Crostini with Anchovy Butter Topping

The day we left for our two week vacation I checked the mailbox to find a package. It was thick and heavy and I already knew what it was... my prize from winning Lora's giveaway over at Cake Duchess. If you have never checked out her blog I recommend you do so. It's sweet! No pun intended. The giveaway was for Domenica Marchetti's Big Night In Cookbook. You can imagine my disappointment to have to wait for over two weeks to finally be able to mark recipes to try and actually make a new recipe.

Pregnancy rumors to rest... I'm not pregnant. Just a lot of layers and too much Primanti Brothers.

While I loved being on vacation and enjoyed my time in Ohio and the Pittsburgh area... (This girl went to her first NFL game and got to see my beloved Steelers with Mr. Sideline Chef and also ate my way through town!) I was ready to get home and get back in the kitchen and into our California King sized bed. Mr. Sideline Chef is truly a bed hog and knees to the ribs don't feel too good. Haha!



We came home to an empty fridge and needed to go shopping. Shopping ran close to the time of kickoff for the Steelers game today against the Browns and we were hungry. Game day and snacks go hand in hand. I decided to try an appetizer from the Big Night In Cookbook and chose to make the Crostini with Anchovy Butter Topping.

I have never had anchovies before. I'm hesitant to try new ingredients but that's half the fun of being in the kitchen to experiment with new tastes and textures. After opening the cans of anchovies I chopped them up and took a tiny morsel to taste. Anchovies are incredibly salty but that's what I loved about it because I don't have a sweet tooth instead I crave all things crunchy and salty. 

A baguette was sliced and brushed with olive oil and toasted in the oven until golden brown. The anchovy butter topping was incredibly easy to make and could easily be doubled for hosting a get together. Psst... that is what the theme of the cookbook is... feeding family and friends Italian Style.

I recommend picking up a copy of this cookbook and hosting a dinner party for your loved ones. The first recipe I tried out of it and it's a winner!

Crostini with Anchovy Butter Topping

Domenica Marchetti's Big Night In: More Than 100 Wonderful Recipes for Feeding Family and Friends Italian-Style

Makes about 40 slices

Stars of the Show for the Crostini:

• 1 thin baguette
• extra virgin olive oil for brushing - I needed about 2 tbsp to coat all of my slices.

And Action:

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Slice the baguette into 1/2-inch slices and brush both sides with olive oil. Place the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Toast the slices for 7 to 8 minutes until golden brown around the edges. Flip the slices and toast for another 5 minutes or more until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.

Stars of the Show for the Anchovy Butter Topping:

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened - Make sure you really pay attention to using unsalted butter because the anchovies are incredibly salty.
• 3 to 4 Italian anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained and finely chopped

And Action:

In a small bowl combine the butter and anchovies and blend thoroughly with a fork. Spread on the crostini and enjoy!