Roasted red pepper and butter bean bruschetta

 roasted red pepper and butter bean bruschetta. It’s quick and easy and makes for a great appetizer or as an hors d’oeuvre. This is one of my go-to recipes whenever we host a dinner party. The roasted red bell pepper, creamy butter beans, rosemary, and roasted garlic complement each other beautifully. This would make a great snack or appetizer for any holiday party! Trust me, you and your guests won’t be disappointed!

1 cup, about 1 can, butter beans (or great northern beans)
2 red bell peppers, roasted
2-3 cloves garlic, roasted
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
salt, to taste
1 baguette (or bread of your choice)

makes about 17 pieces

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Preheat oven to 350° F. Slice baguette into 1/4 inch slices and brush slightly with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and quickly toast in the oven for about 10 minutes.

Brush red peppers with olive oil and roast in a heated oven until outer skin chars and can be easily removed. Remove the charred outer skin once peppers have cooled enough to handle. Dice into 1/4 inch pieces.

While peppers are roasting, you can also be roasting the garlic! In a piece of aluminum foil, place the garlic cloves in olive oil and fold up to create a pouch. Heat in oven for 10-15 minutes or until garlic has become soft and tender.

In a mixing bowl, combine beans, red peppers, garlic, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, and thyme. Mix well. Taste and season with salt. Now, you can either top the baguette with the mixture as is OR I like to blend half of the mixture in a blender until nice and creamy. I then add the creamed beans and peppers back with the other beans, so I have some whole beans remaining in the resulting mixture.

Once the baguette have been topped with the bruschetta, toast in an 350° F oven for about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the bread, you want them to be toasty, but not burnt! Sprinkle with fresh parsley, serve warm and enjoy!