When the appetizer should be just as special as the main course, this crostini recipe will surely suffice. Almost too pretty to eat, these toasty bites are layered with sweet caramelized onions and pears. On top, a slice of Spanish Manchego cheese melds perfectly with its slightly-sweet, salty flavor and butter-like creaminess—perfect for a pre-meal snack!
Ingredients
4 Tbsp. oil, divided
1/8 tsp. Frontier Sea Salt
2 red or white onions, finely diced
1/8 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
4 pears, cored & thinly sliced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1-2 Tbsp. Frontier Ground Cinnamon
Manchego cheese, thinly sliced
1 baguette, sliced
Directions
1. In pan over low heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil and salt. Add onions, sugar and balsamic vinegar. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until onions are tender, translucent and a deep golden color. (Note: Depending on type of onion, this may take up to 40 minutes.)
2. While onions caramelize, heat remaining oil in skillet over medium-high heat.
3. In mixing bowl, toss pear slices, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add pears to skillet and cook until just tender. Remove from heat.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
5. On baking sheet, arrange sliced baguette. Top each slice with small spoonful caramelized onions, spoonful sautéed pears and cheese slice. Bake for approximately 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.
6. Serve warm.
Additional tips:
- To save time, caramelize the onions and pears one or two days before and store in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Quickly assemble and bake crostini just before serving.
- If traditional sheep’s milk Manchego is unavailable, Asiago or Pecorino Romano may be used.