This is one of those appetizers that is so gloriously simple, you can’t imagine it would be anything special. It’s more assembly than cooking, really. But once everything is together, it looks stunning and tastes incredible! It’s the spot-on right mix of flavors and textures. Bonus: it’s a completely healthy and balanced way to serve something fancy to friends at your next party.
A typical crostini or bruschetta appetizer features gloriously crunchy bread as a foundation. But here, I swap out the bread for slow-roasted sweet potato slices. They are roasted long enough to get crunchy and caramelized, making them the perfect base for a delicious appetizer.
On top of the sweet potato slices is the classic combo of creamy goat cheese, pomegranate arils, and honey. I tested this dish with goat cheese, blue cheese, and gorgonzola, and while the blue cheese and gorgonzola were both delicious, they totally overpowered anything else. It was screaming BLUEEEE CHEEESSEEE! But the goat cheese was mild enough to let the other flavors shine through while still adding a rich, decadent, creamy texture. This is also good news for people who struggle to digest cow’s milk dairy—goat’s milk has a protein structure that is closer to the structure of human milk, which means a lot of people digest it better than milk from other animals (my husband is one of those people!).
A small drizzle of local honey, a sprinkle of freshly cracked black pepper and sea salt, and a small bit of fresh rosemary, and boom! These beauties are ready for primetime.
You’ll be shocked at how quickly these sweet potato crostini go once they are out—they are decidedly addictive. If you’re worried about quantity, my big suggestion would be to have the sweet potato rounds made and baked off in advance. Then you can just heat and crisp them up in a warm oven and top them with all your toppings before serving. That’s the easiest way to make these in bulk.
I do highly recommend using a mandolin slicer to get your sweet potato rounds to an even thickness. This will help them cook all at the same rate, so your sweet potato slices will be all nice and crisp at the exact same time. Enjoy!
Sweet Potato Crostini with Goat Cheese and Pomegranate
Sweet Potato Crostini with Goat Cheese and Pomegranate are ready for primetime, and are sure to be snatched up at your next gathering.
Ingredients
- 2 large, narrow sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4” rounds (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 ounces soft goat cheese
- 1/4 cup pomegranate arils
- 2 tablespoons raw honey
- Fresh rosemary leaves and flaky sea salt, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss together the sweet potato rounds, oil, and sea salt until all sides of the sweet potatoes are coated.
- Place sweet potatoes on the prepared baking sheets in one single layer.
- Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, rotating the pans front-to-back and between racks once during cook time. Remove pans from oven, flip slices over, then bake for an additional 30 minutes, rotating the pans front-to-back and between racks once during cook time. Rounds are finished when slices are golden brown and slightly crispy.
- Let sweet potato rounds cool enough to handle. Crumble goat cheese on each round, sprinkle with a few pomegranate arils, and then drizzle with the raw honey. Garnish with fresh rosemary leaves and flaky sea salt. Serve warm or at room temperature. The sweet potato rounds will soften in the fridge, so it’s best not to make ahead.
Notes
- This recipe is best made with narrow sweet potatoes (nothing wider than about 3” in diameter). You want folks to be able to eat these in one or two bites. Save the big, curvy sweet potatoes for your next batch of breakfast hash, smoothies, or stew.
- If you're worried about quantity, my big suggestion would be to have the sweet potato rounds made and baked off in advance. Then you can just heat and crisp them up in a warm oven and top them with all your toppings before serving. That's the easiest way to make these in bulk.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 2 crostiniAmount Per Serving: Calories: 66Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 106mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 2g
At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.
