Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Bruschetta

10/3/2018

Keep reading. Yes, it might sound strange but I promise it works and it was pretty darn delicious. A great fall appetizer or an addition to your Thanksgiving table.

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Who's ready for pumpkin season? Well, I'll all in! I'm ready and I've been waiting all through September for the clock to turn to October to finally be able to bust into those things. I have a squash in the kitchen as we speak waiting for me to do something with it. I'm still working on that one and for the meantime it looks perfectly pretty sitting on the kitchen counter.

Okay, so I just need a second to talk about.....Christmas. Eeek! I know I said that word. If you know me or you have been reading my blog for a while, you will probably know that I do love Christmas. Come December I am decking all kind of halls and can't get enough of Home Alone, Lampoons Christmas Vacation and everything that goes with it. I truly love Christmas. But in October? Ummmm, not so much.

Which brings me to Monday past, the 1st day of crisp October. The month we start to embrace pumpkin spice, woollen socks (well maybe not for me quite yet), cosy fall eats, brisk walks, and Halloween. Am I not wrong? But Christmas at the crack of October is a tad early for me.

Now I know many of you have probably been dealing with tinsel donning you local shops since August. For us here in Spain it's always been later, like much later. And I have really always loved that. How they embrace Christmas in December. Which funny enough, is the month it falls in...ha!

So on Monday I went up the road to my local supermarket to pick up a few things. And there in the produce isle taunting me out of the corner of my eye, was a bright red reindeer festooned display! I shuttered and walked away. I'm just not ready. Pumpkins, Halloween and Thanksgiving all yes. But Christmas, not yet please.

Now let's look at this pretty little appetizer.

Notes about the bruschetta:

The first thing I want to say about this is that it really is at its best star quality when it's first made. I ate one straight out of the oven and it was so good. Absolutely delicious. A bit of sweet, tangy, creamy, crunchy...just all wonderful flavours and textures. A total win!

Downside because of the cottage cheese and heavy toppings they don't stay crisp for very long. After about 10 minutes they start to lose their lustre shall we say. Still good, but the bread loses it's crunch and the arugula will wilt a bit. But all that aside, it was still a huge success. If you are used to making bruschetta of any type, you will be familiar with the fact that they are simply best fresh.

I cut the pumpkin and apples to about 1/2 inch cubes. This seems a nice size for the topping bruschetta. I had the pumpkin and apple mixture out of the oven for about 15 minutes before I topped the bread and this was just fine. It was at room temperature and it worked perfect.

And that really sums up the bruschetta. A wonderful fall inspired appetizer that sure to win over crowds that love pumpkin!

Happy cooking friends and I'll be back tomorrow with something comforting.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Bruschetta

Makes 10 slices / Prep time: 15 minutes / Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

10 slices of baguette bread, about 1 inch thickness
2 Cups diced butternut squash, approximately two 1- inch piece rounds of squash
1 Cup diced apple, 1 apple (can leave skin on if you prefer)
1 Cup/225 grams cottage cheese
Handful fresh arugula leaves
1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 Teaspoon dried sage
1 Teaspoon salt, divided
1 Teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Evenly spread out the squash and apple on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle over the cinnamon, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and one tablespoon of olive oil. Stir really well to combine. Roast for about 20 - 25 minutes or until they are soft and golden. Remove from oven and transfer to a bowl.

Using the reserved baking sheet, place the baguette slices on the tray. Drizzle over the extra tablespoon of olive oil. Bake for about 8 minutes until they are crispy. Remove from oven.

In a small bowl, combine the cottage cheese with the sage and remaining salt and pepper. Stir well.

Top bread with with a spoonful of cheese, arugula leaves, pumpkin apple mixture and a drizzle of balsamic reduction.

Serve immediately.

Click the downloadable link below to print recipe!