Roasted Garlic & Brussels Sprout Crostini

We had this as a Christmas appetizer and it was a hit!!!  I know not everyone likes the idea of brussels sprouts but trust me and at least give this one a try.  Two of the pickiest eaters in my family loved this and they were gone in a flash.  These are great as an appetizer for a dinner party, football game, or holiday celebration, and are very easy to pull together.  Plus they are relatively healthy compared to other appetizers and include two superfoods, garlic and brussels sprouts!!

I found this recipe via Pinterest on How Sweet Eats, which is a never fail source for great recipes.  You can look at the original which is extremely similar to my version below, but the original had less cheese and no butter.  Enjoy!

Roasted Garlic and Brussels Sprout Crostini
Makes about 2 dozen depending on the size of the bread you use

Ingredients:

• Baguette, sliced
• 2 Heads of garlic, roasted
• 1 lb. Brussels sprouts, chopped
• 1 T Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 - 1 t Nutmeg, ground
• 1/2 C Parmesan cheese, shredded + more for garnish
• 1/2-1 T butter

Directions:
Roasting Garlic: 
First you need to roast your garlic which is quite simple but can seem daunting if you are unfamiliar with the process.

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Simple slice the tops off both heads of garlic so the cloves can be seen and place in a baking dish
3. Drizzle with olive oil, cover with a small piece of foil and place in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes
4. Remove from the oven and allow time to cool.  Once cooled, you should be able to squeeze the roasted garlic from the skin (just take care to make sure none of the skin sticks). 
5. Place roasted cloves of garlic on a plate and smash with a fork.

The Crostini

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Slice your baguette into slices about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.  Use your best judgement and adjust the thickness depending on how many slices you need to get out of the loaf of bread.
3. Place sliced bread on a cookie sheet and brush tops with olive oil.
4. Toast the bread in the preheated oven for 8-12 minutes, flipping about half way through.  The bread should be a light toasted golden brown on both sides.
5. While the bread is toasting, heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet.
6. Add the shredded brussels sprouts to the heated oil along with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
7. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.  After 5 minutes, add a bit of butter and mix together until butter is melted. Brussels sprouts should be slightly crispy but beginning to soften.  Take care not to over cook because overcooking of cabbage leads to bitterness (which is usually why people are opposed to brussels sprouts). 
8. Once cooked, remove from heat and stir in 1/2 C parmesan.  Mix until cheese is melted.  This adds a nice flavor and helps the cabbage mixture to stay together when you spoon it onto the bread.  At this point, I would also taste the mixture and adjust salt/pepper/nutmeg as needed.
9. To assemble, spread the roasted garlic (which is now mashed) evenly onto each slice of bread.  Top with warm brussels sprouts mixture and garnish with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

I hope you all give these a try and enjoy them as much as my family did over the holidays!  Happy New Year everyone!  May your 2013 be full of grace, joy, and happiness!

Bon Appetit!