Bacon Pistachio and Cranberry Cream Cheese Crostini
Crostini is a great appetizer and party snack to make with so many topping variations. This Bacon Pistachio and Cranberry Cream Cheese Crostini recipe is a perfect snack to serve at Thanksgiving and Christmas parties.
The salty bacon and tangy cream cheese balance out the tart and sweet cranberries, while the crostini base provides that ideal crunchy base.
Recipe Notes:
- Use good bread like a baguette, french bread roll, or any elongated type of crusty bread.
- Stale bread can be used for this recipe but avoid using any moldy bread.
- Use a serrated knife to cut the bread slices. Slice no thinner than ½ inch otherwise, they could fall apart.
- Apart from being a lovely golden brown color, crostini must make a hollow sound when tapped. They are essentially dehydrated and should not have soft centers like bruschetta.
- Other toppings you can use on your crostini include homemade hummus, avocado pesto, Pimento cheese spread, sliced tomato and basil, roast beef and Dijon mustard, blue cheese, grilled pear, salami, and ricotta, just to name a few!
– You can bake crostini up to a week in advance and store them in a good airtight container at room temperature.
– They can be kept in the refrigerator as well for weeks but will need to be reheated in the oven for a few minutes to crisp them up again.
– I don’t recommend freezing crostini, although you could prepare thinly sliced baguette or French loaf to store in Ziploc bags and thaw as and when needed for this recipe.
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Yes! Brush both sides of the bread slices and place them on the grill with tongs. Cover and toast them for about 3 minutes. The undersides should be golden brown with apparent grill marks. Flip them over to repeat the process on the other side.
Grilling crostini gives them a lovely smokey flavor.
Bacon Pistachio and Cranberry Cream Cheese Crostini
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the slices of bread on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with olive oil.
- Bake the toast until golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, place the fresh cranberries in a microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle the sugar over the top. Heat in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, watching closely. Stir well and repeat in 15 second increments until the cranberries are cooked and thickened. Allow to cool slightly.
- Mix the cranberry sauce with the cream cheese until completely blended.
- Spread the cream cheese over the crostini. Top with the bacon and pistachios. Add dried cranberries if desired.
Bacon Pistachio and Cranberry Cream Cheese Crostini
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Ingredients
- 1 loaf french bread sliced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ cup fresh cranberries
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ½ pound bacon cooked until crisp and chopped
- ½ cup roasted pistachios coarsely chopped
- ½ cup dried cranberries optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the slices of bread on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with olive oil.
- Bake the toast until golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, place the fresh cranberries in a microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle the sugar over the top. Heat in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, watching closely. Stir well and repeat in 15 second increments until the cranberries are cooked and thickened. Allow to cool slightly.
- Mix the cranberry sauce with the cream cheese until completely blended.
- Spread the cream cheese over the crostini. Top with the bacon and pistachios. Add dried cranberries if desired.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
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