Balsamic-Strawberry Bagel Bruschetta

To prove how versatile bagel bites can be I made bruschetta with them. But not just any bruschetta, a straberry-balsamic marinated goat cheese bruschetta.

This post almost didn’t happen. Yesterday Wordpress put out yet another update (3.9) which caused problems for any blogger with the Ziplist plugin. I didn’t figure out until midnight that deactivating the plugin provided a temporary fix allowing me write up the post before reactivating the plugin. So tada here’s today’s recipe!

A few weeks ago my friend Shiva asked if I could help dream up some fun bagel-bite recipes to be on the menu for her new cafe called Tabletop Board Game Cafe. It’s a board game cafe, featuring a maker space, and it’s opening soon near the west side of Cleveland, OH. I have been to a boardgame cafe once in Toronto and it was a blast, but with her and her husband’s creativity I know their cafe will be even better. So all you NE Ohioans better check it out once it opens! Play some games and order some tasty bagel bites.

With my goat cheese mania lately I had to make a bagel bite incorporating it so I started my bagel biting adventures with more of a dessert-appetizer variety, making a bruschetta with strawberries instead of tomatoes. The strawberries are marinated in balsamic glaze before being placed on top of the goat cheese. It was so simple and easy that I decided to make it two different ways: toasted bagel bites and bagel chips.

To find out more about Tabletop Board Game Cafe, follow them on Instagram (http://instagram.com/tabletopcleve), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/tabletopcleve), Twitter (https://twitter.com/tabletopcleve), and Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com/tabletopcleve/).

One year ago: Cast Iron Skillet Brussels Sprouts Bacon Pizza

Two years ago: Gnocchi with Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce

Three years ago: Nutella Mousse

BALSAMIC STRAWBERRY BAGEL BRUSCHETTA

Makes 8

Ingredients:

1/4 cup balsamic glaze

1/2 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced (about 1 cup)

4 (3-inch) mini bagels, sliced in half and toasted OR 8 bagel chips

1/2 cup goat cheese, divided

1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, stir together balsamic glaze and strawberries. Refrigerate, covered, for one hour.
2. Spread one tablespoon of goat cheese onto each toasted bagel slice. Top with balsamic strawberries and garnish with basil.

Source: Adapted slightly from She Knows.