31 Bruschetta Recipes for Every Occasion

Endlessly customizable, bruschetta offers the perfect blank canvas for whatever topping you choose.

May 12, 2022

By: Julie Hines

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Photo By: Katrina Marcinowski

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Bruschetta, So Many Ways

At its most basic, bruschetta is an Italian appetizer of toasted sliced bread with various toppings. Often it’s rubbed with garlic and topped with chopped tomatoes, but we’ve never met a topping we didn’t like. From summery fruit to super savory cured meats, there’s no wrong way to make a bruschetta. Perfect for serving at summer cookouts alongside other appetizers or at your next dinner party with some cocktails. Try out Bobby Flay’s recipe of a Trio of Bruschetta to sample classic tomato, white bean and olive tapenade toppings to get started.

Get the Recipe: A Trio of Bruschetta

Peach Bruschetta

Jeff Mauro’s bruschetta straddles the line between sweet and savory— ripe peaches, basil and olive oil sit on over a schmear of goat cheese, all drizzled with a mix of honey, apple cider vinegar and hot sauce.

Get the Recipe: Peach Bruschetta

Bruschetta with Peppers and Gorgonzola

Ina always likes to serve one really tasty, small bite with cocktails, rather than tons of options, to cut down on the stress of hosting. In this take on bruschetta, she mixes caramelized sweet red and yellow peppers with basil and capers then tops with tangy gorgonzola cheese that gets a quick melt in the oven before serving.

Get the Recipe: Bruschetta with Peppers and Gorgonzola

Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Bruschetta

Giada De Laurentiis uses the flavors of caprese salad as the base for her bruschetta. Make a quick no-cook sauce of canned tomatoes, basil and garlic and spread over the top of slightly melted mozzarella cheese for the perfect party bite.

Get the Recipe: Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Bruschetta

Bruschetta Bar to Go

Have your guests customize their own bites (and you can spend less time assembling) with Ree’s fun DIY bruschetta bar. She prepares tomatoes and olives, marinated mushrooms, marinated mozzarella balls, roasted asparagus and the bruschetta ahead of time and serves on a large tray or rimmed baking sheet so everyone can assemble their own.

Get the Recipe: Bruschetta Bar to Go

Strawberry Ricotta Bruschetta

Katie Lee Biegel’s quick and easy take on bruschetta features summery strawberries and mint over ricotta with some syrupy balsamic vinegar to leave you with a balanced sweet, creamy and tangy bite.

Get the Recipe: Strawberry Ricotta Bruschetta

Bruschetta with Prosciutto, Ricotta and Arugula

Ted Allen uses just a handful of ingredients to whip up this 20-minute appetizer. If you don’t have prosciutto on hand, you can substitute with other salty, cured pork such as coppa, lomo or speck.

Get the Recipe: Bruschetta with Prosciutto, Ricotta and Arugula

Roasted Pepper and Goat Cheese Bruschetta

Prep for a last-minute party with pantry staple jarred roasted red peppers. If you have some extra time, marinate the peppers with the olive oil, vinegar and honey mixture, but it’ll still taste great even if you serve right after mixing.

Get the Recipe: Roasted Pepper and Goat Cheese Bruschetta

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Bruschetta

In just 16 minutes you can serve up the perfect finger food to take to a potluck summer party. Ree Drummond macerates blueberries with a bit of sugar and balsamic vinegar while she preps the crostini and lemon ricotta for this quick appetizer.

Get the Recipe: Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Bruschetta

Bruschetta

Ree Drummond goes back to basics with her take on classic bruschetta. Summer’s best grape tomatoes are tossed with garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and basil, all served over crispy grilled baguette.

Get the Recipe: Bruschetta

Bruschetta With Strawberry and Tomato Salad

If you’ve never tried strawberries in a savory application, now is the time. Ted Allen mixes strawberries and tomatoes with garlic, basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar for a bruschetta topping that has the perfect balance of sweet and savory.

Get the Recipe: Bruschetta With Strawberry And Tomato Salad

Muffuletta Bruschetta

Valerie Bertinelli takes the flavors of muffuletta, the classic New Orleans sandwich stuffed with cheese, Italian cold cuts like salami and mortadella and an olive salad, and translates them into single bite servings, perfect for a party.

Get the Recipe: Muffuletta Bruschetta

Lemon Thyme Bruschetta

Trisha Yearwood likes to serve her take on bruschetta with the topping in a bowl and the toasted bread on the side so it’s easily made ahead and doesn’t get soggy. Plus, people can serve themselves and it's easily restocked as guests nibble.

Get the Recipe: If I Could Turn Back Lemon Thyme Bruschetta

Peach, Corn and Burrata Bruschetta

Giada uses the best of her summer farmer’s market haul to whip up a batch of Peach, Corn and Burrata Bruschetta. Make the topping mixture up to 2 hours ahead of time to let the flavors really meld.

Get the Recipe: Peach, Corn and Burrata Bruschetta

Grilled Eggplant Bruschetta

Kardea Brown says, “Fancy toast. That's what this recipe is all about. Between the zesty garlic-rubbed bread, creamy ricotta, sweet honey-roasted tomatoes and smoky grilled eggplant, it's like a party in my mouth!”

