Butternut squash crostini with ricotta, cider caramelized onions, and fried sage – an elegant yet easy appetizer for Thanksgiving that will wow your guests!
It is a deliciously exciting week here on Chez CateyLou – I am celebrating all things Thanksgiving with an amazing group of bloggers! If you scroll to the bottom of this post, you can read a little more about our collaborative Thanksgiving dinner.
I am starting the week off with an amazing appetizer that is perfect for Thanksgiving. Butternut Squash Crostini with Ricotta, Cider Caramelized Onions, and Fried Sage. That is a mouthful of a title, so I shortened it to Butternut Squash Crostini. But I almost didn’t because I didn’t want to short-change any of the ingredients in this recipe – they all work so well together and are integral to the delicious and addictive flavor of this crostini. It is a gorgeous appetizer that will be the star of any Thanksgiving appetizer spread!
If I had to pick one absolute favorite bite in all of NYC, it would be the Kabocha Squash Toast from ABC Kitchen. I talked about it here and here – there is just something about the flavors in this dish that I can’t resist. If you follow me on Instagram, then you know that Friday night I had my beloved Squash Toast at ABC Kitchen. I get these intense cravings for it. I didn’t even really want to go out after work, but I just HAD to eat that toast! And so we went. And it was amazing.
This crostini is modeled after Kabocha Squash Toast. It is kind of like a deconstructed version of that toast, with a Thanksgiving twist.
And if you are doing the math yes, I had squash toast on Friday night, and made these crostini on Saturday. And had the leftovers yesterday. I have a problem.
These Butternut Squash Crostini are definitely my newest appetizer obsession. Several reasons:
1) They are absolutely gorgeous.
2) You will impress the heck out of anyone that you serve them to.
3) You can make all the ingredients in advance and assemble at the last minute – easy peasy.
4) Most importantly – they taste INCREDIBLE.
I am really not kidding – the flavor of these crostini, like the squash toast, is amazing. All the ingredients play a part, but the star of the show is the onions. They are caramelized with some agave (or maple syrup or honey) and some apple cider vinegar. The resulting concoction is sweet and savory and tart and rich – it is really one of the most delicious mixtures I have ever tasted. TheBetterHalf and I were joking that we wish we had a giant bowl of these cider caramelized onions on hand at all times. Plain chicken breast? Add some of the onions! Boring salad? Onions would fix that. I could go on and on but I won’t – the point is this onion mixture is addicting.
The other building blocks of the crostini contribute to the overall delectableness of this appetizer. A fresh baguette is brushed with olive oil and toasted. Then creamy ricotta is spread in a thin layer, followed by the famous onions. A few cubes of roasted butternut squash come next and the whole thing is finished off with a piece of fried sage. It is full of different textures and flavors and colors – and they all work together so well.
Ok I will stop gushing now and get to the recipe, and to the other exciting Thanksgiving recipes from my blog friends! What are all of you making for your Thanksgiving appetizers?
Butternut squash crostini with ricotta, cider caramelized onions, and fried sage - an elegant yet easy appetizer for Thanksgiving that will wow your guests!
Ingredients
- 3 cups butternut squash, cut into even 1/2 inch cubes (about one small squash)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 large yellow or vidalia onions, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup, agave, or honey (I used half honey half agave)
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- about 20 sage leaves
- Salt
- 1 baguette
- Olive oil
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Place the squash on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and chili flakes. Spread squash out evenly. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes, or until tender and slightly golden brown, Remove from the oven and keep oven on.
- Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and one teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are well softened and starting to brown, about 15 minutes. Add the vinegar and syrup/agave/honey, stir and continue cooking until the liquid is syrupy and the onions are broken down, about 20 minutes. The mixture should be jammy and dark brown.
- Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add sage leaves, a few at a time, and fry for about 10-15 seconds. Remove to a paper towel lined plate, and sprinkle with salt
- Slice baguette on the diagonal into slices. Place on a baking sheet and brush each slice with olive oil. Put into preheated oven and toast until light golden brown, about 10 minutes.
- Spread each baguette slice with a thin layer of ricotta. Spoon a dollop of the onion mixture on top and spread evenly. Place 3 butternut squash cubes on top of each crostini. Garnish with a piece of fried sage.
Thanksgiving is all about family, friends and delicious food. Luckily, the food blogging community is all about these things as well. To celebrate the holiday, Meghan from Cake ‘n’ Knife and Susannah from Feast + West are hosting Blogsgiving Dinner. There are 20 awesome blogs sharing 52 recipes. That is a lot of Thanksgiving food!
