Ricotta Mushroom Bruschetta Toasts
There is something magical about slices of fresh crusty bread topped with a delicious combination of flavors! These Mushroom Crostinis fit that bill: you start out with a loaf of fresh french bread, toast it up just a bit and then add some smooth & creamy ricotta and toast that up to just develop a crust, and finish it all off with some caramelized mushrooms – to end up with a totally new flavor profile which is sure to please everyone who allows this to pass their lips 🙂
The addition of toasty Ricotta on top of Bread is something I had never done before this, and it is magical. I could even toast these up with some tomato or other summer treats on top. Or maybe on the grill (yum, grilled toasts) to avoid heating up the house in the summer.
Such a Simple Appetizer which has a depth of flavor with barely any work. Whip this up when you have last minute guests coming over or when you want to impress. It is easily adaptable and you can make as much or as little as you want without much thought or planning. Happy Entertaining 🙂
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes, to taste
- 8 (more or less, depending on the size of your loaf & how many you want to make) slices French bread, toasted
- 1/2 Tablespoon butter
- 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 16 large white mushrooms, sliced
- 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
- large splash of [Marsala] wine
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
- 1 tablespoon butter
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix ricotta, egg, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a bowl until smooth.
- Place toasted bread slices on a baking sheet. Evenly divide ricotta mixture atop bread slices. Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is browned, about 12 minutes.
- While the bread is cooking up, heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir mushrooms in mixture until browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Add green onions; cook and stir until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir wine into mixture and cook until reduced by half, about 1 minute.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Add chicken stock and lemon juice to skillet; cook until liquid has evaporated. Reduce heat to low. Stir in parsley and butter. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Spoon mushroom mixture equally atop 4 slices of ricotta-topped bread slices.
Recipe Adapted from All Recipes
 
One Year Ago – Grilled Bottom Round Roast (otherwise known as London Broil)… a great basic marinade, allowing the flavors to marinade in a cut of meat like this not only infuses it with flavor, but allows the meat to be that much more tender!
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And I leave you with this, Today’s Question of the Day… what is your #1 favorite topping for a piece of crusty bread? (I know, a hard question which I myself do not even have an answer to!)