Bruschetta: Easy and 'yummy'

Peppery Artichoke Bruschetta
(T-G Photo by Sadie Fowler)

[Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

My co-worker John Carney forwarded me an e-mail last week with the word, "yummy" in the subject line. That got me curious and after opening the e-mail and reading the ingredients of the recipe, which included artichokes and goat cheese, I knew I had to give it a try.

Tabasco sauce's Peppery Artichoke Bruschetta is a quick and easy snack that can be prepared in no time. And it's something different from the usual appetizers we see during this time of year.

I find that artichokes are a good item to keep in the pantry. I often make a classic artichoke dip this time of year. Now, I'll have another artichoke recipe I can rotate with the dip. Note: The brushetta recipe contains no mayonnaise, making it a whole lot more figure friendly than the dip!

Don't be afraid of the hot sauce. The bruschetta has just a touch of kick to it, without being overwhelming. I would recommend it to anyone.

I had planned to bring some of the bruschetta to the office for John to sample, but my husband liked it so much that I had nothing left to share.

Here's how it works.

Peppery Artichoke Bruschetta

Bread

24 (I used 12) 1/2-inch thick slices of crusty French bread, cut diagonally

2 Tbsp. olive oil

3/4 tsp. original Tabasco sauce

Topping

1 jar (12 oz.) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 (I used 2) large scallion, sliced

3/4 tsp. original Tabasco sauce

1/2 tsp. (I used almost 1 tsp.) fresh chopped rosemary

3-4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine olive oil and Tabasco sauce in small cup. Brush one side of each bread slice with Tabasco mixture; place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes.

Preheat broiler.

Combine artichoke hearts, scallion, Tabasco sauce and rosemary in small bowl; toss to mix well. Spoon artichoke topping on each toasted bread slice; top with crumbled goat cheese.

Broil a few minutes until goat cheese is slightly melted and lightly browned.