What is Crostini?

There’s nothing like appetizers at a party or when you’re out to dinner. Wait, that’s not true because when I’m at a restaurant and suddenly rolls or bread, heck even chips and salsa appear on the table before I’ve even ordered I’m one happy camper.

Don’t try to tell me you don’t go to Texas Roadhouse just for the rolls. I know you pound a good 4-5 of them before your food even comes. I know you like the back of my hand. And I’m right there with you.

Moving right along, this is a recipe from when I was in a dinner group. That dinner group was fantastic. It was 5 times a year and each dinner is from a cookbook that everyone grabs and finds a recipe to bring. The host does the main dish and divvies out the rest. Everything tastes absolutely wonderful.

I brought these tartines  or bacon tomato and avocado crostini as we call them at my house. While they don’t look like anything that amazing, well they totally are.

What Bread Should You Use for Crostini?

Slice a baguette (or any artisan bread loaf) into 1/4″ thick slices.

Brush slices with olive oil.

Bake

The crusty bread is smeared with garlic aioli and it is pretty much to die for. I almost wished I had smeared on a little more. The tomatoes gave just the right amount of sweet, the bacon saltiness, and then the creamy avocado all sprinkled with a little salt. I personally think this would make a great sandwich. In fact, I made grilled BLT kabobs with it a while back, remember?

Perfect for football, holidays or even just serve it up with a bunch of fruit and call it lunch or dinner. Who wants some bacon?!!

Can I Make Crostini In Advance?

To make them ahead of time, prepare the toasts and cool completely to room temperature.

Store in airtight containers up to two days.

If the air is very humid you may need to re-crisp the crostini in the oven for a few minutes.

Bacon Tomato and Avocado Crostini

Yield: serves 4

Bacon Tomato and Avocado Crostini Appetizers

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It's almost a BLT, minus the lettuce. Oh, and add avocado. Whatever these bacon tomato and avocado crostini appetizers are, they are all kinds of awesome.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 3 minutes

Total Time 18 minutes

Ingredients

Adapted from Williams Sonoma

• 4 slices coarse country bread, each 1/2 inch thick
• 1/2 cup aioli (see below)
• 2 tomatoes, cut into slices 1/4 inch thick
• Salt, to taste (I used sea salt)
• 8 thin bacon slices, cooked until crispy
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced

Aioli

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Instructions

1. Preheat a broiler.
2. Arrange the bread in a single layer on a baking sheet and put under the broiler until lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Spread the aioli on the bread and top with a few tomato slices, pressing the tomato into the bread.
4. Season with salt and top the tomato with the bacon slices, then with the avocado and a light sprinkle of salt.
5. Serve immediately.

Aioli

1. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, mustard and 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil until an emulsion forms.
2. Combine the remaining olive oil and the safflower oil in a pitcher.
3. Drop by drop, add 2 to 3 Tablespoons of the oil to the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly.
4. Once the mixture has thickened, add the remaining oil in a very fine, steady stream, whisking constantly, until all of it has been incorporated.
5. Stir in the garlic and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
6. If using the aioli as a sauce, whisk in the warm water to lighten the aioli and make it barely fluid.

Makes about 1 cup.

Notes

** I've tried using a blender to make the aioli, but it did not work. A food processor may though

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 813 Total Fat: 73g Saturated Fat: 11g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 59g Cholesterol: 104mg Sodium: 922mg Carbohydrates: 30g Fiber: 4g Sugar: 10g Protein: 13g

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