Brussels Sprouts and Burrata Crostini
Brussels Sprouts and Burrata Crostini- The perfect way to add some extra red and green to your holiday table, these garlicky crostinis are jam packed with creamy cheese, warm brussels, and juicy pomegranate arils.
December 21, 2020 by Nicole Collins
Have you ever craved something that you’ve never had before?
That actually happens to me all of the time.
HOW?
How in the heck do my tastebuds want something so badly that they’ve never even tasted? And you know what happens when a craving strikes me. It becomes an obsession!
That was the case recently with pomegranates. I’ve never had them before. I had a general idea of what I thought they tasted like. It’s not that I was afraid to try them or anything, but more so that I didn’t know what to do with them. But, I have a new Instagram friend that is pomegranate obsessed. Seeing all of her posts made me want to take a little bite soooooo bad. And, that’s how pomegranate became a main topic of conversation in my brain.
It’s funny, but I even developed today’s recipe knowing that I needed to include pomegranate somehow despite never having tasted it. Is that silly or what?
Well it may be silly, but it was also kind of brilliant. Because today’s handheld bite is pretty darn delicious.
Today, we’re making Brussels Sprouts and Burrata Crostini!
I know the holidays will look very different for everyone this year, but the least we can do is make our table spreads as festive as possible right? So, what better way to do that with a pretty little red and green bite!
These crostinis are so easy to assemble. So, let’s start with the base…the bread! All we need is a baguette that’s been sliced into little half inch slices. We’ll drizzle them with olive and toast them in the oven until they’re golden. But, what makes our little bread rounds so special is that we’re going to rub them with a garlic clove as soon as they’re at a temperature we can handle with our fingers. This really helps to infuse the bread with lots a great garlicky goodness, and it only takes 1 garlic clove!
Next, let’s talk brussels sprouts. Brussels seem to be one of those veggies that you either love or hate. But, I really love them. We’re going to keep ours really simple by sauteeing them in a skillet with some shallots, salt, and pepper. That’s it! We’re keeping these really easy and only cooking them until they just start to caramelize. And, that’s really the most difficult step of this whole appetizer.
All that’s left to do is assemble. To build our bites, we’re going to take our crostini, top it with a piece of torn burrata, then top the cheese with some of our brussels sprouts. Once that part is assembled, we’ll give the whole situation a sprinkling of pomegranate arils; and we’re ready to eat.
Now, I know that I can only find burrata if I go to certain grocery stores. What I really love about burrata is the oozy, creamy center. But, if you don’t have or can’t find burrata at a store near you, you could certainly replace the cheese with some fresh mozzarella instead. And if you really want to shake things up, some tangy goat cheese would work nicely here too. But, now that’s a whole other appetizer!
These little appetizers have so much happening for such a small bite. The bread is crispy and pungent thanks to the garlic. The burrata is cool and creamy. The brussels sprouts are warm and savory. And the pomegranate on top adds a juicy pop of tart and tanginess. It really is the ultimate bite!
Ok, everyone. We’re days away from the big day! What does everyone else have on their menus for Thursday and Friday?
And also, just a reminder that if you’ve been following along on Instagram, the full 12 Days of Hot Chocolate Bombs post is coming on Thursday too!
But for now, enjoy these precious crostinis. And, let’s eat!
Brussels Sprouts and Burrata Crostini
Serves: about 24 crostini Print
Ingredients:
1 baguette, sliced ½ inch thick (at least 24 slices)
2-3 tbsp + 1 ½ tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and the end sliced off
8 oz brussels sprouts, shaved
1 shallot, sliced
2 tbsp white wine
2 balls burrata cheese, torn into about 24 pieces
¼ cup pomegranate arils
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Make the Brussels Sprouts: Heat 1 ½ tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add brussels sprouts, shallots, and salt and pepper, to taste. Saute the brussels sprouts for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the brussels sprouts start to caramelize. Add wine, and cook for an additional 1-2 mins until the wine has fully evaporated. Remove from heat, and set aside.
Prepare the baguette: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange baguette slices on a large baking sheet, and lightly drizzle both sides of the bread with a total of 2-3 tbsp olive oil. Alternately, you can lightly brush both sides of the baguette with olive oil. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the bread is lightly golden. When the crostini is cool enough to touch, take the garlic clove, and rub the exposed side of the garlic over the top of the bread for 2 or 3 strokes. Set aside.
Assemble the Crostini: Take the toasted baguette slices and top each with 1 torn piece of burrata, brussels sprouts, and pomegranate evenly divided between each crostini. Serve!
Recipe notes:
*Burrata cheese is a variation of mozzarella that's creamy and gooey on the inside. If you can't find burrata, you could use fresh mozzarella instead. It just won't be quite as creamy.
*To get a nice shave on the brussels sprouts, cut the root off at the bottom, slice the sprout in half, and thinly slice each bulb.
*Rubbing the crostini with garlic after it comes out of the oven gives the bread a nice, fresh garlic flavor. If you don't love the pungency of raw garlic, feel free to skip this step.
