Mandarin Orange and Prosciutto Crostini Recipe

Impress your guests with this delicious and easy prosciutto crostini recipe. Perfect for any occasion, these bite-sized appetizers are bursting with flavor and will leave your guests begging for more. Learn how to make them in just a few simple steps.

We have been loving our nativity dinner tradition and a few years ago we added this crostini recipe to the menu. It has been on repeat ever since. It is totally irresistible. This holiday appetizer is from one of my favorite cookbooks from my friend, Tara.

This savory crostini consists of toasted (or grilled) baguette slices topped with caramelized shallots, prosciutto, mandarin oranges, toasted hazelnuts and fresh thyme. The combination of flavors and textures is everything an irresistible appetizer should be!

What Do I Need to Make Prosciutto Crostinis?

Before you head to the grocery store to pick up all your holiday ingredients, be sure to add these items to your list:

• Baguette
• Olive oil
• Shallots
• Kosher Salt
• White Balsamic Vinegar
• Brown Sugar
• Bay Leaf
• Coriander Seeds
• Mandarin Oranges
• Prosciutto
• Toasted Hazelnuts
• Fresh Thyme

The measurements of each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post so keep scrolling for all the details.

What is Prosciutto and Where Can I Find It?

Prosciutto is a dry-cured ham of Italian origin that is not cooked. It is usually very thinly sliced, very delicate, perfectly fatty and extremely elegant.

It can be found in the specialty meats area of your grocery store.

Does Prosciutto Need to Be Cooked?

No, it is cured using salt which draws out all the moisture and blood in the meat which makes it safe to eat without cooking.

How to Make Prosciutto Crostinis

Crostinis look so fancy and boujee, but they are really easy to make! You can even buy baguette slices that are already toasted if you want to eliminate a step. Here are the step-by-step directions:

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 375ºF and thinly slice a baguette.
2. Bake: Brush each slice of baguette with olive oil and place them in a single layer on a lined baking sheet and bake until toasted. Let them cool completely.
3. Sauté: Heat a skillet over medium heat and sauté the shallot with the salt and 1 tablespoon of olive oil until the shallots are translucent – around 20 minutes.
4. Simmer: Add the vinegar, brown sugar, bay leaf and coriander seeds to the shallots and simmer until the vine

Sautéed Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes

Harvest the last of your green beans and cherry tomatoes and make this quick and simple side dish that is both healthy and appetizing!

I literally make this dish every month all year long. Snapping beans and the “thunk” of each pod hitting the bottom of a large, white bucket is burned into my childhood memory . We’d busily snap beans for my mom to can during the summer in Washington and then enjoy them all year long.

Nowadays I’ve leaned away from canning a bit and instead savor those summery flavors every month but keeping two basic ingredients in hand, just cherry tomatoes and green beans. So simple and budget friendly!

Recommended Equipment

• Wusthof Knives
• Tongs

Before You Begin…

You’ll want to get started by washing and trimming your green beans and giving them a quick blanch. See section below for how to blanch green beans.

What Do I Need for Sautéed Green Beans and Tomatoes?

You only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty vegetable side dish.

• Green Beans: fresh is best, either from the garden or grocery store
• Kosher Salt: adds flavor to the water that you boil the green beans in
• Water: used to boil the green beans
• Olive Oil: helps sauté the shallots and vegetables
• Shallot: adds a mild onion flavor
• Garlic: adds flavor
• Cherry Tomatoes: different varieties are best, grape tomatoes also work great
• Salt and Pepper: adds flavor
• Lemon: adds a bright citrusy flavor
• Fresh Herbs: You can use any combination you want. We like to use herbs such as thyme, parsley, dill or oregano.
• Feta: or cotija works too…and the cheese is totally optional

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Blanch Green Beans So They Actually Stay Crisp

Blanching is the process of cooking a fruit or vegetable by quickly scalding them in boiling water then moving them to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. For this recipe, you will only leave the green beans in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes. This is just enough time to cook the green beans until tender but still crisp.

If you let them go much longer, they will start to get soggy and lose their bright green color. By transferring the cooked green beans to a bowl of ice water, they stop cooking and stay crisp for the next step of the recipe.

Do You Have to Trim Green Beans?

You should remove the top end of the green bean. This is the end that was once connected to the plant. It can be quite hard and chewy, so you wouldn’t want to eat it. Some people like to also remove t