Do any of you have a mom that goes over the top when it comes to hosting? And by that I mean, do they put out trays and trays of food with four different dips, six various chips and crackers, at least three kinds of cheese, and roughly half of the local grocery store’s veggie selection? Well mine does and you can bet that on Thanksgiving that everything I just mentioned (and more) is causally placed in front of guests as the “appetizer” portion of the day. As much as I love eating all of it, especially the Ruffles and onion dip, it’s not ideal when you want people to save room for dessert, aka what I love making for Thanksgiving. Today’s recipe is my answer to this dilemma when it comes to hosting: make 1 dish that incorporates all the typical appetizer favorites without overdoing it.
These Roasted Grape and Brie Crostini are so good that I promise you they’ll be one of the most remembered dishes of the day if served on Thanksgiving. You start off by roasting red grapes in olive oil, fresh rosemary, salt and pepper until they are nice and caramelized, then add them to toasted baguette slices along with creamy brie cheese, chopped toasted pecans, a drizzle of honey and some more rosemary for color and flavor. It couldn’t be simpler, but the finished product is mind-blowingly delicious. Everyone I’ve made them for so far has agreed that they’re the perfect couple of bites of food.
The thing that I like best about this recipe is that you can make it your own based on your personal food preferences. If you don’t like brie cheese, you can use ricotta, goat cheese or even a funkier bleu; if rosemary isn’t your favorite herb, then try it with thyme, oregano or sage; if you don’t have chopped pecans lying around, walnuts, pistachios, or hazelnuts all make for great substitutions; and lastly, instead of the plain honey, you can drizzle on a hot honey or a balsamic glaze to make it a bit more interesting. The combinations are truly endless so if you feel overwhelmed with where to start, just use my flavor pairings as a jumping off point.
Roasted Grape and Brie Crostini
Makes about 30 crostini, depending on bread size/slice thickness
Ingredients
For the roasted grapes:
4 cups red grapes
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
For the crostini:
1 baguette, cut into 1/2in. pieces
Olive oil, to drizzle over the bread
2-3 garlic cloves
10-12 oz. Brie cheese, thinly sliced
1/2 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
Honey, to finish
Chopped fresh rosemary, to garnish
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the grapes on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper (to taste). Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until softened and browned, mixing halfway through. When the grapes are done, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Place the baguette slices on a separate baking sheet(s), drizzle with olive oil, and bake until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Once out of the oven, immediately rub each baguette slice with the garlic clove.
Top each piece of baguette with a slice of brie, 3-4 roasted grapes and a sprinkling of chopped pecans. Finish with a drizzle of honey and some chopped rosemary. Serve immediately and enjoy!