bakeware!

Cucina & Amore Red Pepper & Artichoke Bruschetta. This is my personal favorite and is pictured in this post. The red pepper gives a bolder flavor than a tomato based bruschetta. If you’re looking for a new take on bruschetta, I would highly recommend this! I got mine at World Market but you can also get this brand at stores like Target and Amazon.

Nordic Ware Nonstick Baking Pans. These are the best of the best and I’m not even kidding. Here’s why these are my favorite…

• They have a premium, high quality non stick coating that makes it easy for your bruschetta and other baked goods to lift from the pan
• The gold finish not only looks amazing, it doesn’t chip like other finishes
• They are made of a thicker gauge aluminum than most pans and have a reinforced rim. I love this feature about the pans because they are SO sturdy.
• Piggy backing off the above point, they don’t warp in the oven!! I can’t even tell you how many pans I have had that “pop” and “bend” when exposed to heat in the oven. These pans have always maintained their shape.

What’s your favorite way to have bruschetta? Leave us a comment down below, we’d love to know!