Looking for new recipes to share with your family and friends this holiday season?
I’m teaming up with nine other Texas bloggers and the Texas Beef Council for the next four weeks as we celebrate the holidays with beef. We’ll feature a new theme each week and let you know what we’ve discovered and how it worked out in our own kitchens.
This week was the week for appetizers and I think I’ve found a new favorite…
Beef Crostini with Balsamic Drizzle and Parmesan Crisps
Ingredients:
- 2 boneless beef top loin (strip) steaks (about 1-1/4 pounds)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1-1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 12 slices thin white sandwich bread, crusts removed
- 1-1/2 teaspoons coarse grind black pepper
- salt
- 4 ounces garlic-herb cheese spread, slightly softened
- prepared balsamic syrup (You can find this near the vinegars in the grocery store.)
- 24 small arugula leaves
How to do it:
Heat oven to 350°F. Combine Parmesan cheese and flour in small bowl; toss to mix well. Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. (I used parchment paper instead of spraying.) Sprinkle Parmesan mixture evenly into 8-inch circle on baking sheet.
Bake in center of 350°F oven 6 to 8 minutes or until melted and light brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet, then remove to wire rack to cool completely. Break into 24 irregular-shaped pieces. Set aside.
(I was so pumped when this came out of the oven, then cooled and hardened! So cool! And my daughter LOVED the Parmesan so much, I kept catching her snagging pieces to nibble.)
Cut each bread slice diagonally in half. Place in single layer on baking sheet. Bake in 350°F oven about 6 minutes or until lightly toasted but not brown. Set aside.
(So simple– it’s like making your own crackers, but better. So cheap and easy.)
Press pepper evenly onto beef steaks. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Place steaks in skillet; cook top loin steaks 12 to 15 minutes (tenderloin steaks 10 to 13 minutes) for medium rare to medium doneness, turning occasionally. Carve steaks into thin slices; season with salt.
(My steaks were a little on the thick side, though, so it took a bit longer to cook. Next time I’ll get thinner steaks or brown them and then roast them in the oven.)
Meanwhile, spread 1 teaspoon cheese onto each bread piece;
top with 2 to 3 steak slices. Drizzle balsamic syrup over beef; top with Parmesan crisp and arugula leaf.
As you might notice from my pictures, my Beef Crostini did not have any arugula. I’m not anti-arugula or anything, the store just didn’t have any when I went shopping. (Weird, I know.)
The Beef Crostini’s were delicious. The combination of the garlic cheese with the steak, along with the crunch and accent of the Parmesan was perfect. (As I said, my daughter was especially enamored with the Parmesan crisps!) The bread triangles were simple, inexpensive and still elegant. I also liked that the Beef Crostini had some substance without being too heavy.
I’ll definitely make this again.
Want to know how other bloggers fared making this one? Or learn about some other beef appetizers?
Check out these sites to see what some of the other bloggers made:
- Screwed-up Texan: Beef Crostini
- A Day in Motherhood: Beef Crostini
- My Baking Heart: Grilled Salsa Steak
- The Nerd’s Wife: Grilled Salsa Steak
- A Closet Writer: Beef Crostini
- June Cleaver Nirvana: Beef Crostini
- Crystal & Co.: Grilled Salsa Steak
- Meal Planning Magic: Beef Crostini
Do you have any favorite beef appetizer recipes?
Please tell me about them in the comments. Links to your own recipes or favorites are welcome.
Disclosure: I am participating in a four week campaign with the Texas Beef Council and am being compensated. All opinions are my own. Recipes are courtesy the Texas Beef Council.
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