Wild Mushroom Crostini plus Goat Cheese

At a glance

What stands out: Bursting with earthy flavor, wild mushroom crostini are a delightful appetizer your guests will devour. You’ll love how straightforward they are to prepare!

How long it takes: 35 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large skillet
Servings: 24

A Hearty Appetizer

Does it get much better than crispy toasted bread, spread with creamy tangy goat cheese, topped with thyme and wine-scented sauteéd mushrooms? We think this is a reliable appetizer. One of our favorite restaurants offers a similar appetizer and we almost always order it, paired with a glass of Chardonnay or Cabernet Franc. So delightful!

Wild mushroom crostini are hearty enough to appeal to the guys in the crowd, too. For beer drinkers, they go great with a brown ale or porter.

How it comes together

Make or buy crostini. We begin with a toasted bread slice called a crostini (translated “little crusts.”). There are a few different ways to make these “little crusts” and we've tried them all out for you. Find out how to make crostini right here (It’s straightforward!). You can also buy crostini if you prefer.

Sauté mushrooms. Sauté a combination of sliced mushrooms, including at least of couple of these varieties: oyster, chanterelle, crimini, shitake, and white button. All of these varieties can be purchased in grocery stores. Actual wild varieties could be used, though, especially morels. Using a variety of mushrooms adds visual interest and flavor although you can certainly just use white mushrooms which are less expensive and more available. We also add chopped shallots and minced garlic for lots of flavor.

(You’re probably thinking steak and mushrooms at this point, and we don’t blame you. These mushrooms would be so good slathered over steak, or try these sautéed mushrooms with garlic butter.)

Add wine and herbs. Once the mushrooms get golden brown and the liquid has evaporated, we add white wine and fresh thyme, season with salt and pepper, and cook for a few more minutes until the wine evaporates. Oh, that smells heavenly!

Assemble the crostini. Spread softened goat cheese on your crostini, pile on the mushrooms, and sprinkle with a little fresh parsley. You’ll want to serve these immediately.

Ways to change it

• Use any combination of mushrooms. As we mentioned above, a variety of mushrooms is great. Use whatever is available in your grocery store. All white button mushrooms or baby portobella are fine, too. If you are a forager, use wild varieties.
• Add more garlic (or use less). If you’re a garlic lover, go ahead and add more, or leave it out.
• Substitute another soft cheese. A spreadable cream cheese, flavored or plain, would work well on the crostini, or try ricotta cheese.
• Experiment with different fresh herbs. Sage, tarragon, or oregano could be used instead of thyme and parsley. This is a great way to use herbs you may have in your herb garden.
• Adjust the recipe to make it vegan. Use a spreadable vegan cheese. Alternatively, just the mushrooms on the crostini would be rich, too.

Make-Ahead Tips

The components of mushroom crostini can easily be made ahead and assembled at the last minute.

• Make or buy the crostini. Toast the bread slices, cool completely, and store in an airtight container for up to a couple of days.
• Prep and cook the mushrooms. Clean, slice, and sauté the mushrooms up to a day ahead and store in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving. We actually prefer the mushroom mixture slightly warm, so we would heat it in the microwave briefly.
• Let guests assemble their own crostini. Wild mushroom crostini are best served immediately because the mushrooms are a little juicy and soak into the crostini if they sit out too long. Alternatively, you could spread the goat cheese on the crostini and put the mushrooms in a serving dish, letting guests make their own.

• Yield: 24
• Prep: 15 minutes
• Cook: 18 minutes
• Total: 33 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 baguette (made into crostini, see note)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped (about 3 tablespoons)
• 16 ounces assorted fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (we recommend a mix of oyster, chanterelle, crimini, shiitake, white button, baby portobella)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
• ¼ cup dry white wine (unoaked chardonnay, pinot grigio, or sauvignon blanc)
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• 8 ounces goat cheese (at room temperature)
• fresh chopped parsley (for garnish)

Method

1. Heat large skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and butter. When butter is melted, add chopped shallot, sliced mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have browned and liquid has evaporated.
2. Add minced garlic; sauté for 1 minute or until fragrant.
3. Add white wine and fresh thyme, sauté 2 minutes more or until wine has mostly evaporated.
4. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Taste, and add more salt and pepper, if desired.
5. Spread goat cheese on crostini, pile on mushrooms, and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.

Notes

Crostini: You can easily make your own crostini (3 ways) with a fresh baguette. This can be done ahead if you want. Crostini can also be purchased.

Cheese: Use fresh goat cheese (chèvre), not aged goat cheese. The cheese should be at room temperature; it will be easier to spread. If the cheese seems too crumbly to spread, blend in a little milk or cream. You can also substitute spreadable cream cheese, either plain or flavored, or use ricotta cheese.

Garlic: If you’re a garlic lover, go ahead and add more, or leave it out if you wish.

Wine: The wine adds good flavor to the mushroom mixture but if you prefer, you can omit that step and make the crostini without alcohol. You could also use a dry red wine but it will affect the color of the mushroom mixture.

Make ahead: The crostini bread toasts can be made ahead. Cool completely and store in an airtight container. The mushroom mixture can be made up to a day ahead and refrigerated. Warm it up slightly before using. To serve, another option is to spread the cheese on the bread toasts, and have guests add their own mushrooms.