Crostini for dinner

4 tasty baguette toppers

You could put almost anything on a baguette and I'd eat it. You could even not put anything on a baguette and I'd still eat it. Last Friday, I toasted baguette slices (crostini) and topped them with four different yummies. With a green salad on the side, it made for a delicious little dinner.

First up, slices of brie with a dollop of fig jam. Note: A little jam goes a long way. In place of fig you could also try blackberry jam or honey with black pepper.

Brie & fig

I then made two goat cheese varieties. For one, a healthy layer of goat cheese topped with a ribbon of prosciutto, arugula, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. 

Goat cheese, prosciutto, & arugula

For the second of the goat cheese variety, I once again started with a layer of cheese. I then chopped up some roasted, marinated tomatoes you can find in the deli section of Metro Market. If you can't find tomatoes (or red peppers even) that are already marinated for you, substitute halved cherry tomatoes tossed in olive oil, salt, pepper, some minced garlic, and fresh basil. I just chose the deli tomatoes this time out of convenience. When the tomatoes are set, top once again with arugula, a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper. (I bet a drizzle of balsamic would be just as tasty!) 

Goat cheese, marinated tomatoes, & arugula

I kept it simple for the last type of crostini. I knew my brother would be home and he's not so hot on things like brie and goat cheese. So I spread the baguette with a thin layer of butter (because why not?) and topped it off with a thick slice of sharp cheddar cheese. Yum!

Butter & sharp cheddar