Get the Recipe: Grilled Eggplant Bruschetta

Giardiniera Bruschetta

Molly Yeh puts a Midwestern spin on bruschetta with this spicy and briny Giardiniera Bruschetta. Giardiniera is a popular Italian-American condiment of spicy pickled vegetables that can be found in grocery stores or online.

Get the Recipe: Giardiniera Bruschetta

Strawberry Bruschetta

Giada spreads butter on grilled bread, topped with sliced strawberries and sugar for a sweet treat that kids (of all ages!) will love. A quick trip under the broiler caramelizes the sugar, making this dessert bruschetta taste like a 10-minute fruit tart.

Get the Recipe: Strawberry Bruschetta

Bruschetta Chicken

With the addition of pan-fried chicken, Ree turns the idea of the classic appetizer, tomato bruschetta, into a full meal that’s ready to eat in just 30 minutes.

Get the Recipe: Bruschetta Chicken

Shrimp Bruschetta with Cucumber-Chile Mignonette

Geoffrey Zakarian’s shrimp bruschetta is an elegant take on finger food, perfect for your next dinner party or bridal shower.

Get the Recipe: Shrimp Bruschetta with Cucumber-Chile Mignonette

Bruschetta with Shrimp, Tarragon and Arugula

Giada tops crunchy garlic bread with a hearty shrimp, tomato, tarragon and arugula sauce for this warm bruschetta. Giada’s secret ingredient is mascarpone — it adds a velvety texture to the sauce — just be sure to add it after you take the pan off of the heat so you don’t curdle the creamy cheese.

Get the Recipe: Bruschetta with Shrimp, Tarragon and Arugula

Prosciutto Bruschetta

Valerie Bertinelli serves up charcuterie board staples of prosciutto and mozzarella in a single crowd-pleasing melty bite. Don’t skip rubbing the toasted bread with garlic for an extra layer of flavor that you’ll end up using on other savory variations of bruschetta.

Get the Recipe: Prosciutto Bruschetta

Bruschetta with Gorgonzola Cheese and Honey

The creamy, salty gorgonzola pairs perfectly with honey in Giada’s elegant dessert take on bruschetta.

Get the Recipe: Bruschetta with Gorgonzola Cheese and Honey

Ricotta Bruschetta with Sweet and Spicy Tomatoes

Giada spices up classic tomato bruschetta with a homemade hot honey made with Calabrian chile paste, honey and a pinch of salt. Don’t forget to save any leftover hot honey for other dishes like avocado toast, rice or chicken.

Get the Recipe: Ricotta Bruschetta with Sweet and Spicy Tomatoes

Hot Dog Bun Bruschetta

Repurpose leftover hot dog buns as a party-worthy, but inexpensive appetizer. Duff Goldman tops the buns with soft, spreadable cheese, mozzarella and crispy salami.

Get the Recipe: Hot Dog Bun Bruschetta

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

Rachael Ray’s classic bruschetta recipe utilizes fresh plum tomatoes, garlic and basil. Be sure to seed the tomatoes before adding to the mix to avoid soggy bread.

Get the Recipe: Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

Grilled Asparagus Bruschetta

In this springy variation of bruschetta, Jeff Mauro tops grilled Italian bread with goat cheese, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes and grilled asparagus coated in balsamic reduction. You can use store-bought balsamic glaze, or you can make it yourself by reducing an inexpensive balsamic vinegar by half. Store the homemade reduction in the fridge and drizzle any leftovers on grilled meat or use in a salad dressing.

Get the Recipe: Grilled Asparagus Bruschetta

Tomato Prosciutto Bruschetta

Geoffrey Zakarian adds crispy baked prosciutto to classic tomato bruschetta for a salty, crunchy, juicy bite.

Get the Recipe: Tomato Prosciutto Bruschetta

Roasted Garlic Bruschetta

This deceptively simple take on bruschetta is an elegant way to start out a dinner party that takes only minutes to make. The roasted garlic can be made up to a week in advance; save any leftover to season mashed potatoes, in salad dressings, to flavor and thicken sauces, or on sauteed or roasted vegetables.

Get the Recipe: Roasted Garlic Bruschetta

Burrata and Kale Salsa Verde Bruschetta

Giada uses halved ciabatta loaves as the base for this take on bruschetta, topped with a quick Tuscan kale pesto-like condiment and super creamy burrata cheese.

Get the Recipe: Burrata and Kale Salsa Verde Bruschetta

Fig and Blue Cheese Bruschetta

Looking for a super-quick appetizer that still tastes like you put the time in? Ree’s Fig and Blue Cheese Bruschetta will fit the bill. You just need 20 minutes and store-bought jam and blue cheese to assemble this snack.

Get the Recipe: Fig and Blue Cheese Bruschetta

Fig and Goat Cheese Bruschettas

Ina uses fresh in-season figs and orange juice to make a quick fig jam for serving over her take on bruschetta. Make the jam ahead of time for even easier entertaining.

Get the Recipe: Fig and Goat Cheese Bruschettas