Food and Recipes Appetizers Spicy Strawberry-Goat Cheese Crostini 5.0 (3) 3 Reviews These strawberry and goat cheese crostini are an impressively simple appetizer for summer entertaining. By Pam Lolley Pam Lolley Pam Lolley developed and tested recipes for Southern Living Magazine in the Souths most trusted Test Kitchen for 19 years. She worked closely with the editors planning and packaging stories, collaborating with art and photo teams on food styling and recipe reproduction to ensure reader satisfaction, content quality control, and recipe authenticity history and cooking. Her area of expertise was baking and and pastry development and she acted as the point person for these areas in the Test Kitchen. With 30+ years of experience in the culinary field, Pam created and tested 1000s of recipes for Southern Living. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on May 29, 2024 Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Learn more about the Southern Living Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Active Time: 20 mins Toast Time: 10 mins Cool Time: 20 mins Total Time: 50 mins Servings: 10 Easy, beautiful, delicious. Those are the three criteria we use in selecting a perfect spring appetizer, and these strawberry-goat cheese crostini check every box. The toasted baguette, smeared with tangy goat cheese and topped with sweet, lightly macerated strawberries with just enough heat from the jalapeños, delivers an explosion of fresh flavor. The final garnish of mint ties all the various notes together, creating a well-rounded appetizer that looks as good as it tastes. Ingredients for Spicy Strawberry-Goat Cheese Crostini This recipe may only call for a few ingredients, but each brings a key flavor to the final product. Jalapeño for slight spice.Lime for tang and zing.Honey for sweetness.Mint for a blast of fresh, herbal flavor.Strawberries for fruity freshness.Goat cheese adds creamy texture and a slightly tangy flavor. This recipe is also easily customizable based on what you have in your fridge. No goat cheese? Go for ricotta. Out of limes? Sub lemon juice. The touch of jalapeño brings this strawberry-forward appetizer in a more savory direction, without overwhelming you with heat. If you want to dial up the heat, use the entire jalapeño. While your baguette slices are toasting, set out your goat cheese to soften on the countertop, which will make it easier to spread. The riper the strawberries, the more vibrant and flavorful your crostini will be—but overripe berries will turn to mush when you try to slice them. Use those in a cooked application, like our Roasted Strawberry Compote or Cakey Strawberry Cobbler. Ingredients 1 (12-oz.) French baguette 2 cups strawberries, chopped 1 Tbsp. jalapeño chile, minced 2 Tbsp. honey 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice 1/4 tsp. kosher salt 1 tsp. softened goat cheese (from 2 [4-oz.] logs) Fresh mint, chopped Directions Toast baguette slices: Cut French baguette into 1/4-inch-thick diagonal slices; place on a large baking sheet. Bake at 350°F until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Cool completely, about 20 minutes. Macerate strawberries: Stir together chopped strawberries, minced jalapeño chile, honey, fresh lime juice, and kosher salt in a small bowl. Assemble crostini: Spread about 1 rounded tsp. softened goat cheese on each baguette slice. Top goat cheese with 1 slightly rounded tsp. strawberry mixture. Sprinkle with chopped fresh mint. Rate It Print