Bruschetta and Crostini

Lima Bean and Ricotta Crostini

Food & Wine's Justin Chapple thinks that lima beans deserve a place on every table, especially when they're made into a bright, herby salad and piled onto crunchy and creamy ricotta toasts.

Herbed Chickpea Bruschetta

The key to these delicious bruschetta from chef Nancy Silverton is lots of olive oil. After she bakes the chickpeas with a variety of flavorings—including onions, pancetta and carrots—she purees them with a good amount of oil, spreads the puree on toasts and drizzles with a little more oil.

• More Chickpea Recipes

Crostini with Roasted Butternut Squash, Ricotta and Preserve

A preserved lemon relish adds a bright, salty note to these elegant crostini, balancing the flavors of creamy ricotta and sweet squash.

• More Butternut Squash Recipes

Creamed Kale Toasts

This fantastic starter features creamed kale on toasted baguette, topped with delicious melted Parmigiano-Reggiano.

• More Kale Recipes

Glazed-Beet-and-Burrata Toasts

To intensify the flavor of boiled beets and form a rich glaze, chef David Hawksworth cooks them a second time in sherry vinegar and sugar.

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Crostini with Stewed Grapes, Prosciutto and Ricotta Salata

These crostini make a super-quick and delicious appetizer for any special gathering. When the grapes slightly cook down, they release their juices and dark hue into a syrup that's pretty and elegant spooned over the top.

• Cooking with Grapes

Bruschetta with Mozzarella and Smashed Fresh Favas

Puréed fava beans make for a quick and delicious bruschetta topping, especially when paired with slices of fresh mozzarella.

• Great Bean Recipes

Bay Scallop-Marsala Cream Toasts

These bay scallops are set in a luscious Marsala cream sauce, served over hot crispy bread and garnished with fresh chives. It's a simple dish to prepare, yet so special and decadent. Best to enjoy these toasts with a knife and fork.

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Ricotta and Roasted Grape Crostini

Designer and blogger Athena Calderone’s signature aesthetic comes through in this striking appetizer. Roasting the grapes concentrates and deepens their sweetness.

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Minty Peas & Bacon on Toast

Chef Gregory Vernick makes these terrific toasts by pureeing frozen peas with mint and butter, then spreading the pea butter on thick slices of sourdough bread with bacon on top. The bread soaks up the bacon fat as it toasts.

• More Recipes with Peas

Stilton and Burst Cherry Tomato Crostini

Roasting cherry tomatoes until they burst makes them super-juicy and sweet; combining them with salty Stilton cheese on toast makes a quick and tasty starter.

• Best Artisanal Cheese

Crab-and-Avocado Toasts

Gerard Craft grew up in Washington, DC, eating lots of Maryland blue crab. Here, he creates a very simple and delicious starter by tossing sweet crabmeat with fresh mint and lime juice, then spooning it over mashed avocado on toast. You can make the toasts or buy store-bought ones to save time.

• More Recipes with Crab

Ricotta and Roasted Tomato Bruschetta with Pancetta

Peak-season tomatoes make all the difference in this simple bruschetta from author Susan Spungen. They’re the perfect accompaniment to a bowl of soup or a large salad, or, to turn them into two-bite hors d’oeuvres, simply cut the bruschetta crosswise into strips.

• How to Make Ricotta

Wild Mushroom Crostini

Southern cooking is often very meat-focused, but chef Ford Fry likes to emphasize vegetables. For these crostini, he tops creamy ricotta with a mix of garlicky mushrooms and a handful of herbs.

• Recipes with Mushrooms

Caponata Crostini with Goat Cheese and Toasted Pine Nuts

This eggplant based relish is a delicious accompaniment to just about everything. It’s like a Sicilian version of ratatouille and best served with a wide range of meats and fish, on toast, or used as a sauce with pasta.

• Goat Cheese Recipes

Salami and Fig Crostini with Ricotta

Figs and salami are assertive ingredients to pair together on a little crostini, yet the result is subtle, delicate and delicious.

• More Fig Recipes

Egg Salad Crostini with White Anchovies

This crostini topped with creamy egg salad and white anchovies is a great appetizer or cocktail-party snack

• Recipes with Hard-Boiled Eggs

Ricotta Crostini with Pickled Ramps and Crisp Pancetta

Chef Ryan Hardy got the idea for his sensational crostini from a jar of pickled ramps he recovered from the back of his refrigerator.

