Big thanks to Brazi Bites for sponsoring today’s post of these Brazi Bruschetta Bites with Prosciutto and Apples! All thoughts and opinions are my own *Snape voice* OBVIOUSLY.
Welcome, my friends, to FOOD season. Seriously though. Between Halloween and the Super Bowl, it feels like we’re constantly eating, or thinking about food. You’ve got all the traditional holidays, holiday parties, and then in January everyone is *obsessed* with food (although in a totally different way), interspersed with all of that you have football and tailgates, and the playoffs, and finally, the Super Bowl.
No wonder people get so anxious this time of year.
Especially if you have any food issues (ahem, gluten for a lot of us over here), the holidays and these kinds of events can be particularly stressful because you’re not sure if there is going to be anything you can eat. Or if family will scoff at you because you’re not eating the bread (when you want to scream “um HELLO Aunt Soozie how many times do I have to tell you this isn’t just a fad diet?!”). Or if family/friends with the best of intentions may make something that they think is gluten free, but you’re not exactly sure so you don’t want to eat it and feel sick, but you don’t want to make them feel bad either….it’s a mess for sure.
Here’s the thing. You’re probably going to be attending a lot of parties, family and friendsgivings, cocktail hours, potlucks, tailgates, etc. And there’s probably going to be a lot of food there that’s just meh, or even food that’s delicious…but full of gluten. Which stinks! Because, in my opinion, tailgate/football party and holiday food are among the most DELICIOUS foods there are. So you know what you can do to fix this problem? Bring some absolutely bonkers send-your-tastebuds-to-flavortown amazing (yet totally easy to make) appetizers that’ll wow everyone’s socks off. That is, if they can make it all the way to the party, because you may have eaten them all by the time you actually get there.
I want to share with you guys my new, hands down, freaking FAVORITE thing on the food scene. Yes, sometimes I exaggerate, I’m totally aware. There is no exaggeration here. Because we’re talking about gluten-free brazilian cheese bread that is Brazi Bites and I’ve been salivating over them ever since I discovered them at Expo East last year.
If you told me a couple years ago that I’d be eating cheese bread, without feeling like I wanted to die inside, as someone who has celiac and was extremely lactose intolerant, I would have laughed in your face. Which is precisely what I did, embarrassingly enough, the first time I walked past the Brazi Bites table at expo a year ago and one of their reps asked if I wanted to try one. I literally laughed / scoffed out loud when they asked me if I wanted to try some Brazilian cheese bread – because I assumed, like so many other products at Expo, it was not safe for me as a celiac (whomp) and I’d have to miss out on some other deliciousness. There I was, naively not knowing that all Brazi Bites products are naturally gluten free, because traditional, authentic Brazilian cheese bread (Pão de Queijo) is made with tapioca flour and no gluten or wheat products and are made in a dedicated gluten-free facility.
MIND. BLOWN.
And then I tried them all, went back to the booth like five times over two days, I fell in love and we’ve been going steady ever since. You guys, thinking back on it, I’m sorry and embarrassed I basically laughed in their face. But I’m glad I embarrassed myself because I never would’ve discovered the magic that is these little guys. The recipe they use has been handed down in the family from their hometown of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and they’ve stuck to their roots in using only the most authentic ingredients while scaling them on a national level. How freaking cool is that?
Here’s the lineup. You’ve got the original Cheddar and Parmesan flavor (used in today’s recipe!), Garlic & Asiago (great to pair with Italian dishes or an antipasto!), 3 Cheese Pizza (YES you read that right) and Cinnamon Churro. Do I even NEED to say any more?
But wait, there IS more. Because this year they released empanadas. GLUTEN FREE EMPANADAS do I need to say it louder for the people in the back?! I’m dead. It’s fine. They’ve got ones with chicken, beef, and veggie ones too if that’s more your style.
More to come with me gushing over those later. You’ve most definitely been waiting long enough for this recipe so you can actually try these little nuggets of deliciousness for yourself. Your appetizer game is about to get upgraded with these Brazi Bruschetta Bites with Prosciutto and Apples. Eat them on their own, try not to devour them before your guests arrive, or if you are on your own, try dipping them in some delicious butternut squash soup (shown in these photos!)
- 1 pouch Brazi Bites (I used the cheddar & parmesan!)
- 1 medium apple, sliced thin
- 1 oz prosciutto, sliced
- ½c shredded or grated parmesan-reggiano cheese
- A few fresh sage leaves, chopped
- Walnuts
- Olives of your choice
- Parmesan cheese
- Prosciutto
- Sliced apples
- Butternut squash soup!
- Preheat the oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.
- Once hot, take the Brazi Bites out of the freezer and line them up on the prepared sheet. They don’t expand much, so you can leave just a little room between them.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Take the sheet out of the oven, and use the flat bottom of a measuring up to flatten each bite to about ¼ inch thickness. *You can also do this faster with the bottom of a cast iron skillet.
- Add a small slice of apple, a little prosciutto, and a dusting of parmesan cheese on top of each flattened disc.
- Pop the bites back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes, until the cheese is all melty, delicious, and starts to brown.
- Meanwhile, use a small skillet to cook the prosciutto until crispy.
- Top each bite with chopped prosciutto and fresh sage. If desired, serve on a fancy cheese board with sliced apples, cheese, prosciutto, walnuts, olives, and some butternut squash soup for dipping!
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