Bruschetta With Melted Cheese, Sausage & Sage

Bruschetta With Melted Cheese, Sausage & Sage

Fall has finally arrived, and I am thoroughly enjoying the ability to use the new fall fruits and vegetables now available to me in our local markets here in Umbria. As the temperatures begin to drop, I also start preparing heartier dishes, and make more soups, stews and meaty pasta sauces, and move away from the lighter fare we enjoyed during the hot summer months. For our latest wine tastings with our farmhouse guests, I have been making this easy bruschetta recipe which everyone has enjoyed, and we serve it with a full bodied Sagrantino di Montefalco wine which pairs well with meat and cheese dishes. Melted cheese and sausage bruschetta may be too heavy for the hot summer months, but its a perfect choice for cooler fall and winter evenings.

For my bruschetta, I use a sheep’s milk caciotta cheese, but any mild flavored, semi-firm, melting cheese such as fontina or Gruyere would work well. This bruschetta recipe would be a great option as a starter for a fall menu when entertaining, or as party nibbles along with a few other appetizers.

Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele 2012

Bruschetta With Melted Cheese, Sausage & Sage

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

2 Mild Italian Sausage Links Removed From Casings
1 Crusty Baguette Bread, Cut Into 12 (1/2 inch) Slices
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 Cups Shredded Caciotta Cheese (Or Substitute - See Notes Above)
1 1/2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Sage
Cracked Black Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven broiler, and place sausage meat in a frying pan, and cook until lightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes, breaking it up with two forks as it cooks.
Place the bread slices on a baking sheet, and brown lightly under the broiler on both sides.
Brush one side of each of the bread slices with olive oil.
In a bowl, combine the cheese, sausage crumbles, sage, and cracked black pepper.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cover each bread slice with the cheese mixture, then place the tray in the oven and bake until hot and bubbly, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Serve hot.