Goat Cheese Pesto Bruschetta

I used to hate tomatoes
I used to hate goat cheese
I used to hate spinach

However, this recipe not only has those 3 ingredients, they are pretty much the stars of this delicious appetizer, snack or meal.

It all started when I met one of my friends for lunch at a local restaurant. We decided to order the bruschetta and hesitant at first, I decided that I had a new favorite appetizer.

I have ordered the bruschetta at the restaurant many, many times but decided to try to master it myself. I’d like to think that this recipe produces results that are much better than any restaurant can ever make but that might be a biased opinion so I will leave it for you to decide!

This recipe makes 24 pieces! Not only that, it’s pretty simple to make. Perfect for a party.

You may think the goat cheese/pesto is a weird combination but I promise you… it flows together so perfectly, this recipe will hook you and reel you in!

Goat Cheese Pesto Bruschetta
with Balsamic Vinaigrette Drizzle

Ingredients

4oz Goat Cheese Crumbles (usually found in your local grocery store, in the cheese/deli section)
2 tablespoons Basil Pesto Sauce (I used Classico)
1 Baguette
1 bag of Spring Salad Mix (garnish)
6 or 7 ripe plum/cherry tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinaigrette
6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan

Directions

1. Prepare the tomatoes first. Soak the tomatoes for one minute in boiling water that has just been removed from the burner. Drain. Rinse with cold water. Set aside.

2. Make sure there is a top rack in place in your oven. Turn on the oven to 400 F to preheat.

3. While the oven is heating, chop up the tomatoes finely. Put tomatoes, garlic, 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a bowl and mix. Add the chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

4. Slice the baguette on a diagonal about 1/2 inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with olive oil using a pastry brush or you can pour some olive oil on a plate and dip the bread slices into it before placing them on a cooking sheet, olive oil side down. Toast for 5-6 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown.

5. While the bread is toasting, dump the goat cheese crumbles and basil pesto in a bowl and mix well until smooth enough to spread.

6. Align the serving platter with a thin layer of the spring salad mix. After that, align the bread on the platter on top of the salad, olive oil side up. Spread a thin layer of the cheese pesto on each slice.

Either place the tomato topping in a bowl separately with a spoon for people to serve themselves over the bread, or place some topping on each slice of bread and serve.

If you top each slice with the tomatoes, do it right before serving or the bread may get soggy.

Top the bruschetta with the shredded parmesan and drizzle with the balsamic vinaigrette.

Serves 6-10 as an appetizer. Yield: Makes 24 small slices.