Cheesey Brussel Sprout Bruschetta
My husband has become the neighborhood lumberjack. He is out there in full on denim, flannel, and equipped with a chainsaw to get the last of the overgrown mess in our backyard cleared out. & he does look pretty darn cute doing it! I did help pile up the debris, but ya I don't get down with that chainsaw business. But literally our backyard is FINALLY all cleared out and officially ready to be landscaped and then lived in thanks to the very laborious work put in by Jordan, so ya I am itching to order new backyard furniture, build that deck we've been dreaming of, and landscape the shit out of the backyard. But for now.......I will enjoy the empty canvas that is our backyard. What can I say it is just so clean with no more crap in it, and for that I can appreciate the emptiness and the ability to visualize the possibilities. So day 1 of having a cleaned up yard after probably over 100 hours of yard work - we undoubtedly need a happy hour. So I am resorting to one of my faves, and a favorite of Jordan's too - bruschetta. But diverting from the typical tomatoes & garlic on crusty bread to incorporate lots of cheese and fresh veggies.
One reason I looooovvveee bruschetta is you can easily get creative with it and use whatever is on deck in the fridge. You can kind of "kitchen sink" the damn thing and end up with something very yummy. I happened to have some prosciutto and shredded brussels in my fridge that are at risk of entering the "use it or lose it" phase of their perishable life, so I am picking up some artisan bread & mozzarella to whip up Cheesy Brussel Sprout Bruschetta. So creamy & crispy & light, & a bruschetta cheesy enough to give you pizza vibes. & after all the yard work I have no guilt about all the cheese. Bring on the mozz!!! & you can't forget the balsamic drizzle that makes these cheesy little bites that make it tangy and just so damn good.
Truth be told, it was a party of 3 as my father-in-law is here helping with the chainsaw-ing (as I am useless in that department), & he paid me the ultimate complement when he declared this yummy little bite was restaurant quality. Ugh.....what a guy! So yes.....you need to impress your family with this bruschetta magic. & did I mention this is more of an assembly thing and less of a cooking thing, making it even more simply? Just making it even easier to impress whoever you might be cooking for.
For the Bruschetta
3 1/2 slices of your favorite herby artison loaf or 1 demi baguette (cutting baguette in half)
2 cups shredded brussel sprouts
16 ounces mozzerella
3 slices of prosciutto, or more if you just love this salty meat
3 tbsp EVOO
Balsamic glaze, for drizzling
Salt and pepper
Preheat an oven to 350. Place a foil lined baking sheet in the oven as it heats up. In a separate bowl, mix together the brussel sprouts with a pinch of both salt and pepper, and maybe another small pinch of salt. Toss it together so that all the sprouts are coated with olive oil. Spread in an even layer over the hot baking sheet & bake for 20-22 minutes.
When the brussel sprouts have cooked, remove all contents from the oven. Let the sprouts cool in a bowl. Place the mozzarella over the slices of bread, and lay the bread on the baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 6 minutes. Remove the baking sheet. Tear up the prosciutto and spread over the cheese. Then top each slice with the brussels. Place each piece back in the oven for about 5 more minutes, or until the cheese totally melts.
Once the cheese has melted, remove the toasts from the oven and cut into individual size pieces. Finish by drizzling with balsamic glaze and place on your favorite small serving tray. You're ready to eat.
Also, I mixed up a handful of halved cherry tomatoes with a drizzle of EVOO and a pinch of fresh thyme leaves, salt, & pepper. Just another fun addition for the tomato lovers.
