Name: Roast Beef, Boursin, and Fig Jam Crostini's
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 French Baguette (white or whole wheat ); 2 tablespoon olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon garlic; 5.2 oz container of boursin garlic and herb cream cheese spread; 1 cup fig jam (I use Divina, but any good quality jam will work ); 1/4 cup green onions; 1 pound thinly sliced roast beef (good quality )

An easy-to-prepare, flavor-packed appetizer that is sure to be the star of any party or get together.

I created this recipe on a whim. My husband and I threw a Christmas party last year and this was one of the appetizers I served.

Quick side note – this wasn’t exactly a “party.” A fact my mom pointed out. I called my mom to tell her all about the event the appetizers I planned to make and the decorations I got to spruce up the apartment. My mom then asked who was invited to my party….. ummmm….my husband and I. She laughed and said, “honey, that’s not a party. That’s a date night.” Now my mom teases me every time I tell her I’m throwing a party and asks for the guest list to verify whether it qualifies as such.

Ok, so for our Christmas themed “date night,” I wanted to put together a delicious app that my husband would love. While I was at the store picking up supplies for the night, I came across some fig jam, which was situated in the gourmet cheese section. I am slightly obsessed with figs and wanted to somehow use it for an app. Fortuitously, I saw the Boursin garlic and herb spread sitting next to the fig jam. A lightbulb just went off – the fig jam and Boursin would be a match made in heaven (so glad they were sitting next to each other). What better way to serve it than on a crunchy crostini. But it seemed to be missing something to bring it all together together. Again, be a streak of luck, when I was picking up the French baguette for the crostini’s, I happened to be next to the deli meat counter and noticed the roast beef. Beef and fig pair wonderfully together (I have tried the combo together on a burger). It seems the grocery store knows what it is doing with its store arrangement. My appetizer idea was complete. I was anxious to get home and try it out.

Let’s get to cooking.

The first thing I did to prepare my roast beef, Boursin, and fig jam crostini was to make the crostini’s. I cut the baguette into about 1/2 inch slices, drizzled olive oil over the bread, and then smeared fresh garlic and sprinkled a little sea salt on each slice. I like to season my the actual slices of bread to add an extra punch of flavor to the appetizer. A bland, boring piece of plain bread could also ruin the whole dish. To get the crostini’s to a perfect, crispy texture, bake the seasoned baguette slices for 5 minutes in a 400 degree oven. After they are baked, let them cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

Assembly time. For each crostini, spread about a teaspoon of the Boursin on first. Next, spread on about a teaspoon of the fig jam. I am pretty liberal with the Boursin and fig jam. The more, the merrier. So don’t be shy and get a large dollop of each to spread over the crunchy, warm bread. After the crostini is covered in both the creamy and sweet goodness, take a half slice of the roast beef, roll it up, and place it on top of the spreads. Finally, sprinkle a little bit of green onion on top for a pop of color and extra zip of flavor. Complete this process until all the crostini’s are made.

That’s it. The appetizer is complete. It literally only takes about ten minutes to assemble all of the crostini’s.

When I first presented my new, unique appetizer creation, my husband looked skeptical. In fact, he seemed to avoid them and go for the other appetizers I had made that night. After some encouragement, he finally decided to give a crostini a try. The verdict……..

He LOVED it!!! I mean what’s not to love – its crunchy, creamy, sweet, and salty – there is so much flavor packed into this small bite. My husband is literally obsessed with the crostini’s now. Any time I am serving appetizer, it is the first thing he requests.

Mu husband is not the only one who loves this app. Every time I serve them at a party (yes, an actual party with guests besides my husband and I 🙂 ), they are the first to go. People always ask me for the recipe. The crostini’s literally put all of my other apps to shame – they are just so magical and delicious!

It seemed time to finally share it with all of you as well! Be prepared to be amazed by this fantastic flavor combination. It is just so damn good. I also highly recommend making it for a party if you want to wow your guests but not spend a crazy amount of the time in the kitchen. It really is a crowd pleaser!