It’s amazing how a few simple, high-quality ingredients can transform toast from a quick pick-me-up to an aesthetic, nuanced dish worth savoring. The key to taking toast to the next level is incorporating a mixture of interesting, complementary flavors and textures—savory, sweet, maybe a little herbal, with something creamy and spreadable to tie it all together. This roasted grape, basil, and gorgonzola crostini hits all these notes, and is a delicious way to take advantage of late summer’s treasure trove of ripe produce.
In this easy peasy recipe, slices of French baguette are lightly brushed with olive oil, toasted until crisp, then generously covered in BelGioioso’s CreamyGorg®, a soft, blue-veined cheese you’ll want to eat with everything. The earthy flavor and creamy texture of the cheese make it the ideal base for the other toppings: red grapes tossed with a bit of sugar and roasted until sweet, softened, and reduced, and a sprinkle of torn basil leaves to finish. The resulting crostini is eye-catching, layered in flavor, wholly appropriate for the season, and impossible to eat just one of. The sweetness of the roasted grapes complements the subtle funk of the uber-spreadable gorgonzola, and the herbaceousness of the basil adds a pleasant dimension of freshness that rounds out each bite. If you’re looking to switch up the fruit, try slices of fresh pear to compliment the creaminess of the gorgonzola. Whether served as an hors d’oeuvre at your next dinner party or a small nibble during cocktail hour, this cheesy crostini is a foolproof hosting hack worth keeping in your back pocket. —Joy Cho
This recipe is shared in partnership with BelGioioso Cheese. For more BelGioioso recipes, check out our dreamiest, cheesiest recipes here. —The Editors
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