Shrimp Pesto Crostini

I had a culinary scare a few months ago where I thought I might be lactose intolerant. I was so horrified at the prospect of giving up dairy that I dealt with pain and agony, quietly eating my cheese, and ignoring the fact that my body was mad. I luckily realized it wasn't a dairy allergy, because truly the thought of a life without cheese was too much for me to handle! I have always had a thing for cheese, no cheese platter is safe if I'm in the room. Not to mention the fact that I seem to add cheese to every recipe I make.

When the people at Wisconsin Cheese asked me to create an original recipe for them, I was thrilled. I couldn't wait to get in the kitchen and get to work with a new cheese recipe. However, I was concerned... I mean, I live in New Jersey, how am I supposed to find Wisconsin Brand Cheese? After a quick search through their website I realized I use some of their cheese brands daily! And it certainly wasn't challenging to find at all.

I created a simple spring appetizer using my two favorite Italian cheeses- Parmesan and mozzarella. This came together very quickly and was extremely delicious. I was thrilled with the end results and I can't wait to make this again. This is great to make for company- it required minimal work but it looks delicious and impressive! 

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:

Italian bread, sliced into 3/4 inch slices

Olive oil

Wisconsin Brand Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Pesto sauce 

Tomato slices (1 per crustini)

Wisconsin Brand fresh mozzarella cheese (1 slice per crustini)

Large shrimp, peeled and deveined (2 per crustini)

Salt

Pepper

Directions:

1- Preheat the oven to 350. 

2- Slice the Italian bread into as many slices as desired.

3- Using a pastry brush, brush a thin layer of olive oil over each crustini. Top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, about 1/2 tsp per crustini.

4- Bake until the bread is lightly golden, about 4-7 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

5- Meanwhile, toss the shrimp with pesto (about 1 tsp per 2 shrimp) and season with salt and pepper. Toss well. Grill on an indoor grill pan, outdoor grill, or simply sautee in a skillet until cooked through. Remove from the heat and set aside, keeping hot.

6- Top each crustini with about 1 tpsb of pesto. Top with a tomato slice and a piece of mozzarella cheese. Place it back in the oven until the cheese softens, about 5-7 minutes.

7- Place two shrimp atop each crustini. Serve hot.