Fall Bruschetta

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Hubby and I are off to Canada for a long weekend today. We’re going to see Niagara Falls with some friends from college. I’m really looking forward to the extra long weekend. But don’t worry, I have some posts scheduled to keep you guys company while we’re away. I finally admitted to myself (and my stomach) that fall has arrived. So now I’m starting to get really excited about all the fall baking that I have coming up!

This bruschetta screams fall to me. I brought it to Megan’s surprise birthday party and it was a big hit. As you can see, the recipe includes butternut squash, apple, and eggplant. I honestly couldn’t taste the apple or eggplant, so if I made this again, I’d probably leave them out unless I had some in the house to get rid of… Since I can’t eat ricotta, I subbed goat cheese. Feel free to use whichever you prefer. When the topping came out of the oven, I tasted it and thought it needed some texture. So I added some toasted walnuts. The texture was a nice addition and I’m glad I made it!

This fall bruschetta is a great appetizer to bring to a potluck or party. I brought all of the components (toasts, goat cheese, and topping), then assembled them once we got to Megan’s place. It worked out really well.

One Year Ago: Pizza Dough
Four Years Ago: Tofu and Veggies in Peanut Sauce

Fall Bruschetta

Yield: Serves 10

Ingredients:

For the Toasts:
1 baguette
Olive oil

For the Caramelized Onion:
1 red onion
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar

For the Topping:
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups peeled & cubed butternut squash
1 1/2 cups finely diced eggplant, unpeeled
1 cup finely diced apple,unpeeled
kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted

1 cup goat cheese, at room temp

Directions:

To make the Toasts:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the baguette into 1/2" slices & lay them out on a baking sheet. Drizzle the bread slices with some olive oil & bake for about 5 minutes per side, or until lightly browned. Set aside.

To make the Caramelized Onions:
Quarter & thinly slice the onion. Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Add the onions, balsamic vinegar & sugar. Cook until the onions are softened & all the liquid is absorbed. Set aside.

To make the Topping:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, toss the butternut squash, eggplant, apple, 1 Tbsp olive oil & smoked paprika. Season with salt & pepper. Spread the mixture out on a baking sheet & bake for 20-25 minutes, tossing halfway through, until the squash is just tender.

Transfer to a mixing bowl; add the onions and walnuts. Toss well. Check for seasoning & add a bit more salt & pepper, if needed.

To assemble:
Spread a bit of ricotta cheese over each toast, then spoon some of the bruschetta on top. Transfer to a serving platter & serve.

Recipe adapted from The Parsley Thief

Appetizers / Snacks

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11 Responses to “Spice Apple Bars”

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Amanda — January 28, 2009 at 2:36 pm

I wish I could run home & bake these right now! They look so delicious & how could you go wrong with apples & cinnamon? I can’t wait to try these soon.
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2

Katie — January 28, 2009 at 2:45 pm

They look so good! I LOOOVE the cute apple backround too! 🙂 🙂
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3

Joelen — January 28, 2009 at 4:52 pm

These look great!
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4

bensbaby116 — January 28, 2009 at 4:57 pm

I made these from Katie’s blog in the fall and took them to a school function. One of my student’s dads ate several of them. A few weeks later I made chocolate chip cookies because they’re usually a hit with everyone there, and the same dad was like “awww. where are those apple bars? I was hoping for those again.” 🙂 They are truly wonderful!
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Jen — January 28, 2009 at 5:52 pm

I agree! These are amazing. I send baked goods with hubby about once a week and these got so many more comments than usual. I’m actually making them again this weekend.
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Megan — January 29, 2009 at 4:15 am

I saw that recipe last year, and I wish I had made them. They look so good.
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Julie — January 29, 2009 at 10:35 pm

Free manual labor in exchange for apple bars? Sounds like a deal to me. I’ll have to offer that up next time I have to call a plumber 🙂
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Stephanie Wagner — February 17, 2009 at 12:22 am

Scott made these tonight and they were AMAZING! Seriously, AMAZING!
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Amanda — February 23, 2009 at 4:59 pm

I made these this weekend….they were fantastic! At 10 last night Sam had to ask me “are you still eating that apple cake?” Yes. I was. I saved one more piece for after work today!
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creativecarryout — February 26, 2009 at 10:55 pm

Oh, my dad would love these. I have an apple bread recipe that he always requests. I’ll bookmark this one to try too. Thanks.
Michelle
http://oneordinaryday.wordpress.com/
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Carly — April 28, 2010 at 10:37 pm

I made these yesterday and think they are fabulous! So gooey, but so much better the next day! Thankyou for sharing! =)