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April 07, 2007
Kelli's Bruschetta
Ingredients:
6 oz ricotta cheese
6 oz mozzarella, grated
3 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
3 oz white sharp cheddar, grated
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, minced
2 tbl Chives, minced
1 tbl Parsley, minced
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbl extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tbl salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 loaf of french bread
20 basil leaves, approximately
3-4 roma tomatoes
Directions:
Toss mozzarella, sharp cheddar, and parmesan cheese evenly in a big bowl. Saute minced garlic in olive oil, add garlic (not oil) to bowl, along with chives, basil, salt and pepper, and mix evenly. Add ricotta cheese and mix thoroughly throughout, making a sort of sticky mixture. Make certain the dry cheeses are all mixed in.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees farenheit.

Cut french loaf lengthwise in half and then in individual serving slices, making approximately 10-14, depending on the size of your chosen portion and the size of the loaf. Place the slices bottom side down on one or two cookie sheets.
(If you want the bread not to have a very soft center, then butter the top right now, put it in the oven on 'broil' for about five minutes, and then take it out. That'll bake the top part of the bread enough to keep some of the juices from making the center slightly soft. I prefer my center slightly soft, though.)
Cover each piece with one or two basil leaves. It's ok if there's a little room left over, but you want to make certain these layers of taste are thin, spread even, and not overwhelming.
Thinly slice your roma tomatoes. Place the tomatoes on the bread just like you did the basil - covering most of the surface, which will likely require approximately two thin slices.
Sprinkle the cheese mixture over top. It's a little difficult to sprinkle because it's thick and gooey, so don't worry about covering all 'gaps', since the cheese will spread out when it bakes.
Place the bread in the oven and cook for approximately 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, turn the oven to 'broil' (or 500 degrees farenheit) and brown the top of the cheese (approximately 2-3 minutes.)
Whalah! You have gourmet bruschetta.
Posted by Kelli Little at April 7, 2007 09:05 AM