We have been looking for a quick and simple party appetizer. So Dana and I, immediately thought of bruschetta and/or crostini. What is the difference? Well it all has to do with the bread. Bruschetta comes from the Italian word Bruscare which means to “roast over coals”. Basically it is toasted slices of wide Italian bread. Not what we think of in America, but lets go with it. Crostini is the toasting of smaller bread slices, typically a baguette. This is what we think of as Bruschetta in America. Oops, I have been wrong all of my life. Well that stops here. Check out this Mushroom Crostini.
Mushroom Crostini
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Slice a baguette into thin slices and place onto a shallow baking sheet.
Brush 1-2 tbs of olive oil over the tops of the bread. Â Bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes or until the slices begin to brown.
Remove the bread from the oven and then turn the oven off.
Add small pieces of swiss cheese to each crostini and place back in the off oven for another 3-4 minutes or until the cheese starts to melt. Â Remove and set aside.
In a medium to large saute pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and finely diced onion.
Saute for 6-8 minutes or until the onions have started to brown.
Add the sliced mushrooms and dried thyme to the pan. Â Cook for 10-12 minutes or until the mushrooms have released all of their liquid and have started to brown.
Season with a little salt and pepper.
Then add the balsamic vinegar. Â Make sure to use a quality balsamic vinegar.
Once the balsamic vinegar has been absorbed remove the mushrooms from the heat. Â Add the parsley and stir in.
Then top each Swiss cheese covered crostini with mushroom mixture.
Serve immediately.
- 1 baguette sliced thin into 20-24 slices
- 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 4 slices Swiss cheese
- 1/2 onion finely diced
- 8 oz mushrooms
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 1 tbs fresh parsley
- 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Slice a baguette into thin slices and place onto a shallow baking sheet.
-
Brush 1-2 tbs of olive oil over the tops of the bread. Bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes or until the slices begin to brown.
-
Remove the bread from the oven and then turn the oven off.
-
Add small pieces of swiss cheese to each crostini and place back in the off oven for another 3-4 minutes or until the cheese starts to melt. Remove and set aside.
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In a medium to large saute pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and finely diced onion.
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Saute for 6-8 minutes or until the onions have started to brown.
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Add the sliced mushrooms and dried thyme to the pan. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until the mushrooms have released all of their liquid and have started to brown.
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Season with a little salt and pepper.
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Then add the balsamic vinegar. Make sure to use a quality balsamic vinegar.
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Once the balsamic vinegar has been absorbed remove the mushrooms from the heat. Add the parsley and stir in.
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Then top each Swiss cheese covered crostini with mushroom mixture.
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Serve immediately.
Good one, Rex. I just made a Cajun beef eye of round yesterday for lunch meat and this would be the perfect thing for using some of those thin slices. Just a slice between the cheese and mushrooms, yum.