an easy appetizer for holiday entertaining

D's mom came into town last night and with both my parents busy for the day, I was put in charge of making dinner. I decided to get a lil fancy and ended up making a five course meal but what I want to share is the pesto crostini that were such a hit! I saw this recipe and decided to go from there. I shopped at Whole Foods yesterday but all the ingredients can be found at your local grocery store. Whatever kind of cook you are, I promise this recipe is sure to impress everyone! Make sure to have the recipe on hand, guests will be asking for it!

Crostini

1 baguette
1 tbsp melted butter

Cut it into thin slices. Line on a baking sheet. Brush the top of each piece with melted butter. Put in a 350 degree over for about 8 minutes. Take out, flip over and brush the other side with the rest of the melted butter. Put back in over until toasted and crisp, about 4 minutes.

Sundried Tomato Pesto

1 cup sundried tomatoes
1/2 cup grated cheese - I used Pecorino but Parmesan would work great too- (just make sure it's a firm cheese with a good flavor)
1/2 cup (large bunch) fresh basil
small handful of almonds - I used dry roasted almonds; you could use pie nuts too
2 garlic cloves
olive oil
tabasco / chili flakes

Chop your ingredients up a little bit to help blend it all together. Put the tomatoes, cheese, basil, almonds and garlic into the food processor and pulse until smooth. Add in the olive oil slowly until you get the consistency you want. Add the tabasco and chili flakes in at the end to get the desired level of heat. Spoon the pesto onto your crostini, top with salami or a slice of cheese and serve to your hungry guests!