3 Creative Crostini Recipes for Easy Entertaining

These three creative crostini recipes taste delicious, but are oh-so impressive too!  Perfect if you’re gearing up for an Academy Awards themed soiree or just having friends over for a few beers on the weekend.  Mix and match your favorites for a winning party appetizer!

Coming up with a dinner party menu is usually pretty easy for me, but I sometimes find myself scrambling for new appetizer ideas.  And you gotta have a snackie-poo in case for when you fall behind schedule.

As I was purging my fridge prior to a grocery trip I stumbled upon a half-used container of ricotta.  What to do with this?  Never one to throw something away when it can be turned into something amazing, I decided it would be the perfect starter ingredient for a fun new post.

3 Creative Crostini Recipes:  Something to file away (or pin!) and pull out when you just don’t want to serve hummus one. more. time.

I always keep a container of toasted baguette slices in my pantry.  If you don’t have them, they are pretty easy to DIY as well.

Simply preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange fresh baguette slices on rimmed baking sheets; brush both sides with oil, and season with salt and pepper.  Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through (if undersides are not browning, turn crostini over once during baking).

Now it’s time to dress these guys up for the party!  I happened to have all of my ingredients on hand (you should see my pantry).  But, feel free to swap out spices and flavors for what you like or have.  No rules here.

Recipe 1: Crostini with Lemon Ricotta, Honey, and Black Salt

Recipe 2: Crostini with Guava Goat Chese, Strawberries, Aged Balsamic and Thyme

Recipe 3: Crostini with Whipped Cream Cheese, Lemon Zest and Lavender Buds.

Creative Crostini, Three Ways

Yield:

Whether you're gearing up for an Academy Awards themed soiree or just having friends over for a few beers on the weekend, these three creative crostini recipes taste delicious, but are oh-so impressive too!  Mix and match your favorites for a winning party appetizer!

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Ingredients

• Crostini from local bakery or homemade (with recipe below)
• Recipe 1 Ingredients: Lemon Ricotta, Honey, and Black Salt
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• zest of one lemon
• 3 tablespoons honey, 
• Salt and Pepper 
• Recipe 2 Ingredients: Guava Goat Cheese, Strawberries, Aged Balsamic and Thyme
• 4 ounces guava infused goat cheese (or stir jelly of choice into room temperature goat cheese)
• 4 large strawberries, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• Recipe 3 Ingredients: Whipped Cream Cheese, Lemon Zest and Lavender Buds.
• 1/2 cup of whipped cream cheese
• zest of one lemon
• 1 tablespoon lavender buds
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

To make your own crostini: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange fresh baguette slices on rimmed baking sheets; brush both sides with oil, and season with salt and pepper.  Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.

Recipe 1 Directions: Lemon Ricotta, Honey, and Black Salt

1. Stir together the ricotta cheese, lemon zest and salt and pepper to taste.  Spread one tablespoon of cheese mixture onto prepared crostini.  Drizzle with honey and top with "fancy" salt, if you like.  Garnish with chives, if desired.

Recipe 2 Directions: Guava Goat Chese, Strawberries, Aged Balsamic and Thyme

1. Bring goat cheese to room temperature.  If adding your own flavor to the goat cheese, select a fruit jelly flavor of your choice and stir in one tablespoon.  Spread goat cheese onto crostini. Top with diced strawberries, then drizzle with vinegar and sprinkle with thyme.  

Recipe 3 Directions: Whipped Cream Cheese, Lemon Zest and Lavender Buds.

1. Spread whipped cream cheese onto each crostini.  Garnish with lemon zest and lavender buds.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Which one of these three creative crostini recipes are you most excited to try?