The idea is based on the old-fashioned progressive dinner party, in which you’d eat each course at a different guest’s home. Each blogger is bringing one or more dishes to the party on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of this week, so be sure to stop by each one and get some ideas for your own Thanksgiving meal. Today’s courses include cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and soup.
We’ll be posting to social media with the hashtag #blogsgivingdinner. Hope you can join us!
Cocktails
Carolina Apple Sidecar from Think Fruitful
Bourbon Cranberry Lemonade Fizz from bethcakes
Krupnikas Ginger from I Cook. I Eat. It’s Life.
Appetizers
Cured Meat Platter from Wit Wisdom and Food
Baked Camembert with Cranberry Walnut Crust from Cake ‘n’ Knife
Ginger Cran Apple Chutney from Love & Flour
Brandied Grapes with Cheese from Glamour Girl Gourmet
Shrimp Sweet Potato Mousseline from Home at Six
Cranberry Goat Cheese and Butternut Squash Crostini from The Wetherills Say I Do
Maple Pecan Baked Brie from My Cooking Spot
Sassy Salmon Dip from Betty Becca
Baked Brie with Cranberry Chutney from The Speckled Palate
Butternut Squash Crostini from Chez CateyLou
Gluten Free Holiday Cheese Board from Twin Stripe
Soup
Butternut Squash Soup with Cornbread Croutons from Club Narwhal
Creamy Wild Rice Soup from Hello Little Home
Pumpkin Soup with Bacon Roasted Chickpeas from Feast + West
Connect with Chez CateyLou!
omg well if these aren’t the cutest crostini ever!!! They scream Fall and would be absolutely perfect for Thanksgiving! Pinning them now!
Oh my, these are absolutely beautiful! I love all the flavors going on here and bet these would be gobbled up in seconds at a Thanksgiving dinner/potluck 🙂
Thank you so much, Amy! We ate these so quickly – they would definitely be gobbled up right up at a potluck!!
I love everything about this!!!
This looks SO delicious! I would love to add it to our Thanksgiving menu!
Such a great idea! I just *love* the onions on these!
Thanks, Patricia! The onions definitely make the dish!
This sounds like the perfect appetizer for Thanksgiving, Cate! I love how the sage and onions give this so much flavor. Sounds delicious!
Thank you so much,
Thank you so much, Gayle!! It really is a great Thanksgiving app!
Wow, Cate! These are gorgeous. I love all the colors and I bet these taste just as lovely! So many great flavors. And that toast you mentioned sounds divine!
Very unusual and I bet they are delicious!
Thanks, Ginny!!
Wonderful idea for a Thanksgiving app! I especially love the fried sage 🙂 Thanks for joining in on the blogsgiving fun with us!!
These look great! I love the idea of caramelizing the onion in maple syrup! Gonna keep that one in mind.
Chopping the squash and then roasting is a good idea…for some reason I always roast and then chop but then half my cubes end up sorta mushed. Duh!
Wow! These look incredible! I agree, you don’t want to shortchange any of the ingredients because the are all so good! Pinned!
Thanks, Kristine – and thanks for pinning!
These are beautiful, Cate! I’ve never had an appetizer like this one before, but I would love to try it.
Thanks, Andi! I wish I could invite you over to try it 🙂
Wow, what a great appetizer Cate! I love all the elements to it, the butternut, ricotta, cider caramelized onions (what!?), and that fried sage! These would be gone in a hot minute at my house! 🙂
Thanks, Beth!!
Ahhhh! I LOVE crostini…excited to try this one, as I also LOVE squash and ricotta 🙂
Thanks, Jennifer!! I think you are going to love this!!
We were right on the same page with the butternut squash crostinis! So good! 🙂
These are so beautiful, Cate! What a gorgeous way to serve butternut squash. Wish I had a few to snack on!
I love everything about this! I totally want to put those onions on everything I eat.
I had my first taste of a butternut squash crostini last week. Your version looks equally delicious!
Butternut squash is my weakness! This looks amazing!! And it’s a perfect for Thanksgiving.
I absolutely love fried sage and the cider caramelized onions sound so good! This looks amazing:)
I saw this on Google + and just had to drop by to tell you how yummy it looks!
These crostini look perfect for entertaining and for the upcoming holidays!
You had me at caramelized onions. Wow! This dish is perfect for the season of entertaining. Happy Blogsgiving!
This looks absolutely darling! I have been looking for a great Thanksgiving appetizer!!!
What is your favorite appetizer?
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Love this! I am hosting my first Thanksgiving this year and I have been thinking about serving some appetizers while we wait for all the guests to arrive. These would be delightful!