Simple to make and festive to look at, these bruschetta are a perfect appetizer for the holiday season.
As I reread the original post before publishing, I found it interesting how much has changed and how much has stayed the same in three years. I currently am in the panhandle of Florida, like then; however, soon I’ll be heading to Kentucky, our new second home. This year, we will have three of our four kids joining us for Christmas. With an Italian theme for our Christmas dinner, there’s a good chance this appetizer could be on the menu.
The original post
It’s 3-1/2 weeks until Christmas. Although this year is different than every other year, I still am seeking that festive feeling no matter how the day will be celebrated. As I began planning my recipes for this month, I thought about the flavors and ingredients to highlight. Pomegranate was at the top of my list, as it has a special place in my heart at Christmas.
For many, many years, while living in New Hampshire, the holidays always included my dear friends, Tom and Vicki. For Christmas Day or Eve, Vicki was bound to make Santa Babies. This cocktail was a combination of Prosecco, Chambord, and pomegranate arils. I’m not really sure why it was called a Santa Baby, but I can assure you that they were delicious. Thus, this cocktail and its floating pomegranate arils make me think of the holidays.
Today and again next Monday I have recipes for appetizers that feature pomegranate arils and would work well at the holidays. Whether it’s this Christmas and just your household gathering or a holiday in the future where you have a crowd of twenty, these recipes will work well.
This bruschetta recipe has a lot to love.
- You can make it 15 minutes before you want to serve it.
- You can make the crostini hours in advance and then assemble the bruschetta just before it’s time to eat.
- You can make the crostini whenever it’s convenient for you and have your fellow diners assemble their own bruschetta.
- You can make the bruschetta and store them in the refrigerator for an hour or so.
Basically, you have a lot of options when it comes to preparing this appetizer for serving. No matter what timeline you choose, the total time to make these bruschetta is about 15 minutes. That is if your arils are prepped. If you need to remove them from the pomegranate, you’re going to need another 10 minutes.
Once assembled, you have a festive red and green appetizer, which almost looks like a decoration. Don’t worry. They’re so tasty between the pop of the arils and the crunch of the pistachios that they won’t stay decorations for long.
Pomegranate & Pistachio Bruschetta
Ingredients
- 20 1/2" baguette slices
- 4 ounces goat cheese room temperature
- 1/4 cup salted pistachios
- 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
- Honey
- Flaked sea salt
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F.
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Place baguette slices directly on rack in the middle of the oven.
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Bake for 5-6 minutes or until crisp.
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While the baguette slices toast, chop pistachios until fine.
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Take baguette slices out of oven.
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Spread a thin layer of goat cheese on each.
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Drizzle each slice with honey, and sprinkle with salt.
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Divide pomegranate and pistachios among the 20 slices.
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Serve.
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Can be prepared an hour in advance and stored in refrigerator.
