My Favorite Holiday Hors d'oeuvres: Blue Cheese and Cranberry Crostini

I like to have an arsenal of easy recipes that I can throw together in a pinch.

This is a super easy hors d'oeuvres with great visual impact
and an explosion of seasonal favorites.

And it came to dinner wearing holiday colors!
Now for your chewing pleasure...

Blue Cheese and Cranberry Crostini

{adapted from Bon Appetit, November 2005}

I have simplified the recipe to include staples in my kitchen and to make it a quickie!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 loaf French bread {original recipe calls for ciabatta}, cut into 1/4" slices. You can use a baguette as well for a smaller "bite."
• 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil {original calls for Walnut Oil}
• 8 Ounce Blue Cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans (original calls for walnuts}
• 8 Cups baby Frisee, torn into bite size pieces {shhh...here's my secret...we always have organic mixed greens on hand - always - I just use the frisee from the salad...and if I do not have enough, I use arugula}.
• 2 Tablespoons+ Balsamic vinegar
• Fleur de sel or fine sea salt

DIRECTIONS

1. If necessary toast pecans {you can buy them toasted, I tend to have raw ones on hand at all times}.
2. Mix blue cheese, cranberries, and nuts.
3. Slice bread into 1/4" slices and brush with olive oil.
4. Lay out on a baking sheet and bake crostini at 400 for approximately 5 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and top with about 1 Tablespoon of cheese mixture.
6. Return to oven for another 5 minutes to soften cheese
7. Meanwhile, toss frisee with 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 Tablespoon vinegar, and salt (to your taste).
8. Remove crostini from oven and top with one bite of frisee.

NOTE: I often have additional oil/vinegar mixture out for sprinkling on crositni {my son like a little extra}

I LOVE frisee! Look how whimsical it is!

 

This post is written and created at 504 Main by Holly Lefevre