Fall Bruschetta

Looking for a perfect appetizer during the fall season? Fall bruschetta is great for all of your l parties, pre-holiday dinner snacks, or just as an appetizer before dinner. This butternut squash bruschetta combines delicious fall flavors, with the tanginess and softness of goat cheese spread on a toasted baguette.

Fall Bruschetta Recipe

Some people may call this crostini and some call it bruschetta. Whatever name you want to give it, it's truly one of my favorite kinds of appetizer.

When I first tried butternut squash, I had no idea what it tasted like and didn't want to have a huge batch of it in soup or something similar and hate the taste.

That is how this recipe for butternut squash crostini was born! All of your favorite fall flavors piled on top of a toasted slice of bread. Plus the addition of goat cheese makes this an all-time favorite recipe of mine.

If you've been a reader for a while, you know I love goat cheese. Just see these goat cheese biscuits and these goat cheese chicken meatballs for proof. So, there's something about the combination of all of these flavors that just sings for fall.

The cranberries and butternut squash both have a sweetness that combines perfectly with the slight tanginess of goat cheese. I actually find that this combo brings out some of the sweetness within the goat cheese itself.

This delightful treat is a crowd pleaser and something you'll come back to time and time again!

Why You'll Love this Recipe

You'll love this recipe, for a few reasons:

• Not only is this easy recipe good as a Thanksgiving appetizer, you could serve it at any party! The perfect fall nibble for a baby shower or housewarming.
• Bruschetta is a great way to serve tons of different flavors. Make a load of crostini and top it with this butternut squash mixture, a classic tomato topping, or even pesto with prosciutto.
• Butternut squash bruschetta doesn't take long to make. So if you need a quick and delicious appetizer to put together for your party, grab the simple ingredients needed and get to work!

Ingredients

You will only need to pick up a few ingredients at the grocery store for this easy fall appetizer:

• sliced baguette
• butternut squash
• spreadable goat cheese
• dried cranberries
• fresh sage or dried sage
• fresh thyme or dried thyme

Substitutions and Variations

If you're not into goat cheese, feel free to use feta or ricotta. You can also use spreadable cream cheese!

Can't find baguettes? Any loaf of crusty bread will work, but you might not have the cute rounded ovals.

Save a step and buy diced butternut squash. You can actually buy pre-peeled and diced butternut squash in the produce section of some grocery stores. But if you can't find that, preparing a butternut squash isn't difficult. In fact, my friend Erin has a great tutorial.

Add some extra sweetness with drizzle of honey over the top of these butternut squash toast bites. Maple syrup or a sweet balsamic glaze would be delicious too! You can also add extra flavor with more fresh herbs or minced garlic cloves.

Fall bruschetta can be loaded with tons of extra veggies. Grape tomatoes or roasted tomatoes would add great flavor. You could even sauté onions or caramelize them for extra flavor. A good fruit addition would be some fall pears, figs, or even some sautéed apples.

For protein, and a salty flavor, use some chopped bacon or slice prosciutto as a topping. It would be a great flavor to pair with creamy goat cheese.

How to Make Fall Bruschetta

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Then, slice a fresh baguette into ¼-inch pieces and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Use a basting brush and coat each bread slice in olive oil.

Pop into the oven and toast bread for five minutes until they're golden brown on the top, like this:

Hot Tip: Need more help with the crostini? Check out my blog post on how to make crostini for the best tips and tricks that can help you out!

Move on to your bruschetta topping. Peel the butternut squash, then slice it in half vertically.

Scoop out the seeds and pulp, then dice the squash into 1-inch cubes. Warm some olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the cubed butternut squash to the hot oil and sauté until it softens. Remove the squash from the heat and add a dash of salt and pepper.

Toss the cooked squash with the dried cranberries and spices.

Spread room temperature goat cheese spread onto each crostini and top with the butternut squash mix.

Place the completed fall bruschetta onto your favorite serving platter, then serve immediately and enjoy!

How to Store Leftover Fall Bruschetta

It is best to store the crostini and butternut squash topping separately. Place toasted bread into an airtight container or zip top plastic bag. Then store at room temperature for up to a week.

Place leftover bruschetta topping into an airtight container and store in the fridge for about a week. You can reheat it whenever you're ready to serve, or serve cold!

Tips for Success

Here are some tips and tricks for making this recipe:

• You want to buy the kind of goat cheese that is spreadable, but it can be flavored if you'd like. I suppose crumbled goat cheese sprinkled in with the butternut squash would also work, but spreadable goat cheese works as a sort of "glue" to hold onto the butternut squash so that it doesn't all fall off the bread when you pick it up.
• But fresh bread! Hit up your favorite bakery or the bakery section of the grocery store the day you plan to make this recipe for the freshest taste.
• When you find the baguette you want, ask the bakery to slice it for you. They will likely have a slicing machine to do it for you so you don't have to struggle at home. (If you do have to slice it yourself, make sure you use a serrated bread knife!).

What to Serve with Fall Bruschetta

Looking for other butternut squash recipes? How about butternut squash and kale pasta or butternut squash rice pilaf? Or my friend Liz's butternut squash soup?

We even talked about serving this butternut squash mixture on top of a bed of spinach and making a tasty fall salad. Then again, I love carbs and would probably rather eat this tasty topping on bread.

Appetizers like whipped feta dip and pepper jelly and cream cheese always serve great alongside this yummy fall appetizer. And if you think you need another fall flavored app to serve, then make cranberry prosciutto crostini!

FAQ

More Appetizer Recipes

• Tomato Tart with Puff Pastry
• Baked Chicken Meatballs
• Skillet Sausage Dip
• Grilled Shrimp Skewers