Tomato Crostini with Alouette

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Our fresh tomato crostini with Alouette garlic and herb cheese is the perfect appetizer for a wine and cheese night or summer party!

We love having wine and cheese nights, so much so that we often just count it as dinner (and eat way too much cheese in one sitting). For the longest time, we’ve been making this delicious fresh tomato crostini with Alouette spreadable cheese – it’s an easy and convenient appetizer that just tastes so good in the summer when tomatoes are at their peak!

Simply grab a baguette, a tub of Alouette garlic and herb cheese, and fresh tomato, onion, and garlic to throw this together in under 20 minutes. Pair it with your favorite glass of wine (I personally love how a dry rosé tastes with these crostini) and enjoy this fancy little appetizer on your patio this summer.

Bruschetta vs Crostini

Traditionally bruschetta is an Italian dish consisting of grilled bread rubbed with garlic, drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with salt. Bruschetta are generally larger, thicker slices of bread that are still soft in the middle and can be topped with a variety of ingredients. The most common version of bruschetta in America is tomato bruschetta with garlic and basil.

Crostini on the other hand are smaller toasted slices of bread with various toppings. 

Now where this may get confusing is when you’re shopping at the grocery store and see pre-made bruschetta that consists solely of tomato, garlic, olive oil, and basil. No bread in sight! If you buy pre-made bruschetta at the grocery store, you could technically make bruschetta crostini! Even though that would be putting bread on your bread…

What This Recipe Entails

This appetizer is pretty straightforward to put together – all you need is about 6 ingredients for the topping and crostini, plus a tub of garlic and herb spreadable cheese.

• Prep time: 8 minutes
• Cook time: 12 minutes

Ingredients

• Bread – A classic baguette works best for this recipe. Check the bakery section of your local grocery store.
• Garlic – Fresh garlic is more work but tastes better, minced garlic is far easier but isn’t as potent. Your choice. 
• Tomatoes – We prefer roma tomatoes (also known as plum tomatoes) for our topping thanks to their low moisture content so they don’t make the crostini soggy or water down the topping. 
• Onion – Yellow or white onion both work well for this recipe. We tend to use whatever we already have at home. 
• Garlic and herb spreadable cheese – It’s hard to beat Alouette’s garlic and herb cheese, it’s a go-to appetizer for us on its own and makes this recipe incredibly easy. 
• Alternatively you can buy pre-made fresh bruschetta from the grocery store! While this isn’t true bruschetta as we discussed above, it is an easy and delicious alternative to making your own tomato and onion topping.

One of our favorite parts of making bruschetta or crostini appetizers are the many different combinations you can make! If you have fresh basil or other herbs they are a great addition to this recipe. Or if you have a home garden and want to use some home grown tomatoes, the type doesn’t really matter. 

How To Make Tomato Crostini With Alouette

First make the crostini:

1. Create a mixture of olive oil, garlic, and sea salt in a shallow container.
2. Place each slice of bread in the olive oil mixture so it soaks up the oil. Flip the slice and repeat.
3. Bake the crostini, flipping halfway, until both the top and bottoms are toasted. 

While the crostini is in the oven, make the topping:

1. Dice your tomato and onion and mince the garlic.
2. Combine in a bowl with the extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. 
3. Alternatively, use store bought fresh bruschetta. 

Finally, assemble:

1. Spread the garlic and herb cheese on each crostini.
2. Top with the tomato, onion, and garlic mixture.
3. Serve and enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

Appetizers and small plates are some of our favorite recipes. They are just so versatile and allow for us to enjoy so many different flavors in just one sitting. Here are some of our favorite small plates to serve alongside our tomato crostini, whether we make them for a wine and cheese night for the two of us, or appetizers for a party: 

• Crispy potatoes with whipped ricotta
• Whipped brie with calabrian chiles
• Burrata toast with tomato and basil

For more tips and inspiration on hosting a wine and cheese night or tapas party, check out these posts:

• How To Make The Perfect Charcuterie Board
• How To Host A Tapas Party

Love this recipe? You may also enjoy these easy appetizer recipes:

• Spinach Artichoke Dip Phyllo Cups
• 4 Layer Mexican Dip
• Roasted Garlic Baked Brie En Croute
• Black Bean Corn Salsa