• Great Ricotta Recipes

Bruschetta with Pickled Okra

Fresh summer bruschetta takes a Southern turn with the addition of salty pickled okra.

• Recipes with Okra

Avocado Crostini Two Ways

Cookbook author Katie Workman adds salty, briny anchovies to her parsley pesto for adult guests. For kids, she leaves the avocado crostini plain.

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Mushroom and Fontina Crostini

Maria Helm Sinskey likes to use Italian Fontina cheese, which melts beautifully, but young Gouda would be equally delicious.

• More Mushroom Recipes

Bruschetta Duet

We like the variety here—the same toast spread with two different toppings. The green-olive tapenade, which uses pre-pitted olives, can be made in minutes with a blender or food processor. The sautéed mushroom topping is equally savory hot or at room temperature.

Broccoli Rabe Pesto Bruschetta

Like other cruciferous vegetables, broccoli rabe is packed with vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B and C. Chef Gabe Thompson turns it into a healthy, peppery pesto that's delicious on toasted bread.

• Delicious Party Dips

Honey-Tomato Bruschetta with Ricotta

In this amazing appetizer, two types of honey serve two distinct purposes: Mellow, slightly spicy clover honey intensifies the sweetness of the tangy tomatoes as they slowly roast. After the bruschetta is assembled, a drizzle of robust buckwheat honey balances the creamy ricotta cheese.

• More Appetizer Recipes and Tips

Pierogi Crostini, with Two Toppings

In a flash of genius, Marcia Kiesel's sister Susie bought her favorite fresh pierogi, brushed them with olive oil, and threw them on the grill. These crisp appetizers have become such a family standby Marcia is always trying to come up with new toppings. Two of her favorites: grilled mushrooms and scallions, and spicy fresh salsa.

• Fast Hors d'Oeuvres

Pimento Cheese & Bacon Crostini

A thick layer of cheddar cheese, chopped pimentos and bacon crumble make for an irresistibly cheesy crostini.

• More Quick Appetizers

Grilled Marrow Bones with Rosemary-Lemon Bruschetta

Chris Cosentino uses the phrase God's butter to describe rich, decadent bone marrow. Here he serves it alongside grilled toasts rubbed with rosemary and lemon. For a more potent herbal flavor, singe the rosemary sprigs on the grill for a few moments before rubbing the toasts.

• Fantastic Offal Recipes

Corn-and-Chanterelle Crostini

For this fast, flavorful appetizer, chef Paul Virant combines two of his favorite childhood memories about food. "During the summer, especially around the Fourth of July, we would pick chanterelles that grew around our property," he says. "And my grandmother made this amazing creamed corn. It turns out corn and chanterelles go very well together."

• More Dishes with Chanterelles

Chicken Liver Crostini

Peter Hoffman's beautifully silky puree is accented with sweet sautéed apples, smoky bacon and a splash of brandy, then served on crunchy toasts.

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Crostini with Creamy Ricotta and Chorizo

"Chorizo is so underused," says chef Shea Gallante. Here, he uses the spicy Spanish sausage in a savory crostini topping.

• Delicious Chorizo Dishes

Warm White Bean and Calamari Salad with Garlic Bruschetta

The salad for this recipe can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated overnight. Simply toast some garlic-rubbed bread and top with the salad when ready to serve.

• Make-Ahead Hors d'Oeuvres

Grilled Tomato Crostini

The only way to grill tomatoes without losing their delicious juices is in a foil packet. Flavor the tomatoes with any fresh herbs or aromatics, then use them as a delicious crostini topper.

• More Tomato Recipes

Garlic Toast

Make the perfect base for any savory crostini or bruschetta by quickly broiling sliced country bread and rubbing one side with garlic.

• More Delicious, Quick Side Dishes

Shrimp Toast

Toast topped with a flavorful shrimp-paste is an excellent appetizer or party snack

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Bruschetta

This basic bruschetta recipe can be topped with endless combinations of ingredients.

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Crostini with Ricotta, Honey, and Fava Beans

This simple, spring-forward appetizer is all about the stellar ingredients in California’s Napa region. Chef Sarah Heller of Radish Leaf Cuisine tops sourdough crostini with sheep’s milk ricotta from Bellwether Farms in nearby Sonoma, along with fresh favas and a drizzle of wildflower honey. You can use fresh cow’s milk ricotta if sheep’s milk is not available.